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Notice of Capital Business Agreement with Hibot Corporation


May 28, 2020
EBARA Corporation

EBARA Environmental Plant Co., Ltd. (Head office: Ota-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Watanabe Yoshio; hereinafter referred to as EBARA Environmental Plant), a group company of EBARA Corporation (hereinafter referred to as EBARA), has underwritten a third-party allotment of new shares by HiBot Corporation (Head office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Michele Guarnieri) and has concluded a capital and business agreement with the company.

1. Background

In EBARA's medium-term management plan "E-Plan2022," we are working to create new businesses and strengthen existing businesses in order to meet societal needs globally from a market-in perspective and to provide solutions to customers that leverage our technological expertise. In creating new businesses, we are actively considering collaboration with external research institutes and other companies, including ventures, as well as investment and acquisitions.

2. Outline of the Business Agreement with Hibot

HiBot has advanced technology for small robots that can navigate in tight spaces. EBARA Environmental Plant and Hibot Co., Ltd. jointly developed a small running robot "SQUID" equipped with a water immersion ultrasonic flaw detection sensor. The SQUID is a robot that runs through the inspection port of the boiler water pipe heading piping, moves it to the water pipe to be measured, inserts the sensor into the water pipe, and automatically continuously measures the boiler water pipe thickness from the inside. In December 2019, we succeeded in a demonstration experiment for measuring the thickness of boiler water pipes.* This eliminates the need for preparatory work, such as cutting part of the boiler water tubes, and shortens work time and reduces the amount of equipment and materials required, thereby improving worker safety and reducing waste.

SQUID (squid): Appearance of a compact running robot for automatic continuous measurement of boiler water tube thickness SQUID (squid): Appearance of a compact running robot for automatic continuous measurement of boiler water tube thickness

Building on the success of this demonstration experiment, going forward, the company will use SQUID to improve the efficiency of inspection and measurement work in the area of boiler pipe inspection and maintenance, and will provide inspection services such as highly accurate lifespan prediction diagnosis using the acquired data, as well as RaaS (Robot as a Service).

3. Our Future Developments

EBARA Environmental Plant will utilize its extensive track record of delivering over 400 solid waste treatment facilities both in Japan and overseas to operate safer, more stable and more secure social infrastructure facilities and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. The EBARA Group will address material ESG issues based on its long-term vision and medium-term management plan in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further increase its corporate value.

Achieving high levels of economic productivity through groundbreaking innovation

Contributing to the construction of high-quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure

Strongly promoting effective partnerships based on resource strategies

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