Sumitomo Riko’s Technological Capability to Challenge “CASE”

https://www.sumitomoriko.co.jp/rd/strategy/

This month, a special page for CASE has been set up on our website.

https://www.sumitomoriko.co.jp/rd/strategy/

This page introduces the new technologies and products of the Sumitomo Riko Group in relation to the major changes in the automotive industry, "CASE", which are "C: Connected", "A: Autonomous", "S: Shared & Services" and "E: Electric".

Background to the creation of the CASE special page

As you all know, we have been developing advanced technologies and products for CASE for some time.

The word CASE is now appearing in many situations, and it is reported every day that expectations about electrification are actually growing rapidly on a global scale.

The background to this is the existence of a sense of urgency regarding the issue of climate change and the strong need for companies to be actively involved in "carbon neutrality", which would reduce the emissions of the carbon dioxide that causes it to virtually zero.

Under such circumstances, if we do not send out information to the outside world, our external stakeholders will have a negative image of us, something like, "Isn't Sumitomo Riko falling behind?

In fact, we were once ranked as one of the top companies whose business performance would be negatively affected by the progress of electrification.

I have been interviewed by many media since becoming President, and each time I have been saying "It is true that EVs will no longer require our fuel system hoses, but as vehicles evolve, such as EVs, new parts will become necessary. We will use our technological capabilities to develop materials and make proposals to our customers, which will lead to new products and increased sales. That's what we need to focus on more. This change is a big opportunity for us".

Since then, in public relations and investor relations, we have repeatedly denied the bad beliefs and explained them with accurate information, but there are still a certain number of stakeholders who still hold on to this bad image.

Even some of our employees also have this pessimistic image of the company as well.

We have therefore created this page as an opportunity to dispel any misconceptions our stakeholders may have and to make our technology more widely known.

Contents

Introduced are technologies and products that contribute in particular to the areas of "A: Autonomous" and "E: Electric".

In the area of automouse, our sensing technology plays an active role.

Our proprietary Smart Rubber (SR) sensors, which measure vital data such as pressure, breathing and heart rate, are used in our steering wheel touch sensors and driver monitoring systems.

In the area of electrification, technologies such as “Thermal control”, “Sealing”, and “Sound/Vibration control” play an important role.

“Finesulight” a thin-film, highly heat insulating material released last year, and cooling system hoses contribute to energy savings in electrified vehicles, while sealing materials are used in key components of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), the ultimate eco-car.

It also introduces our main products, anti-vibration rubber and MIF (Magnetic Induction Forming), which enables both heat conduction and sound reduction, as well as interviews with the engineers involved in the product development. There is also a video to help you understand what the product is all about, so please check it up.

In particular, I want our employees to be aware of the strengths of our own technology, which starts developing from even materials, and the evolution of our products.

It is not up to our customers to decide how cars will evolve, it is up to the users of the cars.

It is up to you.

I have a request for you all.

If you have an idea of what kind of car you would like to have, you can think of the parts you need to make it happen. Anyway, please think like this and try to come up with your new ideas and propose them without hesitation in the company.

It is you who will create the next generation of cars, and the next generation of Sumitomo Riko!!

It is also important to make an effort to be interested in and learn about the work of your colleagues in the company for further active communication beyond departmental boundaries.

I really expect that such aspiration will create a virtuous circle, in which we are stimulated and new ideas are born one after another.