Fujikura Group Elements of Competitive Superiority
1st Element of Competitive Superiority Long-term Relationships of Trust Possessing excellent customers and building strong relationships of trust
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Customer Value Creation Cycle to Build Long-term Relationships of Trust
The Fujikura Group integrates sales, operations, manufacturing and development to provide the products that customers want. We build strong relationships of trust with our customers by meeting their needs or exceeding their expectations, and call the process of working as a team with the customer to provide solutions “customer value creation.” We have made this customer value creation a cyclical process in business activities to solve problems faced by our customers and society and are working to achieve sustainable development of the Fujikura Group and to create an even better society.
Establishing Electric Power and Telecommmunication Networks, Essential Social Infrastructure for Modern Society
Modern society has built electric power, telecommunication, and many other types of networks and links these to maintain activities. The Fujikura Group contributes to the development of countries and industries around the world by providing products and solutions needed to establish electric power and telecommunication networks and other types of social infrastructure.
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Data Center Solutions that Meet the Increasingly Diverse Needs of Customers
With advances in information and communication technology and the relentless increase in global data traffic, we have also seen an increase in the need to build state-of-the-art data centers everywhere to support the transmission of such large volumes of information. |
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2nd Element of Competitive Superiority Technological Capabilities (R&D) Rapid materialization of next-generation technologies and products
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Optical Fiber Development
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FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) Development
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Rare-earth Oxide Superconducting Wire Development
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Millimeter Wave Communications Device Development
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Fujikura Technologies that Contribute to Meeting the Needs of Healthcare Providers
The Fujikura Group has developed healthcare-related business in individual business divisions thus far. We are now pursuing the consolidation of related businesses because we expect future growth.
The Fujikura Group has positioned imaging and miniaturization as core technologies in the medical field based on the various kinds of specialty fibers, optical components, and optical processing technology derived from our fiber optic technology and high-density ultra-compact mounting technology and high-frequency wave technology derived from our electronics technology. We are currently pursuing co-creation from the initial stages of medical device development by performing various kinds of verification testing with major overseas medical companies and through other initiatives. Our goal is to grow this into a business that generates net sales of ¥10 billion for the Fujikura Group as a whole.
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Development of a Next-generation Millimeter Wave Phased Array Antenna Module for 5G Introduction
Millimeter wave wireless device & high-frequency wave module |
The Fujikura Group obtained a license and technical support for 5G-related millimeter wave RF-IC (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit, high-frequency IC) technology from International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in the U.S. and is pursuing product development of a phased array antenna module for the 28 GHz bandwidth, otherwise known as “millimeter wave.” We are targeting commercialization of high-frequency modules that provide high-speed wireless transmission for embedding in base station wireless devices, and are aiming for product sales on the order of several billion yen in the future. The high-frequency wave design technology and materials technology developed by Fujikura in optical fiber products will be used to develop the modules.
3rd Element of Competitive Superiority Ability to Respond to Social Changes An organizational culture that can respond to change
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Recovery from Repeated Disasters
Fujikura has faced many disasters in the past but has successfully overcome them each time. Having the strong resilience to persist through difficulties is one of Fujikura’s notable characteristics, and the major flooding in Thailand in 2011 is symbolic of that.
Fujikura Group manufacturing plants suffered catastrophic damage, but group employees demonstrated strong resolve in working as one team to recover and restore the plants to their original condition and Fujikura declared full recovery from the floods in 2016. Our strong relationships of trust with our customers also enabled us to recover because long-time customers once again gave us business opportunities.
Numerous difficulties overcome
1923 Complete destruction of the Fukagawa plant in the Great Kanto Earthquake (rebuilt the next year)
1945 Complete destruction of the Fukagawa plant in the Tokyo air raids (rebuilt the same year)
2011 Damage to manufacturing plants from flooding in Thailand (complete recovery declared in 2016)
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Monozukuri Innovation Activities
G-FPS (Global/General Fujikura Production System) activities are implemented to build a foundation for managing monozukuri (craftsmanship) that will enable the company to respond to new changes in society. We have implemented optimal QCDS* by making improvements to streamline the entire value chain, and these initiatives are aimed at becoming a highly profitable company that creates a connection to the future.
We continuously strive to improve the quality of operations in all the business activities of the Fujikura Group around the world. At the Global Fujikura Kaizen Presentation Meeting, successful cases of activities to achieve improvement are introduced and shared with the goal of reaching even higher.
*QCDS: One product rating indicator. An acronym for Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Service.*QCDS: One product rating indicator. An acronym for Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Service.
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Innovation in Manufacturing through AI + IoT
In the Fujikura Group, we are performing R&D on AI that uses deep learning, establishing learning methods that increase the rate of correct responses, and visualizing abnormalities in the product manufacturing process via AI in order to introduce efficient AI-based inspections. |
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Conclusion of a Partnership Agreement with the City of Omachi in Nagano Prefecture
The Fujikura Group concluded a partnership agreement with the city of Omachi in Nagano Prefecture in October 2018 with the goal of launching new services that will contribute to improving residential services using ICT and IoT. We launched an initiative to equip the community with the services while performing verification testing on technical and administrative issues. Through open innovation, we are working to create a new business from the business of selling products.
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