A former Asahi Kasei employee has been arrested in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by leaking trade secrets. Shoichi Furukawa, 66, allegedly failed to return storage media containing confidential data when he left the company in late November 2018. Around September 13, 2024, he reportedly emailed the files to a person at a large overseas chemical company.

The leaked data involved manufacturing information for Novaculia latent hardeners, a high-barrier semiconductor packaging material also used in automotive parts. Asahi Kasei has confirmed the breach and says the data reached a major foreign chemical firm.

The case was not discovered through Asahi Kasei’s own audit. It emerged after Furukawa’s then-employer reported a separate semiconductor technology leak in August 2024. Police searched his home in April 2025 and seized phones and computers. Evidence showed he had used a company-issued external hard drive to copy the data. Investigators are still checking the full leak process, data flow, and possible additional violations. Furukawa’s stance on the charges has not been publicly disclosed.

Asahi Kasei said it plans civil lawsuits against Furukawa and the overseas company, seeking to stop use and destroy the confidential information. The company apologized to customers and shareholders and announced tighter controls, including better data classification, new IT monitoring tools, revised access permissions, stronger exit management, and stricter confidentiality and device recovery rules.

ICgoodFind: This case is a clear warning for the semiconductor materials industry. Trade secret protection for core processes and departing employees must be continuously strengthened.