Riken Corporation Reaches Basic Agreement to Acquire UNITIKA's Spunlace Nonwovens Business via Subsidiary COTEX

Recently, Japan's Riken Corporation has reached a basic agreement through its wholly-owned subsidiary COTEX Corporation to acquire UNITIKA's spunlace nonwovens business. This acquisition aligns with Riken's fourth medium-to-long-term management plan, which emphasizes accelerating the development of new businesses and leveraging the company's existing expertise in hygiene product manufacturing equipment to achieve synergistic effects. Established in 2024, COTEX Corporation focuses on the research, development, and production of hygiene products.

By integrating UNITIKA's spunlace technology, Riken aims to expand the production and sales of cotton fiber spunlace nonwovens, targeting both existing customers and new opportunities in domestic and international hygiene product markets.

Specific details such as assets, liabilities, acquisition price, and payment methods are still under negotiation. The business transfer agreement is expected to be finalized in early August 2025, with the business transfer and operational launch planned for December 2025.

Riken intends to continue serving the existing customers of this business while expanding into new markets. The company will also focus on researching and developing cotton fiber spunlace nonwovens for hygiene products with strong processability to enhance product value.