Our business is to use our surface modification technology to provide solutions for various problems our customers encounter with their products and production equipment. The advanced research conducted by the Thermal Spraying Technology R&D Laboratories and the development of coatings precisely engineered to customer specifications have led to numerous new technologies and areas of expertise (intellectual property). We are actively considering acquiring patents for our intellectual property as a way to further enhance our technological advantages in the market. We are particularly eager to apply for patents for products we have developed jointly with our clients to further solidify our relationship with our clients and to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.
Our ability to propose the most effective coating for a client’s specific conditions is the foundation of our competitiveness. For that reason, it is essential that we also use elemental technologies and expertise in combining technologies for areas that are not patented, such as in materials, spraying methods, and quality control methods.
Our Medium-Term Management Plan TOCALO 2030 is to further enhance our technological superiority by conducting R&D through industry-academia-government collaboration, developing thin-film technology-related processes such as PVD and CVD, and nurturing our technological development talent. To carry out our plan, we are allotting roughly 3% of consolidated net sales to investment in R&D. The production technology departments at all of our plants are also continuing to invest in technology development. In fiscal 2025, we invested ¥2,714 million (4.6% of consolidated sales) in research and technology development.
