NAGOYA (Aichi Pref.): Boeing Co. on Thursday opened a research and development base in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, its first such facility in Japan.

At the facility, Boeing Japan Research Center, the US aircraft giant will accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, made including from waste cooking oil, and the electrification of aircraft toward the decarbonization of the aviation industry.

The research center is located in an office building near Nagoya Station, making it easy to collaborate with suppliers of key parts for Boeing 787 and 777 planes around the central Japan city.

It will also conduct research and development on hydrogen fuel cells, robots for aircraft maintenance, and composite materials such as carbon fiber enabling weight reduction.

Todd Citron, chief technology officer of Boeing, said at a press conference that the new research center will strengthen the company’s global engineering capabilities and long-term partnerships in Japan.

JIJI Press