JSR Challenges Increasing Market and Technology Complexities: In search of its radical transformation process

The main purpose of this study is to analyze, from the perspective of economics and management science, the organizational and business strategies of JSR (previously Japan Synthetic Rubber), which went through a huge transformation during the 1990s. This study is based on the field research conducted during the period from 2002 to 2007. The main theme of this research is about the semiconductor photoresist business, which belongs to one of JSR’s trilogy in the non-petrochemical area; electronic materials, display materials, and optical materials. Indeed, since the mid 1980s, JSR's photoresist business has been at the core of its business from its radical transformation to its current fine chemical centric company based on scientific and engineering knowledge of polymer synthesis, polymer structural analysis, and polymer evaluation technology for physical properties and functionalities.