Message from the President May.2020

According to AFPBB News, an international news service agency, movement and activities restrictions have been imposed on over 3.9 billion people around the world, half of the entire global population, as part of the measures attempting to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. In Japan, many people and companies are fighting the consequences of the hardship imposed by this unprecedented crisis with no signs of a light the end of the tunnel yet.

In our long history, responses to viruses have led to the development of vaccines thanks to advancements in medical technology and our forerunners’ knowledge and experience, and we have overcome crises again and again. Although I do believe that this new coronavirus disease will eventually be eradicated, the emergence of another new virus after a short time is inevitable, considering the recent trend of viral outbreaks. On top of that, the possibility of another pandemic occurring within a short period of time has become very high due to people and goods moving across wider areas much faster and in greater volumes than ever before.

In this environment, there is a clear division between companies that can turn challenges into opportunities and those that cannot. The difference can be expressed in mainly two points.

One is whether a company can review its existing operating processes and increase productivity. Ridding ourselves of stereotyped ideas, we need to promote initiatives to innovate in all of our operations through the use of digital technologies, etc., including the adoption of remote working styles.

The other point is whether a company can change to a more offensive rather than defensive business model. We will be required to put forward innovative initiatives that create new value and corporate strengths to realize our own change into a more offensive business model while protecting employee jobs.

After the Lehman collapse, we have endeavored to strengthen our financial condition from a perspective assuming that there will surely be another crisis.

In our new three-year Meitec Group Mid-Term Management Plan (2020-2022): “The Transformation”, which started in this fiscal year, we pledged to “work in pursuit of higher added value and make a transformation to a new business model” as our basic policy. In whatever environment, we shall pursue the improvement of customer and engineer satisfaction based on a strong awareness of transformation and an offensive stance.

Values across the world after the end of the coronavirus pandemic are expected to be significantly changed. Let us join together and collect our strengths, so that, by the time the change happens, we will be able to create new value through our technologies and actively contribute to solving the challenges of the world.