next-generation material. It is one-fifth the weight of steel but about five times stronger. The group aim to utilise the new material for manufacturing auto parts, construction materials, artificial blood vessels and various other purposes.
Paper manufacturers have already started to use the technology to develop nanocellulose materials. Some of them, including Nippon Paper Industries Co., have started production of the material on a test basis. If the range of usage widens, mass-production will be possible.
The Japanese government expects that the price level of nanocellulose in 2030 will be ¥500 per kilogram or lower, which is about one-tenth of the current level. The government has set goals of making nanocellulose a material that can compete with carbon fiber in terms of pricing, and of expanding the size of the market for the new material along with related businesses to the value of ¥1 trillion in 2030.
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