1) Production Companies

Companies in the specialty chemical industry reached 1,656 in 1997, a 3.9% increase from 1,533 companies in 1995. Pharmaceutical companies among the specialty chemical industry account for 21.6% with 357 companies, followed by 234 companies of paints & inks production(14.1%), 194 adhesive companies(11.7%), and 124 dyes & pigments companies(7.5%). The above 4 sectors account for 55% of all the companies of the industry.

The sector showing the largest increase in production companies was paints & inks with a 10.1% increase with 234 companies in operation in 1997 from 193 companies in 1995, followed by photo-chemicals which increased by 5.7% with 67 companies in operation in 1997, and cosmetics & perfumery which increased by 4.9% with 121 companies. The sectors which decreased the most in production companies in 1997 were the dyes & pigments sector with 124 companies(-2.7%).

Production Companies
                                                                                                                      (Unit : Each)

                       Source : Reports on Mining and Manufacturing survey(National Statistical Office)

2) Business Size

Businesses of 50 or less employees in 1997 numbered 1,284 companies, an increase of 5.7% from 1,149 companies in 1995. Businesses of more than 300 employees were similar to 36 companies in 1997 compared with the previous year. Medium-sized companies with more than 50 but less than 300 employees decreased by 2.0% to 336 companies in 1997 from 350 companies in 1995.

Small-sized companies with less than 50 employees were 77.5%, and medium-sized companies with more than 50 and less than 300 employees accounted for 20.3%, which shows that 97.8% of the specialty chemical industry was composed of small and medium-sized companies. These small sized companies put less emphasis on investment in research and development, which hinders the new materials development, therefore, in order to take measures in internationalization and globalization of the domestic specialty chemical industry, it is urgent for the large conglomerates to participate and invest in the specialty chemical industry.

Business Size
                                                                                                                (Unit : Each, %)

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