Mitsui has partnered with Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) to explore use of carbon fiber composite materials to produce automotive parts and other industrial products.
The company will work with KIT's Innovative Composite Materials Research and Development Center (ICC).
Mitsui discussed various schemes with the ICC and other parties under the coordination of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), to establish a robust supply chain in Japan.
Under the partnership, the company will purchase experimental equipment which will be available to an ICC-led consortium.
According to Mitsui, motor vehicle manufacturers in Europe play a key role in various stages from supply of materials to processing.
"There is an urgent need for the establishment of mass-production systems for carbon fiber composite materials for use in automotive parts and other products in Japan," the company said in a statement.