Society and Community
We aim to grow in unison with communities through activities such as supporting education and taking part in local events.
Supporting the Younger Generation
Our educational support activities centered in Shiga Prefecture, where NEG is based, are aimed at getting youngsters interested in science. We also collaborate with universities to carry out glass-related research and to foster the researchers and engineers who will form the pillars for advancements in the glass industry.
Academic–Industrial Collaboration
We concluded a comprehensive university–industry collaboration agreement with the University of Shiga Prefecture in 2007. Based on that agreement, we have been collaborating with the university on a variety of ongoing projects, which include the establishment of an endowment course, joint research and technological exchange on glass engineering, and supporting the development of tomorrow’s leaders.
In 2023, we launched the NEG endowment course in the basic science of glass at Kyoto University. The course digs deep into basic research on glass with the aim of fostering the next generation of glass researchers and engineers. Course researchers demonstrated the existence of a new group of materials called “highly ordered glass,” which are distinct from conventional glasses. The course seeks to expand the potential of glass by approaching research in ways that are not predetermined in textbooks.
Supporting Shiga Prefecture’s Lake Biwa Floating School Program
In 2019, we acquired the naming rights to the Lake Biwa Floating School Program, and a youth environmental studies program in Shiga Prefecture aimed at supporting education and self-development. In 2023, we renewed the rights for another four years.
Visiting Lessons Sponsorship of Otsu City Science Museum’s “Innovation for the Future”
Our employees visit the Otsu City Science Museum to give hands-on lessons to teach local elementary and junior high school students about the characteristics of glass and how it is used. The Innovation for the Future classes, which highlight inventing, discovering, and making things, were joined by 29 participants in 2024.
Participation in the University of Shiga Prefecture Science Career Support Program
In 2020, we became a collaborating enterprise in the University of Shiga Prefecture Science Career Support Program, which provides workplace exchange experiences. NEG hosted 19 participants in 2024.
Welcoming Visitors to Our Plants and Showroom; Opening Our Facilities to the Local Community
| Item | Participants |
| Visitors to our plants and showroom | Approx. 320 |
| Visitors to our facilities that are open to the public (green space, etc.) | Approx. 220 |
Coexistence with Local Communities
To strengthen our ties with local communities, we carry out volunteer activities such as cleaning and planting greenery, host various events to which we invite local residents, and carry out donation and support activities.
| Activities | Participants |
| Employees joining community activities | Approx. 540 |
| People visiting our summer festival and other events | Approx.12,770 |
| People joining dialogue between the NEG Group and neighborhood councils | Approx. 120 |
| Donations of flower seedlings to local schools and neighborhood councils | Approx. 14,900 seedlings |
| Donations of Omi rice to children’s community kitchens and to children of foreign parents in Shiga Prefecture | 6 tons |
Donated to a birthday party at a neighboring senior citizens association
Donated to a neighboring community welfare program
Conducted cleanup activities around its plant