Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd. (MCIT)—Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s infrastructure business arm—is accelerating the global expansion of its business providing its aluminum composite material, “ALPOLIC™.” At the same time, the company is actively raising awareness of the critical role infrastructure plays as the backbone of society and people's daily lives. Through these initiatives, the company aims to improve the resilience and longevity of social infrastructure.

The ALPOLIC™ series, a flagship product of MCIT, is an aluminum composite material with a history of more than 50 years. Featuring a three-layer structure with aluminum or stainless steel on the surface and resin or non-combustible inorganic materials in the core, it offers lightweight properties while remaining highly durable and workable. It was initially used for signs and billboards. Now, it is utilized in a wide range of applications, including exterior walls and the interiors of major commercial facilities and high-rise buildings. Sold in more than 130 countries, it continues to grow in prominence as a global building material that supports cityscapes and architectural infrastructure worldwide.

What are ALPOLIC’s strengths?
Originally developed as an alternative to wood and metal panels, one of its key advantages over metal panels is its superior smoothness, which enables beautifully flat surfaces. At the same time, it offers outstanding durability and is backed by a 20-year global product warranty, allowing buildings to maintain their aesthetic appeal over the long term. Using resin as the core material keeps it lightweight, reducing structural loads. Shunsuke Yoshimine, Marketing Manager in the Business Unit Planning Dept. of the company’s ALPOLIC Business Unit, explains.

“In addition to these qualities, its high rigidity helps resist deformation and may contribute to seismic performance and fire safety. By helping to extend the service life of buildings and potentially lowering maintenance and renovation frequency under certain conditions, it also supports a more efficient resource use over the product life cycle.”

For information on major non-combustibility certifications and approvals in each region, please see the links below:

Global: Fire Safety – Alpolic
Europe: ALP_Broschuere_Brandschutz_2026_EN_AK nach RZ_220626.pdf

Why is ALPOLIC™ attracting global attention right now?
The year 2020 marked a major turning point. As fire safety regulations for buildings tightened worldwide, ALPOLIC™ became the first aluminum composite material globally to obtain “Euroclass A1” certification, the highest non-combustibility classification under European fire-performance standards for building materials. Since then, it has continued to meet the fire safety standards of many countries and regions, expanding its certification portfolio.
In addition to its proven fire performance, the material has been highly regarded for its design flexibility and ease of fabrication, driving wider adoption, particularly in developed markets.

Currently, the company is actively expanding its sales under the trade name “ALPOLIC™ NC/A1” in Europe and Australia. In May 2026, it launched “ALPOLIC™ NC-US” in the United States. Although U.S. fire safety standards are not as strict as those in Europe, the company aims to develop the new U.S. market by positioning it as a non-combustible product for applications requiring enhanced fire performance, replacing other materials such as aluminum solid panel.

“As urban development accelerated in both developed and emerging economies from the early 1990s, it became necessary to comply with the fire safety standards of various countries and regions,” Yoshimine says. “We established our market presence through continuous product development and the acquisition of certifications, and these cumulative efforts have led to our current global expansion.”

No other domestic competitors produce aluminum composite exterior products that have obtained certifications for applicable exterior-use fire-safety standards in multiple markets. Natsumi Yamazaki from the department’s Marketing Group explains.

“We are currently working to develop surface coatings with deodorizing and antimicrobial properties to be used not only for the interior and exterior finishes and fixtures of convenience stores and the bodies of delivery trucks, but also for the interiors of hospitals and operating rooms, as well as in nursing homes. Our goal is to broaden the product's applications by offering functionality that goes beyond aesthetics.”

Both the aluminum sheets and the core materials used in the ALPOLIC™ series are designed for recovery and recycling where appropriate collection and recycling systems are available. More recently, the company has been actively pursuing expansion into markets such as data centers.

Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to address social issues, the company has been running an initiative called the “Infra Mirai Project (Infrastructure of the Future Project)” since December 2024 to raise awareness of the need for long-term maintenance, renewal, and development of infrastructure. Mana Ohno from the Procurement and Operation Support Group in the company’s Business Operation Dept. explains.

“In everyday life, we don't give much thought to infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, such as electricity, roads, water, and telecommunications. Nevertheless, when problems arise, we remember just how vital it is to us. Our project will introduce the technologies and people behind various infrastructure systems, how they are maintained, and their future possibilities, in hopes of helping spark people’s interest in the infrastructure that surrounds them.

The special website focuses on providing opportunities for people to reflect on public infrastructure. It publishes detailed reports—such as highlighting the overwhelming scale and advanced technology of the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel built to mitigate flood damage—and highlights the designation of December 6 as "Infra Mirai Day (Infrastructure of the Future Day).”

In addition to recruiting companies, sole proprietors, and local governments that share its vision as supporting partners, the company has released a new feature called “The Infrastructure Enthusiast’s Guide,” which shares trivia and passionate commentary that raise awareness of the role infrastructure plays in supporting society.

As shown here, MCIT is engaged in a variety of initiatives centered on its infrastructure business. In closing, the three individuals who contributed to this report offer the following messages regarding their passion for the infrastructure sector.

“In everyday life, building materials aren’t something that captures your attention, but they’re essential to everyone’s safety. So, we will continue working to earn people’s trust in them. Also, since the efficient use of resources is a major goal, I’d like to be actively involved in supporting circular-economy-related initiatives, including resource recovery and recycling studies." (Yamazaki)

“We aim to provide a highly safe and reliable aluminum composite building material so that more can be used to realize robust and comfortable urban development.” (Yoshimine)

“I hope to widely share the technologies and people that support our infrastructure, as well as initiatives that will impact the future. I would be delighted if ‘Infra Mirai Day’ on December 6 helps prompt people to think about infrastructure.” (Ohno)