--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: Chemicals That Power Progress image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2f81d9f0bec6aad/6a4b52628df1a6416b6e15c4/72FD52ACB3CA4FFDBB7D5DD888E67882.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y7.05 --- # Chemicals That Power Progress  – Naoki Okuno , President and CEO, Okuno Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. – Naoki Okuno , President and CEO, Okuno Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. Japanese companies often thrive for generations thanks to their personal approach to business. As Naoki Okuno, president of Osaka-based Okuno Chemical Industries, puts it, “Building trust with customers is essential, while continuously developing employees is crucial.” Founded over a century ago, Okuno has continually adapted—shifting from Japan’s first domestic baking powder producer to a key player in modern electronics. Their ‘TORYZA El Process’ chemical system (a play on oryza, the Latin term for rice, a staple food) is now widely used in the semiconductor industry. “We hope this will now become a staple of our future,” said Okuno. To support local and global clients, the company has expanded overseas, launching Okuno India this year. “We’ll open a sales office in Vietnam by 2026 and then soon look to establish a surface treatment R&D facility in Thailand,” Okuno added. Sustainability is also a growing focus. In 2024, Okuno opened its eco-friendly iCUBE plant, designed to foster collaboration, promote green initiatives and support digital transformation. “It’s been a turning point, helping employees feel a stronger sense of ownership,” said Okuno.  Chemicals That Power Progress ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/chemicals-that-power-progress/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/chemicals-that-power-progress/"},"headline":"Chemicals That Power Progress","datePublished":"2026-06-18T14:28:12.339Z","dateModified":"2026-06-09T07:28:01.516Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/chemicals-that-power-progress/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/branded-content/global-kigyo/chemicals-that-power-progress/","name":"Chemicals That Power Progress"}}]}] ```