A Message from the General Manager of the Technical Management Unit

Kiyotaka Kawashima Managing Executive Officer
General Manager, Technical Management Unit

We are bringing together diverse capabilities and marshaling the diversity of individuals to realize technologies that position us to go on the offense.

Kiyotaka Kawashima
Managing Executive Officer
General Manager, Technical Management Unit

Amid continued uncertainty and confusion, attributable to dramatic changes to living environments caused by COVID-19 and the threat of borderless wars, we are seeing values change dramatically. Against this backdrop, rather than a conventional three-year management plan, the DIC Group recently formulated DIC Vision 2030, a rolling long-term management plan. The role of our technical departments in this management plan is immense. To ensure the plan’s success, we will work to realize technologies that position us to go on the offense, rather than those that are more defensive in nature, as well as to promote technological development that capitalizes on our global presence and maximize individual capabilities.

From Adding Depth to Existing Technologies to Pursuing New Technologies

The DIC Group’s ability to add depth to existing basic technologies has led to a wide range of products that contribute to society. Transforming our business portfolio, a key focus of our new long-term management plan, will also require searching for completely new basic technologies, as well as technologies that emphasize sustainability or other new criteria. The Group has thus already begun to allocate significant management and other resources to development that involves not only modifying—i.e., adding depth to—existing technologies but also creating and adopting, that is, searching for, brand new technologies. At the same time, through the marketing efforts of our technical departments, we are also seeking to discover new applications and markets for both existing and new technologies with the aim of helping customers address current issues and issues not yet acknowledged.

Integrating R&D Functions to Create One Global Lab

In fiscal year 2021, the DIC Group welcomed a new member with the acquisition of the Colors & Effects business from BASF, further enhancing its global business structure in the colors, packaging and graphics businesses. DIC and Sun Chemical have long cooperated in the area of R&D, which has led to a number of important achievements. Recognizing that the addition of the Colors & Effects business will create a stronger, three-company R&D configuration to underpin the implementation of the strategies of DIC Vision 2030, the Group is integrating product development, including by promoting joint R&D and the sharing of information, as well as related functions such as patent, analysis, AI and marketing functions.

DIC、Sun Chemical、Colors & Effects のグローバル会議

DIC、Sun Chemical、Colors & Effects のグローバル会議

Creating Work Environments for Technical Personnel that Are Conducive to Job Satisfaction

One of the basic strategies for transforming DIC and the DIC Group enumerated in DIC Vision 2030 is to maximize the value of human capital. No matter how talented our technical people are, unless they feel motivated personally, they—and by extension DIC and the DIC Group—will not be able to contribute to society or make notable achievements. In other words, we need to create a research environment that consistently motivates people, thereby enabling us to marshal the diversity of individuals. What constitutes such a work environment is a question we will continue seeking to answer going forward. We have already begun to implement the following measures:
● Integrate human resources training for DIC and the DIC Group and career paths for individual technical staff;
● Respect autonomy, including by establishing rules for allocating a certain number of work hours for technical staff to conduct their own research and creating a system whereby individuals can propose new research themes anytime and anywhere;
● Actively encourage and support individual external activities such as participation in academic conferences and publication of technical papers); and
● Develop individualized work style care systems that include, among others, counseling and mentoring.
Looking ahead, the DIC Group will continue striving to evolve as an organization that delivers social benefits by reforming work styles for all employees, including technical staff, and improving work environments.