Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced the completion of a large-scale renovation of the Technical Research Center in Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, transforming it into a futuristic facility that seamlessly integrates sustainability and workstyle balance. The company also introduced multifaceted initiatives to further enhance the center’s research and development capabilities, emphasizing two key pillars: “environmental friendliness” and “a comfortable working environment.”

The floor where the zero-emission conference room is located

• Realizing carbon-free work styles in a zero-emission conference room

MOL built a new zero-emission conference room with the aim of promoting environmentally conscious research activities, creating a completely carbon-free space by generating and storing solar energy and meeting all the conference room’s electricity needs with renewable energy. In the future, the company aims to expand the capacity of solar panels and storage batteries to provide power in case of natural disasters or other emergencies.

A meeting underway in the zero-emission conference room

The design expresses the essence of Laboratory with lighting that evokes ripples, as if looking up at the surface of the sea from the bottom of the deep sea. The central table features a whiteboard tabletop, facilitating quick communication with those nearby at any time.

• Creating a more comfortable, safer, and more efficient workplace environment

Entrance to the Technical Research Center

The renovation resulted in a more comfortable space that accommodates a variety of workstyles, by creating a sound environment designed to stimulate communication, improve concentration, and promote relaxation.
The entrance incorporates a design that expresses the movement of the wind and ocean and evokes a sense of harmony with nature by allowing glimpses of greenery through curved gaps. Security has been enhanced with vein authentication. The conventional intercom system has been eliminated, replaced by a new reception system using tablets, with a chat notification sent to the person in charge when a visitor arrives. This streamlines reception operations and ensures smooth customer service.

Vein authentication system

• New conference rooms based on ocean themes

Five new conference rooms were added, each named after one of the five major oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic, and Arctic. The blue-based interior design, inspired by the ocean, stimulates the creativity of researchers.

Graphic expression of the ocean and chemical reactions

• Stairs that embody the collective strength of the MOL Group

The letters “MOL CHARTS,” which represent the group’s five shared values, are displayed on the stairs. Employees can sense the future they should be moving toward at the same time, even if they are not at the Head Office.

The names of the five oceans are written on the entrance door

This renovation is part of the “adoption of clean energy” initiative outlined in the “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2” and represents a step toward realizing a sustainable and flexible research environment in terms of the environment, workstyles, and technology. The Technical Research Center will continue to be a place where cutting-edge technology and people come together to shape the future.

Stairs with MOL CHARTS written on them

As a multimodal shipping group involved in a wide range of industries, the MOL Group will pursue sustainable and strategic initiatives in response to the needs of society and customers.
Source: Mitsui O.S.K.Lines