Germany-based Group company TANIOBIS GmbH (hereinafter "TANIOBIS") is one of the world's leading manufacturers of tantalum and niobium materials, with manufacturing and sales locations all around the globe. Primarily driven by TANIOBIS, we contribute to evolution of the IoT/AI society through stable provision of such products as metal powders used in capacitors and semiconductor materials, high-purity oxides for SAW devices and optical lenses, chlorides and compounds, and superalloy additives.
JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
Senior Executive Officer, General Manager, Tantalum and Niobium Division
General Manager, Administration Dept., Tantalum and Niobium Division
Senior Executive Engineer, Technology Group
Iida Kazuhiko
Product sales of high-purity tantalum powder for capacitors and high-purity tantalum powder for sputtering targets for semiconductors, a mainstay existing business, continued firm performance in fiscal 2021 due to the evolution of the IoT/AI society and increasing stay-at-home demand.
In order to meet the steady growth in demand for its products, TANIOBIS decided to invest in the expansion of its high-purity tantalum powder production facilities at its production site in Thailand, significantly increasing capacity. In addition, we aimed to expand our global market share through a number of activities. These included efforts to realize a raw material procurement portfolio that is resilient to supply and demand fluctuations, price fluctuations, and risk, and actions promoting the Customer First Project, in which sales, R&D, and manufacturing work in unison to develop a customer-focused business model in order to respond quickly and accurately to customers' technological needs. In new business development, in order to expand our business foundations, we have been promoting initiatives targeting product development and the creation of synergies through close collaboration with Group companies and others, and are steadily generating results toward the launch of new products.
JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation
Senior Executive Officer, General Manager, Tantalum and Niobium Division
General Manager, Administration Dept., Tantalum and Niobium Division
Senior Executive Engineer, Technology Group
Iida Kazuhiko
Given that demand is expected to continue growing for the achievement of IoT/AI society, we expect demand to remain strong for our mainstay products of high-purity tantalum powder for capacitors and sputtering targets for semiconductors. Under these circumstances, we will work to attain even stronger competitive advantage by promoting customer sales activities that integrate sales and technology to further expand its market share and to optimize the product mix and reduce costs at each site, as well as by promoting the stable procurement of raw materials.
Furthermore, we made tantalum and niobium smelter Tokyo Denkai Co., Ltd. into a wholly owned subsidiary in April 2022, strengthening the vertically integrated supply chain. We will also promote activities to realize synergies in minor metals domains, especially niobium, through collaboration with TANIOBIS and other Group companies.
In order to meet strong demand for high-purity tantalum powder, TANIOBIS decided to invest in expanding production facilities in Thailand, significantly boosting capacity at its plant there. TANIOBIS will also strengthen its quality control system by establishing a new analysis building, as well as reinforce its development system to promptly respond to customer needs by installing new development and prototyping facilities. These facilities are scheduled to launch in sequence toward full operation by 2025. Going forward, we will continue to provide a stable supply of high-purity tantalum powder to meet market expectations.
TANIOBIS's Thailand plant
