AGC (Headquarters: Tokyo; President: Yoshinori Hirai), a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals, and high-tech materials, has announced that its 100% subsidiary AGC Si-Tech Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Wakamatsu-Ward, Kitakyushu City) has decided to increase its production capacity of RESIFA^™SUNSPHERE^™, a silica product that is an eco-friendly cosmetic material made from natural sources. At the Company's Wakamatsu Plant (Wakamatsu-Ward, Kitakyushu City), facility expansion will be implemented to increase production capacity by approximately 1.5 times that of the current level. Operations are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025.

RESIFA^™ SUNSPHERE^™ is a cosmetic material made from natural silica processed into a spherical shape using the Company’s unique manufacturing process. The product has been used by cosmetic manufacturers worldwide since its launch in 1990. It is highly regarded for its ability to add various functions to cosmetics, such as improvement of stickiness, blurring effects such as on wrinkles and blemishes due to its light scattering function, and giving light and smooth feeling to cosmetics, as well as the stable supply of high-quality silica products delivered over many years.

The global cosmetics market is expected to grow at an annual rate of over 4%, driven by population growth and growing awareness of skincare. In recent years, growing concerns regarding the marine ecosystem have spurred an increasing number of inquiries for SUNSPHERE^™, a naturally derived and highly safe cosmetic material, as an eco-friendly alternative to microplastics. AGC Si-Tech has decided to increase the capacity of SUNSPHERE^™ to address this strong demand. The company is also considering further expansion in the future.

The AGC Group has set “promoting sustainability management” as one of the key strategies in its medium-term management plan, AGC plus-2023, and is committed to contributing to solving social issues through materials innovation. The Group will continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable global environment through the expansion of silica products that help to reduce environmental risk.