Message from the President
Aspiring Toward a Sustainable Future
Nikon’s Sustainability
In December 2021, the Nikon Board of Directors adopted a new Sustainability Policy. We recognize that addressing social issues, including the environment and human rights, will reduce business risks and lead to profit opportunities. Pursuing sustainability in an appropriate manner also means improving our corporate value over the medium to long term, not to mention meeting the expectations of our stakeholders. Based on this belief, this policy is a clear statement of our thoughts on further strengthening initiatives toward sustainability at Nikon. Based on Our Corporate Philosophy, Trustworthiness and Creativity, we respond to the expectations of society through trust, constantly evaluating and improving the impact of our business on the environment and society. And we will be even more proactive in the creativity needed to deliver value that contributes solutions to environmental and social issues, while also achieving the SDGs.
In line with this policy, the Nikon Group announced our Medium-Term Management Plan in April 2022, describing our aspirational Vision 2030. This Vision states that we will become a key technology solutions company in a global society where humans and machines co-create seamlessly.
Vision 2030
Since assuming office as president, I ask myself one question continually: "What is the Nikon role in society?" In more than 100 years of history, Nikon has been committed to improving opto-electronics technologies and precision technologies, manufacturing microscopes and cameras, conducting research across numerous fields, and encouraging photographic culture. In this way, we have pioneered a society where humans and machines co-create. We have also provided exposure systems essential for the manufacture of semiconductors and FPDs, advancing the progress of digital society by delivering new human experiences and an ever-widening potential.
Our history has been about enriching lives and creating happiness by bringing people and machines closer together. And we believe this is a role that we must continue to play. Society is now entering a new stage called Industry 5.0. This will truly be a society where humans and machines co-create. By utilizing the technologies and knowledge we have cultivated over time, we will expand the possibilities to enrich people and society even further.
We aspire to play an important role in this turning point by providing advanced automated machines, components, and services. We will do so through any number of means, including combining precision control and sensing technologies, AI, and big data, as well as through M&A and collaboration with other companies. Our Vision 2030 reflects these aspirations and our determination to make this vision come true.
Creating Value That Makes a Positive Impact on Society
To be prosperous and happy requires a healthy mind and body. It also requires healthy societies and a sound environment. A sustainable environment, in other words. In a society where humans and machines co-create, the Nikon Group is active in developing businesses in the two value-providing domains of industry and quality of life. In this way, we contribute to the creation of sustainable societies, particularly in the areas of decarbonization, circular systems for resources , safety and work environment, health, and enriched spirit.
In terms of decarbonization, the Nikon Group aims to achieve carbon neutrality by the fiscal year ending March 2051. We also aim to play our role in reducing greenhouse gases in society through our businesses. Specifically, we will pursue businesses that contribute to energy efficiency, fuel efficiency, and CO2 emissions reductions through riblet processing. This is a microscopic process resembling sharkskin that we apply to blades for turbines, airplanes, and wind turbines. In our existing businesses, we will endeavor to create energy-saving products and expand manufacturing of robots and devices that make Monodzukuri (manufacturing) more efficient.
In terms of circular systems for resources, we are working on digitizing photomasks for lithography systems, which will contribute to resource conservation and waste reduction in the manufacturing process. We are also growing our business to recycle and sell used products.
Nikon endeavors to create products and technologies for safety and work environment. These include sensing, imaging, and display technologies that offer automation and labor savings. With respect to health, we boast products and technologies that support drug discovery and regenerative medicines that reduce the burden on both patients and medical professionals. And our imaging technologies contribute to creative visual expression and human relationships for enriched spirit.
The Nikon Group will continue to create and nurture businesses that contribute to sustainable societies.
Becoming a Company That Encourages Employees to Take on New Challenges
The business strategies that we are executing include many new challenges. To achieve these outcomes, our employees must be proactive and take on even more leading roles. For this reason, we will focus on employee training.
We also pursue digital transformation (DX), actively incorporating co-creation between people and machines within the company. At the same time, we strive to provide environments in which employees feel confident in taking on sophisticated and creative challenges. Diversity and inclusion represents another initiative on which we focus. We believe that a company is a place for value creation where not only employees but also various other people, including collaborative partners, gather together to create synergies. Our new head office, for which we announced plans in November 2021, will be one such place. We intend to embrace the opinions of our employees to create a space in which a diverse range of people can gather and work flexibly. New and enhanced systems and programs will be adopted to motivate a diverse workforce.
In this way, we will encourage employees to take on new challenges, energizing our organization, providing higher value to customers and society, and leveraging our achievements as a springboard for even greater challenges. This is the type of virtuous cycle we aspire to create.
Toward a Sustainable Future
Looking back over the past year, the situation in Ukraine has shaken the foundations of peace, justice, and strong institutions, one of the SDGs agreed to by the greater world. This incident shocked us all and made us keenly aware of the importance of peace as a foundation for people and society to enjoy richer lives. We hope the situation will be resolved as soon as possible and that peace will be restored. At the same time, I am strongly reminded of the need for all actors to work together to resolve the entire range of social issues.
The COVID-19 pandemic has yet to subside, and many other difficult social issues continue unabated. Despite the challenging circumstances, we continue to work to resolve and improve our Materiality, while valuing partnerships to more broadly utilize our strengths and contribute to a sustainable future.
I ask all stakeholders for your continued support and high expectations of the Nikon Group in the future.
July 2022
Toshikazu Umatate
Representative Director
President