Four Japanese executives outline their company’s initiatives for 2023 and beyond.
The era of focusing only on MFP and printer sales have passed, and the Japanese office technology OEMs are focusing on supporting the changes in work styles accelerated by COVID-19, as well as sustainability and the environment. In this column, executives from Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Seiko Epson, and Kyocera reveal their aspirations for 2023 and beyond. Please note the measures discussed are related to the Japanese market.
Toshimitsu Taiko, president and CEO, Konica Minolta
We have set sustainability at the center of our management, are focused on various social issues, and will promote the resolution of social and environmental issues, as well as business growth. Through the evolution of our imaging technology and image analysis technology that utilizes DX [digital transformation], we will examine the problems we can solve with our customers and improve social and economic value by strengthening our strategies to become number one in many areas.
In 2023, we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of our founding when Rokusaburo Sugiura started handling photographs and lithographic materials in 1873. I want to express my sincere appreciation to all of our stakeholders that we have been able to continue as a company for 150 years.
From capturing the visible world as it is to visualizing things invisible to the human eye, such as signs of illness or quality variations in manufacturing, we have created new value for society while responding to what people want. We regard this 150th anniversary as a new start and will continue to take steps to contribute to the sustainable growth of people and society by leveraging the imaging capabilities we have cultivated since our founding.
Yoshinori Yamashita, president, Ricoh Corporation
Looking toward our 100th anniversary in 2036, Ricoh has set a vision of “Joy in Working.” I remember starting such a discussion first with what will happen to the future of working toward 2036 in considering this vision.
The conclusion we came up with was “a world without boundaries” and “a world where individuals become stronger.” The boundaries between work and private life are becoming infinitely closer in both time and space. The same is true for boundaries between companies and organizations. As a result, an individual’s output becomes more prominent and questioned. As simple work is to be replaced by technology, the value of workers will be replaced by their unique creativity as human beings.
We predicted such a world before COVID-19 happened. And now, COVID-19 is rapidly turning our predictions into reality. With that in mind, the changes brought by COVID-19 weren’t something we had anticipated, but we realize a future that we had anticipated to some extent at a speed far beyond our expectations.
Yasunori Ogawa, president, Seiko Epson
In the second half of 2022, many countries lifted immigration restrictions and various restrictions on movement. We are entering an era of coexistence with COVID-19. Confusion in logistics has begun to settle down; logistics costs, which had continued to soar, have fallen; and parts procurement is approaching a favorable state. However, in 2023, the external environment surrounding Epson is expected to become even more severe due to global inflation, economic stagnation, and intensifying competition. Of course, we need to respond quickly and appropriately to current environmental changes, but we must always maintain a long-term perspective.
In September of 2022, we established Epson’s Purpose, “Enriching people and the earth with value created from “efficient, small, and precise.” This is the concept of “From more is better to less is more.” Epson is doing everything in its power to preserve and improve the global environment and to enrich people’s minds. To that end, we will refine our technologies and concepts of “efficient, small, and precise” and shift the direction from the conventional “create, make, and deliver” to “create, make, and continue to deliver (value),” in which we can continue to provide products and services that customers will use for a longer time.
Hironori Ando, president, Kyocera Document Solutions
Changes in industry and social structures are progressing at an unprecedented speed and scale, as well as from new perspectives. As a result, the environment surrounding our business has changed even more rapidly, and digitalization and globalization have progressed greatly. By responding to these environmental changes and maximizing Kyocera’s comprehensive strengths, our company aims to achieve net sales of 3 trillion yen in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2029, and become a 5 trillion-yen company in the future.
To achieve this performance target, we, who are responsible for the document business, are aware that it is a more important corporate responsibility to protect the global environment with existing office equipment, and we will strengthen and expand our environmentally friendly products, such as MFPs and printers, designing them with long-life technology. In terms of our new commercial inkjet business, we will further enhance our product lineup and develop industrial-printing technology based on eco-friendly water-based pigment inks, and we will contribute to the progress and development of society with highly environmentally compatible printing systems.
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