Locked revenue figures are available in Radar; the eight company financial previews stay the same throughout this page. A dash means the figure is outside these featured lists. Revenue years vary by company; the figures are not a like-for-like revenue comparison. Compare annual accounts ↗
Japan’s
chemicals and materials industry,
in focus.
The companies, capital and talent shaping chemicals and materials in Japan. Find the leaders. Understand the segments. See where the activity is.

An industry ecosystem,
measured in context.
MEET THE COMPANIESExplore Japan’s chemicals and materials leaders
24 featured companies from the funding, hiring, revenue and team-size leaderboards.
Expand panel +
Explore Japan’s chemicals and materials leaders
24 featured companies from the funding, hiring, revenue and team-size leaderboards.
Company discovery
Recorded evidence onlyExplore the live startup set in Radar
No company example met every recorded classification, independence and public-profile gate in this snapshot. The live directory may have newer qualifying companies.
Explore classified startups in Radar ↗Chemicals and Materials industry KPIs in Japan
A few useful ratios bring the size of this ecosystem into perspective.
6 of 795 tracked companies have open roles.
24 of 795 tracked companies have a recorded round.
Share of disclosed capital received by the three largest recorded recipients.
Midpoint of 31 rounds with a disclosed amount.
Scale is concentrated. Opportunity is broader. The three largest funding recipients hold 62.7% of disclosed capital, while 97.0% of tracked companies have no recorded funding round.
Explore the segments →CAPITAL & COMPANY FORMATIONHow Japan chemicals and materials has grown
Recorded company formation and disclosed funding across the complete annual series shown.
Expand panel +
How Japan chemicals and materials has grown
Recorded company formation and disclosed funding across the complete annual series shown.
Disclosed funding by year
Sum of recorded funding rounds · USD
View the numbers
| Year | Funding (USD) | Founded | Raising |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $238.41K | 3 | 1 |
| 2017 | $8.38M | 11 | 2 |
| 2018 | $7.12M | 4 | 1 |
| 2019 | $1.49M | 6 | 1 |
| 2020 | $0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 | $96.6M | 8 | 5 |
| 2022 | $0 | 10 | 0 |
| 2023 | $12.7M | 4 | 5 |
| 2024 | $14.38M | 1 | 5 |
| 2025 | $50.86M | 0 | 5 |
Funding concentration
Share of all disclosed company funding.
- W-SCOPE38.6%
- EF Polymer13.7%
- Flosfia10.3%
- Other companies37.3%
Funding by stage
42 recorded rounds since 2016
Investors appearing most often
Recorded participation in chemicals and materials company rounds since 2016.
- 01ANRI 4 rounds
- 02Mitsubishi UFJ Capital 4 rounds
- 03Europa 4 rounds
- 04Universal Materials Incubator 4 rounds
- 05Incubate Fund 4 rounds
- 06JFC 3 rounds
- 07MTG Ventures 3 rounds
- 08Nissay Capital 2 rounds
- 09Beyond Next Ventures 2 rounds
- 010Sony Innovation Fund 2 rounds
Recent recorded rounds
Latest recorded rounds · USDLargest and notable recorded rounds
Each card is one recorded roundBacked by Toyoda Gosei and Impact Capital and others.
Backed by Moon.Ventures.
Backed by ANRI and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and others.
Participating investors were not recorded in this snapshot.
Backed by Aozora and Shoko Chukin Bank and others.
Backed by DENSO.
Backed by Incubate Fund and QB Capital and others.
Backed by Miyako Capital and Energy & Environment Investment and others.
Backed by Universal Materials Incubator and MTG Ventures and others.
Participating investors were not recorded in this snapshot.
THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE ACTIVITYRevenue, profitability & financial strength
Expand panel +
Revenue, profitability & financial strength
Annual accounts availability
No reviewed exact national-ID connector has yet been qualified for Japan; this is a checked implementation boundary, not evidence that filings are absent.; No reviewed exact national-ID connector has yet been qualified for Japan; this is a checked implementation boundary, not evidence that filings are absent.
Web traffic, app reach and release cadence
How the Japan companies on this page show up online: the sites people visit, the apps they install, and how often those apps ship.
Most-installed apps
10 of these companies (1.3%) publish at least one Android app — 18 apps in all, carrying 4.5M installs between them.
| App | Installs | Rating | Store category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 【出光公式】Drive Onで給油を便利にお得に!Idemitsu Kosan | 4.4M | — | Lifestyle |
| Idemitsu India ConnectIdemitsu Kosan | 75.7K | — | Business |
| Idemitsu Loyalty AppsIdemitsu Kosan | 5.8K | — | Auto & Vehicles |
| KOBELCO WELDING アプリKobe Steel | 4.4K | — | Business |
| Idemitsu EngageIdemitsu Kosan | 1.6K | — | Business |
| TENSION_MASTERBando Group | 856 | — | Business |
| idemitsu オートシェアIdemitsu Kosan | 596 | — | Maps & Navigation |
| ソーラーサーキットサポートアプリkaneka | 241 | — | Lifestyle |
| Harima ARHarima Chemicals Group | 236 | — | Entertainment |
| カネカEMSkaneka | 194 | — | Lifestyle |
Installs are lifetime totals to date at the June 2026 store reading — a measure of reach, not of people using an app today.
App reach by segment
The busiest app inside each of this page’s own segments, with the quarterly release trend behind it (2023Q1–2025Q4).
| Segment | Apps | Installs | Leading app | Release trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diversified Chemicals | 9 | 4.5M | 【出光公式】Drive Onで給油を便利にお得に! 4.4M | |
| Oil & Gas Downstream | 5 | 4.5M | Idemitsu India Connect 75.7K | |
| Metals And Alloys | 6 | 4.6K | KOBELCO WELDING アプリ 4.4K | |
| Materials Equipment Manufacturers | 4 | 86 | 建設用資材ハンドブック ライブラリー 73 |
A company can carry several segment tags, so these rows overlap and should not be added together. Trend lines are zero-based and share one quarter grid, so a flat line is a quiet segment, not a missing one.
INSIDE THE INDUSTRYThe Japan chemicals and materials market map
Explore the segments behind the headline numbers.
Expand panel +
The Japan chemicals and materials market map
Explore the segments behind the headline numbers.
Where companies are building
Rank segments by scale, hiring or disclosed funding.
Companies can sit in several segments. Counts and funding overlap.
Segment data unavailable
The largest measured segment in this report snapshot.
0 companies hiring · $0 disclosed funding
Explore in RadarHow companies make money
Common revenue models; a company can use more than one.
THE COMPANIES IN MOTIONWho is listing, hiring leaders, launching and winning work
Recorded corporate activity linked to companies in this landscape.
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Who is listing, hiring leaders, launching and winning work
Recorded corporate activity linked to companies in this landscape.
Recent corporate headlines 10 dated reports
Approval was given by the Capital Market Authority in January for an offer of 240m shares for a 30% free‑float.
KKR saying recently it plans a tender offer for Taiyo Holdings valuing the chemicals maker at about ¥500 billion ($3.1 billion).
Business Deal Asahi Kasei Completes Acquisition of German-based Biopharmaceutical Firm Aicuris
JFE Steel Corporation invested Rs 7,875 crore to acquire a 25% stake in JSW Kalinga Steel, marking the first tranche of its investment under the joint venture agreement.
Toyoda Gosei has completed the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Ashimori Industry effective March 1, 2026, formally making the company a wholly owned subsidiary.
Kanadevia is negotiating a comprehensive merger with Nippon Steel Engineering
Oxide completed a $200 million Series C funding round to accelerate its on-premises cloud computing solutions.
Nippon Steel announced it will commence a tender offer on February 2, 2026, to acquire additional shares of its consolidated subsidiary Krosaki Harima Corporation, a refractory and materials producer listed in Tokyo and Fukuoka.
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. advises Aica Kogyo Company, Limited on its USD 225 million acquisition of a controlling stake in Stylam Industries Limited including a mandatory open offer to its public shareholders
Cade approved Ternium's purchase of Nippon Steel's stake in Usiminas.
Full recorded event mix
Top 10 categories among 398 recorded events in the 24-month window.
IPO pipeline
2 companies with recorded IPO activity
Leadership moves
3 tracked people moves
Appointment Chief Financial Officer
Appointment Chairman of the Board
Appointment President and COO
Contract wins
20 recorded customer wins
Customer: kenorland mineralsMining
Customer: nissan motorAutomotive manufacturing
Customer: tulevaLithium production
Customer: Transition IndustriesChemicals
Customer: galway metalsMining
Customer: HH StainlessStainless steel manufacturing & distribution
Regulatory events
18 recorded events
approved acquisition proposalCompetition Commission of India
fined for anti-competitive conductTurkish Competition Authority
conditional approval for purchaseU.S. government
conditional approvalDonald Trump administration
Litigation
26 tracked suits
patent infringementCivil · Verdict
intellectual property infringementPatent · Settled
Earnings pulse
Reported company results in the recorded window.
Median across 22 reported growth observations; companies may contribute multiple periods.
Mergers and acquisitions
Company-linked deal reports; status is preserved as recorded.
| Acquirer → target | Status | Date | Value / context |
|---|---|---|---|
| kkr→taiyo holdings co. ↗ | Rumored | 2026-04-23 | Not stated in snapshot |
| Asahi Kasei→aicuris | Completed | 2026-04-21 | Not stated in snapshot |
| U.S. Steel→Nippon Steel ↗ | Completed | 2026-04-07 | Not stated in snapshot |
| Jfe Steel→JSW Kalinga Steel | Completed | 2026-03-30 | Not stated in snapshot |
| DIC→BASF Colors & Effects | Completed | 2026-03-05 | Not stated in snapshot |
| toyoda gosei→ashimori industry ↗ | Completed | 2026-03-01 | Not stated in snapshot |
A discussion or rumour is not a completed transaction. An unstated value is not zero.
PEOPLE & OPPORTUNITYThe talent market
Recorded hiring and workforce signals from the available source snapshot.
Expand panel +
The talent market
Recorded hiring and workforce signals from the available source snapshot.
Most advertised job titles
No repeated job title is supported by this snapshot.
0 tracked postings mention remote work.
Companies hiring
| Company | Open roles |
|---|---|
| Proterial ↗ | 4 |
| Takasago International ↗ | 3 |
| Toyal Group ↗ | 2 |
| Nippon Paint Holdings ↗ | 2 |
| EF Polymer ↗ | 1 |
| JSP ↗ | 1 |
Large employers
| Company | Employees |
|---|---|
| Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation ↗ | 69,230 |
| Toray Industries ↗ | 46,248 |
| Sumitomo Chemical ↗ | 37,400 |
| SEKISUI CHEMICAL ↗ | 26,080 |
| Nitto ↗ | 26,076 |
| Resonac Holdings ↗ | 25,803 |
| Showa Denko Materials ↗ | 23,095 |
| DIC ↗ | 22,743 |
THE PEOPLE BUILDING THE FIELDFounders and leaders
147 founders and chief executives across 127 companies.
Expand panel +
Founders and leaders
147 founders and chief executives across 127 companies.
Puran Rajput
EF Polymer ↗Ex-Fusion Business Solutions, Arcgate. Rajasthan Technical University BTech 2016
Hisaki Ikebata
CrowdChem ↗Ex- Asahi Kasei Corporation
Motohiro Kizaki
MI-6 ↗Ex-Orix, Mobike Japan. Kyoto University 2012
Taiki Sato
TopoLogic ↗Ex-A.L.I.Technologies, McKinsey & Company. The University of Tokyo 2011, University of Tokyo Graduate School 2013
Yoshinori Hirai
AGC ↗CEO Architectural Glass, ex-Kuraray.
Shunya Chosokabe
FiberCraze ↗Gifu University BS 2020, Graduate School of Gifu University MS 2023
John Jeong
TSK ↗Kyoto Seika University BA 2001
Masato Takei
Alconix ↗Ex-Nissho Iwai Corporation, .
Mayuki Hashimoto
SUMCO ↗Mitsubishi Materials Corp.
Yukihiro Imai
Bioworks ↗Ex- Nagase, KYOWA.
Hiroyuki Ueshima
NAGASE ↗Nagase Hong kong.
Education networks
0 profiles with education records.
Prior employers
0 profiles with prior-work records.
Profiles cover recorded founders and leaders; contact details remain in Radar.
NEWS INTELLIGENCEHow this industry appears in the news
519,813 articles in the measured 12-month window.
Expand panel +
How this industry appears in the news
519,813 articles in the measured 12-month window.
News volume trends
Chemicals and Materials coverage across Japan · articles per complete quarter
View quarterly article counts
| Quarter | Articles |
|---|---|
| 2021Q2 | 73,792 |
| 2021Q3 | 98,008 |
| 2021Q4 | 66,137 |
| 2022Q1 | 80,218 |
| 2022Q2 | 77,387 |
| 2022Q3 | 81,898 |
| 2022Q4 | 105,300 |
| 2023Q1 | 106,561 |
| 2023Q2 | 105,230 |
| 2023Q3 | 120,018 |
| 2023Q4 | 101,558 |
| 2024Q1 | 118,894 |
| 2024Q2 | 120,294 |
| 2024Q3 | 133,996 |
| 2024Q4 | 130,053 |
| 2025Q1 | 156,665 |
| 2025Q2 | 116,952 |
| 2025Q3 | 200,061 |
| 2025Q4 | 97,967 |
| 2026Q1 | 110,154 |
Article volume measures coverage, not market sales.
Tone of coverage over time
Most-covered companies
Company share of voice
390 recorded company events across 61 companies; percentages use that event total.
Leading coverage topics
Chemicals and Materials coverage across Japan · ranked by full-period article count.
Recent and prior counts use the source comparison windows.
Topics gaining and losing attention
Chemicals and Materials coverage across Japan
| Keyword | Recent | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| countries | 4,193 | 1,858 | 126% |
| trade dispute mechanisms | 2,681 | 1,710 | 57% |
| bilateral trade | 2,368 | 1,400 | 69% |
| preferential tariff | 1,856 | 1,287 | 44% |
| forex liquidity | 1,629 | 534 | 205% |
| tariff rate quota | 1,523 | 988 | 54% |
| exchange rates | 1,516 | 916 | 66% |
| mfn tariff | 1,391 | 927 | 50% |
| gold spot price | 1,316 | 183 | 619% |
| commodity futures | 1,112 | 361 | 208% |
| olympic trials | 1,067 | 2,639 | -60% |
| olympic team selections | 947 | 2,636 | -64% |
| honda forums | 1 | 2,597 | -100% |
| summer olympics athletics | 289 | 1,684 | -83% |
| olympians career highlights | 379 | 1,520 | -75% |
Event and signal lenses
Chemicals and Materials coverage across Japan
Regulatory Risk
826,023 classified articlesterritories, disputed islands, countries
25.0% critical · 17.7% positiveFunding Momentum
84,798 classified articlesinflation reports fx, currency intervention policies, trade deficits fx
38.5% critical · 43.1% positiveGrowth
226,502 classified articlesgdp growth rate, gdp acceleration, economic output growth
33.5% critical · 45.8% positiveChemicals and Materials coverage across Japan. Topic labels describe recorded classifications and can include broad context.
RESEARCH SIGNALSWhat Chemicals and Materials research is working on
10,510 papers in the recorded worldwide scope.
Expand panel +
What Chemicals and Materials research is working on
10,510 papers in the recorded worldwide scope.
Research orientation
Contribution mix
Tone counts: 9,963 positive · 502 neutral · 45 negative.
- Smart material204 papers
- Nanotechnology87 papers
- Actuator42 papers
- Shape-memory alloy25 papers
- Self-healing hydrogels23 papers
- Polymer23 papers
- 3D printing22 papers
- Textile21 papers
Landmark: Covalent adaptable networks: smart, reconfigurable and responsive network systems
- Smart material30 papers
- Actuator17 papers
- Shape-memory alloy15 papers
- Nanotechnology9 papers
- Piezoelectricity8 papers
- Composite material7 papers
- Nanomaterials6 papers
- SMA*6 papers
Landmark: Amorphous polyphosphate, a smart bioinspired nano-/bio-material for bone and cartilage regeneration: towards a new paradigm in tissue engine
- Smart material2,086 papers
- Actuator1,567 papers
- Shape-memory alloy1,016 papers
- Polymer669 papers
- Piezoelectricity621 papers
- Nanotechnology614 papers
- Elastomer609 papers
- Self-healing hydrogels525 papers
Landmark: A review of stimuli-responsive shape memory polymer composites
Leading institutions
Leading researchers
Highly cited breakthrough-labelled papers
- Multimaterial 4D Printing with Tailorable Shape Memory Polymers1,085 citations
- A Bioinspired Mineral Hydrogel as a Self‐Healable, Mechanically Adaptable Ionic Skin for Highly Sensitive Pressure Sensing998 citations
- Soft material for soft actuators817 citations
- Conductive MXene Nanocomposite Organohydrogel for Flexible, Healable, Low‐Temperature Tolerant Strain Sensors801 citations
- Mussel-Inspired Cellulose Nanocomposite Tough Hydrogels with Synergistic Self-Healing, Adhesive, and Strain-Sensitive Properties769 citations
Common problems researchers identify
436 papers · 7 recurring themes
Common problems researchers identify · 01Smart Materials for Buildings
111 papers25.5% of this theme group
Researchers discuss integrating responsive materials and automation into architectural structures and building systems.
Smart environment (18) · Smart material (69) · Building automation (11) · Architectural engineering (14)
Smart structures and material technologies in architecture applications
Smart Materials and Structures: State of the Art and Applications
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 23.7 |
| 2023 | 26.7 |
| 2024 | 21.0 |
| 2025 | 30.8 |
Common problems researchers identify · 02Piezoelectric and Nanotube Materials
84 papers19.3% of this theme group
Studies focus on enhancing piezoelectric performance and monitoring structures using carbon nanotube‑based composites.
Piezoelectricity (18) · Carbon nanotube (8) · Nonlinear system (5) · Structural health monitoring (7)
Advanced Materials for Energy Harvesting and Soft Robotics: Emerging Frontiers to Enhance Piezoelectric Performance and Functionality
An investigation into size‐dependent dynamic thermo‐electromechanical response of piezoelectric‐laminated sandwich smart nanocomposites
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 567.0 |
| 2023 | 542.9 |
| 2024 | 434.7 |
| 2025 | 506.1 |
Common problems researchers identify · 03Stimuli‑Responsive Hydrogels
66 papers15.1% of this theme group
Work explores soft machines and artificial muscles built from self‑healing, responsive hydrogel systems.
Magnetorheological fluid (10) · Actuator (21) · Self-healing hydrogels (13) · Artificial muscle (7)
Multifunctional soft machines based on stimuli-responsive hydrogels: from freestanding hydrogels to smart integrated systems
Hydrogels in Soft Robotics: Past, Present, and Future
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 515.7 |
| 2023 | 514.0 |
| 2024 | 470.1 |
| 2025 | 585.1 |
Common problems researchers identify · 04Smart Polymers and Nanotech
60 papers13.8% of this theme group
Papers address polymer‑based smart materials, their nanostructures, and emerging applications.
Smart polymer (17) · Polymer (19) · Smart material (42) · Nanotechnology (19)
Polymer-based smart materials by printing technologies: Improving application and integration
Smart polymer brushes and their emerging applications
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 864.8 |
| 2023 | 844.3 |
| 2024 | 729.8 |
| 2025 | 614.3 |
Common problems researchers identify · 05Nanomaterial Smart Devices
58 papers13.3% of this theme group
Research highlights nanomaterial‑driven smart components for microrobotics and biosensing.
Nanotechnology (47) · Smart material (48) · Nanometre (4) · Nanomaterials (5)
Smart Materials for Microrobots
Responsive principles and applications of smart materials in biosensing
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 6017.8 |
| 2023 | 6037.6 |
| 2024 | 6407.6 |
| 2025 | 5059.3 |
Common problems researchers identify · 064D Printing and Morphing
32 papers7.3% of this theme group
Investigations cover additive manufacturing techniques that enable shape‑changing and bio‑fabricated polymer structures.
3D printing (18) · Morphing (8) · Biofabrication (5) · Polymer (6)
Developments in 4D-printing: a review on current smart materials, technologies, and applications
4D printing: Fundamentals, materials, applications and challenges
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 330.6 |
| 2023 | 357.2 |
| 2024 | 405.8 |
| 2025 | 481.6 |
Common problems researchers identify · 07Shape‑Memory Alloys and Polymers
25 papers5.7% of this theme group
Studies examine adaptive composites and micro‑patterns based on shape‑memory metal and polymer technologies.
Shape-memory alloy (24) · SMA* (11) · Shape-memory polymer (9) · Nickel titanium (4)
Application and Development of Shape Memory Micro/Nano Patterns
Micromechanics and Modelling of Adaptive Shape Memory Composites
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 188.9 |
| 2023 | 195.6 |
| 2024 | 215.0 |
| 2025 | 202.7 |
Cautions
85 papers · 4 recurring themes
Cautions · 01Nanomaterials in Biomedical Textiles
42 papers49.4% of this theme group
Cautionary work on environmental and health impacts of nanomaterial‑enhanced smart textiles and dental applications.
Smart material (27) · Nanotechnology (9) · Nanomaterials (6) · Tissue engineering (3)
Green Nanomaterials for Smart Textiles Dedicated to Environmental and Biomedical Applications
Dental Smart Materials
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 6023.0 |
| 2023 | 6043.2 |
| 2024 | 6414.6 |
| 2025 | 5079.5 |
Cautions · 02Piezoelectric Actuators Reliability
19 papers22.4% of this theme group
Research warns about hysteresis and environmental sensitivity in piezoelectric monitoring and actuation devices.
Piezoelectricity (8) · Actuator (9) · Composite material (6) · Hysteresis (4)
An experimental investigation on the health monitoring of concrete structures using piezoelectric transducers at various environmental tempe
Electrical and electromechanical characteristics of LTCC embedded piezoelectric bulk actuators
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 3685.0 |
| 2023 | 3604.8 |
| 2024 | 3287.4 |
| 2025 | 2458.5 |
Cautions · 03Shape‑Memory Polymer Manufacturing
12 papers14.1% of this theme group
Authors highlight challenges in additive processes and thermomechanical behavior of shape‑memory polymers.
Shape-memory polymer (4) · Viscoelasticity (2) · Morphing (2) · Magnetorheological fluid (2)
Advances in additive manufacturing of shape memory polymer composites
Thermomechanical and shape memory properties of thermosetting shape memory polymer under compressive loadings
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 96.3 |
| 2023 | 88.3 |
| 2024 | 78.3 |
| 2025 | 103.4 |
Cautions · 04SMA Dampers in Seismic Use
12 papers14.1% of this theme group
Papers discuss model sensitivity and performance limits of shape‑memory alloy dampers in earthquake engineering.
Shape-memory alloy (11) · SMA* (6) · Nickel titanium (3) · Damper (3)
Sensitivity of Seismic Applications to Different Shape Memory Alloy Models
Investigation on The Seismic Behavior of Steel MRF with Shape Memory Alloy Equipped Connections
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 186.3 |
| 2023 | 192.5 |
| 2024 | 211.1 |
| 2025 | 199.6 |
Opportunities
6,773 papers · 7 recurring themes
Opportunities · 01IoT‑Enabled Smart Materials
1,489 papers24.8% of this theme group
Opportunities focus on nanotech‑enhanced materials that connect to networks for adaptive architectural and engineering functions.
Smart material (955) · Nanotechnology (295) · Architectural engineering (48) · Internet of Things (41)
Magnetically responsive intelligent fibers: nano-engineered materials and multifunctional integration for advanced applications
Advanced Smart and Multifunctional Polymer Materials
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 6023.4 |
| 2023 | 6045.2 |
| 2024 | 6419.5 |
| 2025 | 5065.6 |
Opportunities · 02Photo‑Responsive Polymers and Composites
1,472 papers24.5% of this theme group
Research explores light‑driven color change and reversible electrical properties in advanced polymer composites.
Polymer (182) · Composite number (132) · Photochromism (48) · Fabrication (113)
Photoplastic\nTransformation Based on Dynamic Covalent\nChemistry
Graphene/Phase\nChange Material Nanocomposites: Light-Driven,\nReversible Electrical Resistivity Regulation via Form-Stable Phase\nTransitio
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 1847.4 |
| 2023 | 1847.2 |
| 2024 | 1769.8 |
| 2025 | 1842.9 |
Opportunities · 03Shape‑Memory Composite Actuators
922 papers15.4% of this theme group
Studies present design concepts for actuators using shape‑memory alloys and polymers for adaptive structures.
Shape-memory alloy (766) · Shape-memory polymer (338) · SMA* (232) · Nickel titanium (55)
Shape Memory Polymer Composite Actuator: Modeling Approach for Preliminary Design and Validation
Shaping shape‐memory
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 188.9 |
| 2023 | 195.6 |
| 2024 | 215.0 |
| 2025 | 202.7 |
Opportunities · 04Soft Robotics and Artificial Muscles
689 papers11.5% of this theme group
Work showcases elastomeric actuators and bio‑inspired designs for versatile motion in soft robotic systems.
Actuator (565) · Soft robotics (127) · Artificial muscle (78) · Elastomer (136)
Scalable functionalized liquid crystal elastomer fiber soft actuators with multi-stimulus responses and photoelectric conversion
Smart Bioinspired Actuators: Crawling, Linear, and Bending Motions through a Multilayer Design
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 306.3 |
| 2023 | 295.7 |
| 2024 | 243.0 |
| 2025 | 303.3 |
Opportunities · 05Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Materials
604 papers10.1% of this theme group
Papers describe self‑powered composites and sensors that convert mechanical stress into electrical energy.
Piezoelectricity (446) · Piezoelectric sensor (59) · Piezoresistive effect (52) · Energy harvesting (67)
Piezoelectric composite cements: Towards the development of self-powered and self-diagnostic materials
Effective mechanical properties of piezoelectric–piezomagnetic hybrid smart composites
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 168.3 |
| 2023 | 171.8 |
| 2024 | 160.4 |
| 2025 | 198.2 |
Opportunities · 06Self‑Healing Hydrogel Platforms
535 papers8.9% of this theme group
Research highlights hydrogels that repair themselves and serve as flexible sensors and biomedical scaffolds.
Self-healing hydrogels (370) · Self-healing (71) · Nanotechnology (142) · Smart material (148)
Smart/stimuli-responsive hydrogels: Cutting-edge platforms for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications
Eco-Friendly, Self-Healing Hydrogels for Adhesive and Elastic Strain Sensors, Circuit Repairing, and Flexible Electronic Devices
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 6142.9 |
| 2023 | 6168.3 |
| 2024 | 6553.4 |
| 2025 | 5274.8 |
Opportunities · 07Magnetorheological Elastomer Devices
289 papers4.8% of this theme group
Studies investigate magnetic‑responsive elastomers for damping, sensing, and multifunctional actuator applications.
Magnetorheological fluid (234) · Magnetorheological elastomer (93) · Damper (60) · Elastomer (96)
Research and Applications of MR Elastomers
Combined magnetic and mechanical sensing of magnetorheological elastomers
View research history
| Year | Share index |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 53.8 |
| 2023 | 47.1 |
| 2024 | 35.3 |
| 2025 | 45.5 |
How this field compares with the research baseline
Orientation shares compared with 25,000 papers in the reference sample.
| Research orientation | This field | Reference sample |
|---|---|---|
| Breakthrough | 41.4% | 26.0% |
| Promising | 34.9% | 37.0% |
| Descriptive | 16.3% | 17.6% |
| Problem-identifying | 4.2% | 10.0% |
| Comparative | 2.1% | 3.9% |
| Cautionary | 0.9% | 4.7% |
| Critical | 0.2% | 0.9% |
Concerns receiving less research attention
Counts and shares refer to the stated research pool. A low count describes how much of that research is recorded here, not the absence of a real-world concern.
| Concern / example paper | Papers | Share | Raised as a problem | Worldwide share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy & surveillanceMaking Smart Regions Smarter: Smart Specialization and the Role of Universities in Regional Innovation Ecosystems | 7 | 0.08% | 2 (28.6%) | 0.08% |
| Bias & fairnessA simple smart composite using fiber Bragg grating sensors for strain and temperature discrimination | 2 | 0.02% | 0 (0.0%) | 0.02% |
| Energy & datacenter footprintEnergy-Saving Smart Windows with HPC/PAA Hybrid Hydrogels\nas Thermochromic Materials | 1 | 0.01% | 0 (0.0%) | 0.01% |
| Water use | 0 | 0.0% | 0 (%) | 0.0% |
| Carbon & emissions of compute | 0 | 0.0% | 0 (%) | 0.0% |
| Hardware, e-waste & supply chain | 0 | 0.0% | 0 (%) | 0.0% |
| Labour & data work | 0 | 0.0% | 0 (%) | 0.0% |
| Safety & misuse | 0 | 0.0% | 0 (%) | 0.0% |
| Concentration of compute power | 0 | 0.0% | 0 (%) | 0.0% |
Institution and researcher rankings use citations to their covered work. Research scope: worldwide. This may be broader than the company geography.
INNOVATION SIGNALSWho files Chemicals and Materials patents in Japan
Published patent filings in the recorded source window.
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Who files Chemicals and Materials patents in Japan
Published patent filings in the recorded source window.
Filing momentum
Who files the most
GEOGRAPHIC FOOTPRINTWhere companies are based
Company counts, hiring and disclosed funding across the recorded hubs.
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Where companies are based
Company counts, hiring and disclosed funding across the recorded hubs.

Tokyo
89 companies36.5% across the displayed hubs
2 companies hiring · $15.5M disclosed funding
Explore companies in Tokyo ↗
Osaka
60 companies24.6% across the displayed hubs
1 companies hiring · $0 disclosed funding
Explore companies in Osaka ↗
Nagoya
22 companies9.0% across the displayed hubs
0 companies hiring · $0 disclosed funding
Explore companies in Nagoya ↗Chiyoda City
20 companies8.2% across the displayed hubs
0 companies hiring · $0 disclosed funding
Explore companies in Chiyoda City ↗
Kyoto
16 companies6.6% across the displayed hubs
0 companies hiring · $22.9M disclosed funding
Explore companies in Kyoto ↗Chuo City
14 companies5.7% across the displayed hubs
0 companies hiring · $0 disclosed funding
Explore companies in Chuo City ↗
Chuo
12 companies4.9% across the displayed hubs
0 companies hiring · $0 disclosed funding
Explore companies in Chuo ↗
Minato
11 companies4.5% across the displayed hubs
0 companies hiring · $0 disclosed funding
Explore companies in Minato ↗Chemicals and Materials in Japan: key questions
Clear definitions for making better comparisons.
What does this landscape measure?
It measures the tracked company ecosystem, recorded funding, hiring and other available evidence. It is not a market-size estimate.
Can segment counts be added together?
No. A company can belong to several segments, so segment counts and funding can overlap.
What does a missing figure mean?
A dash or unavailable panel means the current reviewed source snapshot does not support that figure.
Company ecosystem snapshot: 1 September 2026. Funding is recorded in USD; filed accounts retain their stated currency and reporting basis. Each section identifies its own coverage. The news and research behind these sections is explorable in Prism.
Canonical landscape ↗
