The KAITEKI Institute's basic areas of research and study are: the environment, natural resources, energy, water, food, and health. One of the first defined initiatives is research into utilization of CO₂ as a carbon resource, both reducing atmospheric CO₂ and creating carbon-based small molecules that can be used as fuels, incorporated in consumer products, or transformed into plastic materials. It is envisioned that such transformations, which can be conducted by either chemical or biological processes, would be powered by the sun. In other areas, the institute will focus on advanced materials and systems that foster the creation of quiet, comfortable, and energy-efficient spaces; technologies that address future challenges in water and food; and breakthrough technologies in medical care that raise the quality of human health.

Utilization of CO₂ as a carbon resource

As fossil fuel resources become scarcer and more expensive and as greenhouse emissions are increasingly regulated worldwide, CO₂ may become the ultimate carbon resource. Our aim is to devise efficient and cost-effective means for synthesizing basic chemicals, chemical intermediates, and materials such as polymers using plentiful CO₂ and water as basic ingredients. It is envisioned that the energy for such transformations would come from the sun, possibly by splitting water into its more energetic components hydrogen and oxygen. The KAITEKI Institute will explore both biological, e.g. photosynthesis, and chemical, e.g. photocatalysis, means for CO₂ transformation and utilization.

Material science

For a sustainable and "comfortable" society, not only do we need to utilize renewable resources, but we also need to strive for optimum energy efficiency in our living and working spaces, transportation systems, equipment and manufacturing processes. This should be done without sacrificing performance, comfort, and quality of life, and ideally achieving cost-savings. With these objectives in mind, the Institute aims to develop innovative and highly efficient materials and devices for energy generation, storage, conservation, and tranformation.

Sensibility science

There are various aspects to achieving "comfort" in the human condition throughout the world. In the spirit of KAITEKI, we will apply computational science to theoretically analyze why certain materials and designs of living and work spaces, as well as transportation systems, are perceived as "comfortable". Based on this analysis, we will identify new types of materials, new construction methods, and new architectural designs that can be translated into business activity by the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group to realize a globally "comfortable" existence.