In January 2022, Showa Denko K.K. and Showa Denko Materials Co., Ltd. achieved substantial integration of the two companies through integration of their management systems realized by appointing 12 common Corporate Officers including the President and CEO. Process of the integration of the two companies is progressing favorably to achieve complete integration in January 2023. We have established the management philosophy of the newly integrated company as combination of “Purpose” and “Four Values.” Purpose refers to the purpose of the newly integrated company’s existence, which is to “change society through the power of chemistry,” which was announced in the Long-term Vision for Newly Integrated Company. The four values we have established are: “Passionate & Results-Driven,” “Agile & Flexible,” “Open Minds & Open Connections,” and “Solid Vision & Solid Integrity.” We will make this management philosophy permeate into the Showa Denko Group globally, and make the new Showa Denko Group operate its business as a body. We will also strengthen the Group’s human resource development, conduct fair employee performance evaluation, and strive to promulgate the merit system.

With regard to solutions which we provide for our customers, we believe that the newly integrated company will be able to make technological breakthroughs and offer wide-ranging functions by blending Showa Denko’s midstream material technologies, Showa Denko Materials’ downstream application technologies, and both companies’ evaluation/analysis technologies into one.

The Showa Denko Group has been making the most of technological strengths of Showa Denko and Showa Denko Materials, and promoting management that takes advantage of its mutually complement business portfolio. The Showa Denko Group has four business categories: “Core Growth” businesses that produce products boasting top market shares in growing markets and leading growth of the Group (Electronics and Mobility); “Next-Generation” business that will function as the mainstay of the Group (Life Science); “Stable Earnings” businesses (Carbon, Petrochemicals, Device Solutions, etc.); and “Fundamental Technologies/Materials” businesses that support innovations made by other businesses (Ceramics, Functional Chemicals, etc.). The Group will realize sustainable growth by making these four business categories exert their full powers.

Furthermore, we will utilize the “Stage for Fusion,” which is a laboratory of the Showa Denko Group where we set and promote research and development themes that aim to realize sustainability through solution of various social issues including realization of carbon neutrality by 2050, and will also utilize “Packaging Solution Center,” which is an institution to cooperatively develop leading-edge packages for semiconductor integrated circuits. By making the most of these R&D facilities and promoting innovation through cooperation with customers and partner companies, we will achieve the purpose of the newly integrated company, which is to “change society through the power of chemistry.”