ASAHI KASEI AND NEC ESTABLISH ANALYSIS PLATFORM FOR SECURE DATA COLLABORATION

Asahi Kasei Corp. and NEC Corporation have established an analysis platform that allows secure collaboration with confidential data during joint development among companies by utilizing secure computation technology. With this platform, Asahi Kasei can securely share data among companies such as raw material suppliers, processors, and parts manufacturers in product development in the field of materials, where confidential information is often handled.

Asahi Kasei has started using this analysis platform for R&D in the energy storage field while advancing collaboration with customers. Asahi Kasei will further accelerate the development of materials by leveraging its accumulated expertise in materials informatics (MI) technology through data collaboration with other companies.

With the cooperation of the in-house R&D team in the area of energy storage, Asahi Kasei developed an analysis platform that can perform MI based on data provided by collaborating companies without sharing individual data, utilizing NEC's secure computation technology which enables calculation while keeping the data confidential. By working on material development using the data accumulated by multiple companies, it is expected that development periods will be significantly shortened and that innovative products which could not be created by an individual company will be developed and proposed to society.

The analysis platform was established using a hardware-based trusted execution environment (TEE) method, which is a secure computation technology from NEC. The TEE method requires relatively shorter analysis periods and enables existing analysis applications written in the widely used programming language Python to operate essentially while concealed, so no complicated secure computation programming is required.

By utilizing this technology, it is possible to execute simulations of material development applying Asahi Kasei's MI technology by integrating important data such as raw material information, processing conditions, and evaluation information while they are encrypted.

In addition to advancing collaboration with actual customers, Asahi Kasei will consider utilizing this technology not only for material development but also in a wider range of fields, such as optimization of production plans and cooperation with other companies in the same industry in non-competing fields.