Nippon Paper Sets Nanofiber Diapers as Path to Boost Growth
- Trade ministry sees potential for $8.2 billion market
- New facility would be part of bid to limit dependence on paper
Cellulose nanofiber dispersion.
Source: Nippon Paper Industries, Co., Ltd.This article is for subscribers only.
Nippon Paper Industries Co. plans to build a factory to mass produce nanofiber as soon as next year, part of a push to bolster revenue as Japan’s shrinking population and the shift to online content threatens sales of newspapers and books.
“We are pinning our hopes on the material as our biggest growth potential,” said Masayuki Kawasaki, who heads Nippon Paper’s cellulose nanofiber business promotion office. Annual sales of products that use the plant fibers could amount to billions of dollars in 15 years, he said.