ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it has developed a kinetic energy harvesting unit by using the kinetic energy harvesting technology*1 owned by CIIIS, LLC (headquartered in California, the United States; CEO: Dr. Sydney Chao; hereafter “CIIIS”). The new unit converts kinetic energy from human body motions into electricity. ACE Co., Ltd, the largest bag company in Japan (hereafter “ACE”), is going to release a bag incorporating this power generation unit.

The kinetic energy harvesting technology of CIIIS creates clean energy without burning fuels. It uses random motions, such as human body movements, vibrations from moving objects including transportation equipment, and ocean waves. As it generates electric energy by utilizing energy that would normally be unused and released, the technology enables, for example, consumer electronics, and sensors that do not require replacement of battery cells. The kinetic energy harvesting technology is also applied for a wave-power generation technology that is being developed now. ITOCHU has been advancing with the commercialization of this technology since it formed a capital and business tie-up with CIIIS in 2005.

The kinetic energy harvesting unit developed by ITOCHU is applied for a new bag of ACEGENE, the core brand of ACE, which will be released all over Japan in February 2011. The power generation unit converts the vibrations generated by the movement of the bag user into electric energy. The electricity is used to flash the LED light incorporated in the bag, which improves the visibility and safety of the user during the hours of darkness.

Designing and manufacturing of the kinetic energy harvesting unit to be incorporated in the ACE bag are undertaken by MAGTEC Co., Ltd. (hereafter, “MAGTEC”), which is headquartered in Higashi Osaka, a center of manufacturing technologies in Japan. ITOCHU has tied up with Higashi Osaka City in the field of advanced technologies, and the collaboration with MAGTEC was enabled by cooperation from Higashi Osaka City*2 and Higashi Osaka Chusho Kigyou Shinkoukai (Higashi Osaka Association for Promoting Development of Medium and Small Enterprises), a juridical foundation established for promoting industrial development of Higashi Osaka.

ITOCHU will continue to work for introducing the kinetic energy harvesting technology to fields related to consumer products as well as industrial applications, in order to offer a wide variety of products which make use of kinetic energy generated in our daily movements or while playing sports.

ITOCHU will aggressively promote investments in promising technologies, including those in the field of clean technology, and development of new businesses both in Japan and overseas. Through such efforts, ITOCHU aims to contribute to realization of low-carbon society and prevention of global warming.

1. Kinetic energy harvesting (vibration power generation)
   Kinetic energy harvesting is a power generation technology that converts kinetic energy into electric energy using the principle of electromagnetic induction. It enables generation of electric energy from random motions, such as human body movements, vibrations from moving objects including transportation equipment, and ocean waves, by optimally combining magnets, coils, and other components.
2. Higashi Osaka City
   Higashi Osaka City is a city of manufacturing and home to a wide diversity of manufacturers, including those committed to fundamental technologies. The city is home to a large number of companies holding advanced technologies or large market shares, called the “only one” or “number one” companies. In 2005, ITOCHU entered into a business tie-up with Higashi Osaka City concerning support and development of small and medium manufacturers in the city in the field of advanced technologies.

CIIIS

ACE

Company name	ACE Co., Ltd.
Representative	Hiroaki Morishita
Head office	Jingumae M-SQUARE, 1-4-16, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Established	January 1940
Capital	1.41 billion yen
URL	http://www.ace.jp/

MAGTEC

Company name	MAGTEC Co., Ltd.
Representative	Takashi Shimonishi
Takashi Shimonishi	2-4-16, Shimanouchi, Higashi Osaka City, Osaka, Japan
Established	February 1991
Capital	10 million yen
URL	http://www.magtec.co.jp/index.html

The ACE GENE bag, which uses the kinetic energy harvesting technology of CIIIS