HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation's new paint system, Aqua-tech Paint System, has received the Prime Minister's Award (Manufacturing and Production Process Category) at the 6th Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award ceremony. Aqua-tech Paint System reduces both volatile organic compounds (VOC) and CO2 emissions during the manufacturing processes.

Mazda's Aqua-tech Paint System enables to dramatically increase the efficiency of resources such as paint and energy usage by consolidating paint application processes and functions of paint, thus reducing VOC without increasing CO2 emissions generated in painting processes. Furthermore, applying this technology to color development enabled to achieve highly sophisticated design colors such as Soul Red, as we succeeded in comprehensively solving the conflicting issues among environment, quality and economic performance thanks to this paint system. Upon the endorsement of this award, Mazda's Monotsukuri Innovation technology demonstrated by Aqua-tech Paint System is expected to be widely spread across the whole painting industry in addition to automotive industry.

The Prime Minister Award (Manufacturing and Production Process Category) acknowledges individuals or groups who have created a production revolution through the introduction and development of ground-breaking systems or techniques in manufacturing or production processes. This is the first time Mazda has received the Prime Minister's Award (Manufacturing and Production Process Category).

Outline of the Award

Recipients of the award (all from Mazda Motor Corporation)

Kiyotaka Shobuda Managing Executive Officer

Masatoshi MaruyamaManaging Executive Officer

Takahisa Sori Executive Advisor

Takahide Nouzawa Technical Fellow, Technical Research Center

Inspired by the receipt of this award, Mazda will continue its effort to make further progress in research and development of production technologies that support the art of car making and actively deploy them. By doing so, Mazda will continue to offer customers both driving pleasure and outstanding environment and safety performance with its products that enrich people's lives, aiming to become a brand that builds a special bond with its customers.

Aqua-tech Paint System	Soul Red (Mazda MX-5, known as Mazda Roadster in Japan)

Note: Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Awards are commendations from the Prime Minister which were established with the goal of furthering the ambitions of the talented people who support monodzukuri and informing society about their existence, in order to develop and pass on the monodzukuri that has supported Japan's industry and culture to future generations. Through the cooperation of four ministries - the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare; and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism - the awards are held every two years and were initiated in 2005. Mazda received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry's Award (Manufacturing and Production Process Category) for the merit of Mazda's "Monotsukuri" Innovation, which revolutionized manufacturing ideas in the automotive industry at the previous Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award ceremony.

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Please visit the website for more information about Mazda's paint technologies

https://newsroom.mazda.com/en/technology/env/other/paint_tech.html