Ansell, the Melbourne based company, which offers protective equipment such as gloves for medical and industrial use, is strengthening its efforts in the Japanese market. In December, it plans to launch the industry’s first acetone resistant disposable glove—used in semiconductor cleaning processes—ahead of other countries. The company will also increase specialized personnel familiar with safety management regulations and technologies. We spoke with CEO Neil Salmon about why Japan is now receiving such strong attention globally.

What is the position of Japan within your global business?

“Total sales for fiscal year 2025 were approximately USD 2 billion, an increase of about 23% from the previous year. The acquisition of Kimberly Clark’s personal protective equipment (PPE) business in 2024 contributed greatly, and organic growth excluding the acquisition impact was around 8%. We were able to outperform global economic growth rates because we have focused on segments that are expanding. The Asia Pacific region, including Japan, accounted for 13.8% of global sales, and in particular, the Japan business achieved its most successful year in our history.”

What are the factors behind the strong performance in Japan?

“We have been doing business in Japan for 40 years, and our surgical gloves used by physicians hold over 50% market share. Surgical procedures involve extremely delicate and time‑consuming work, requiring gloves that not only ensure precise manual performance but are also made from materials free of chemicals that may trigger allergic reactions. Through our own product development, manufacturing, and sales, we have built strong trust among healthcare professionals.” 

“In Japan, longterm growth continues in the surgical field, and at the same time, demand for chemical protective gloves used in industrial sectors is rapidly increasing. This is driven by the April 2024 revision of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, which strengthened safety management for chemical substances. We have also developed products capable of addressing multiple risks in manufacturing environments with a single glove. For example, many of our products have been adopted by Nissan Motor.”

Which industrial sectors do you expect to grow going forward?

“We are particularly focused on the semiconductor sector. Traditionally, the gloves with the highest chemical protection performance have been multilayer structures made of nitrile rubber and neoprene rubber, but they have been insufficient against solvents such as acetone used in semiconductor cleaning processes. We spent nearly ten years developing a new multilayer glove incorporating natural rubber and achieved more than 15 minutes of resistance to acetone. As early as December, we plan to begin sales in Japan ahead of the rest of the world. As manufacturing environments evolve, including increased use of robots, we will also respond to new needs such as protective equipment that prevents static electricity.”

How will you continue to develop the Japanese market?

“In addition to supplying products to customers, we will continue incorporating customer feedback into product development and will increase specialized personnel in areas such as technology, quality, and regulatory affairs. We are currently formulating our mid term business plan, and globally we aim for annual growth of 4–6%. Within that, we hope to target 6–8% growth in Japan—exceeding the company wide rate.”

How will you utilize M&A to support further growth?

“We are considering opportunities that would allow us to expand beyond our current business domains. For example, we are interested in eyewear used in operating rooms and technologies that help prevent infection risks during surgery. We already have a strong business foundation capable of generating organic growth, and we will pursue M&A when the right opportunities arise.”