The Helical Non-Contact Drying System Minoru Ohnishi President of Fuji Photo Film Co. employees, six manufacturing plants research, and the laboratory where it and six different research laborato¬ is conducted is even off-limits to many officers in the company. The commit¬ ries. About 3,000 of the employees work in research and in 1982 Fuji spent $137 million or 5.4% of its net sales on research and development. Some of this research is Hirozo LJeda Fuji senior managing director being con¬ ducted in the field of "biotechnology" which is billed as being the next important technology to follow elec¬ tronics. The research at Fuji in bio¬ technology has two goals. One is described as the development of a new, efficient analysis of DNA se¬ quence based on Fuji's unique mem¬ brane and autoradiographic technolo¬ gies. The other is the development of completely new medical diagnostic systems utilizing the theories of bio¬ technology. Needless to say Fuji is not divulging specifics of this type of The central control ment to pure research, however, is dicative of Fuji's determination in¬ to stay on the forefront of technology in every aspect of its operations. Like all companies involved with film, Fuji is concerned with the impact of electronic technology on cin¬ ematography. In addition to their re¬ search in solid state imaging devices Fuji has been manufacturing vid¬ eotape since 1959 and its magnetic products division is the fastest grow¬ ing division of the company. (It grew by 56% in 1982.) Nonetheless Fuji still regards motion picture film as the pri¬ mary medium for cinematography and believes that motion picture film sales will continue to grow. Minoru room at the Ashigara factory. Akira Kumai Director AMERICAN of the Ashigara factory CINEMATOGRAPHER, AUGUST, 1983 29