NTN Corporation (hereafter, NTN) hereby announces that its Advanced Technology R&D Center located in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, has been selected as a tour venue as part of the “2016 Junior Summit in Mie” (hereafter, Junior Summit) to be held in that city. The Junior Summit will be held from April 22 to 28 this year as an international exchange event featuring junior and senior high school students mainly from G7 countries (Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, UK, US) discussing global issues. As part of discussions under the theme of “The planet for the next generations: the environment and sustainable society”, the students are scheduled to visit three venues, “Akasuka Fisheries Cooperative” (Kuwana City), “Yokkaichi Pollution and Environmental Museum for Future Awareness” (Yokkaichi City) and NTN's Advanced Technology R&D Center (Kuwana City) on April 23. NTN was established in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture in 1918 and has grown with the local community to become a global company. In order to support the Junior Summit, NTN provided* Kuwana City with a converted electric vehicle (converted EV) equipped with NTN's drive system in January, which is being used as a mode of transportation by Kuwana City employees. The tour to the Advanced Technology R&D Center will showcase how bearings as NTN's main product line support the rotation of various types of machinery, from computers, automobiles, rolling stock and aircraft, as well as the fact that they are essential components that contribute to energy efficiency. The students will be invited to the “Green Power Park” energy circulation model, where they will discover how electricity generated by wind, water and solar power utilizing NTN's natural energy products is stored, and then used to charge up EVs and provide air-conditioning and lighting for vegetable farms. The tour is aimed at providing the students with topics of discussion for developing a sustainable, healthy environment for future generations. In addition to having the students discover that bearings can be considered “eco-products” as they limit energy consumption by reducing friction, NTN will propose the low carbon society model that can be achieved by using natural energy products. * “NTN Supports Junior Summit and Provides EVs to Kuwana City in Mie Prefecture” press release (February 15, 2016) http://www.ntn.co.jp/english/news/press/news201600007.html Reference The Advanced Technology R&D Center The Advanced Technology R&D Center is located in the Kuwana Business Research Park. In order to make our fundamental products cutting-edge (best in the world, first in the world), we are working to enhance tribology, material, surface modification and powder technologies as well as being involved in the creation of technology that revolutionizes the way things are made and how that connects with improving bearing functions and the preservation of the earth's environment. Moreover, in order to position ourselves with respect to growth markets such as the field of new energy, we are engaged in R&D activities such as developing materials and components as well as developing systems, etc.