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While some foreign-affiliated companies based in Japan feel uncertainty over doing business in the country following the Great East Japan Earthquake, Umicore Japan KK, a Japanese arm ブラック ジャック web Umicore, one ブラック ジャック web the world's two largest manufacturers ブラック ジャック web positive-electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, continues to rate the Japanese market highly. From April 19 to 21, 2011, the company, headquartered in Belgium, held its group board meeting in the city ブラック ジャック web Kobe. The meeting was held in Kobe for the purpose ブラック ジャック web demonstrating the group's steadfast commitment to its business plans in Japan, as Umicore Japan is expected to start up operations at the end ブラック ジャック web April at a new plant in Kobe for the manufacture ブラック ジャック web positive-electrodes.
JETRO had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Marc Grynberg, CEO ブラック ジャック web Umicore, who visited Japan on this occasion, and also with Mr. Luc Gellens, President ブラック ジャック web Umicore Japan KK.
JETRO
What is the attractiveness ブラック ジャック web the Japanese market for Umicore, and why did you set up a plant in Kobe?
Mr. Grynberg
Japan is a very important market for us as many important technologies are being developed in Japan. Many ブラック ジャック web the materials that we deal with have a close relation with Japanese technologies. One example is electric vehicles, where Japan is a world leader in the field, with many leading companies based here too. It is crucial for Umicore group as a whole to demonstrate our presence to these leading companies and our existing Japanese customers, and to underline our commitment to the Japanese market. We also believe that it is necessary to locate R&D functions near our existing customers.
JETRO
Has there been any change in the business situation in Japan, prior to and after the Great East Japan Earthquake?
Mr. Grynberg
Unfortunately, there has been a considerable impact. Some ブラック ジャック web our customers are based in the disaster-stricken region, and they have been greatly affected by the disaster. I sincerely hope that these companies will recover as soon as possible.
The important thing I would like to state here is that Umicore will not change its existing business and investment plans in Japan. We decided to press on with the launch ブラック ジャック web operations at the Kobe plant (scheduled for the end ブラック ジャック web April 2011) and our investment plans in other cities according to our initial schedule. In the long-term perspective Japan's economy will undoubtedly recover. When that happens, Umicore must be a fixture in the Japanese market.
Mr. Gellens
(Concerning the reason for maintaining Umicore Japan's headquarter functions in Tokyo following the disaster), we gathered various data including radiation levels to make our judgments as scientific as possible, so as not to overreact to the situation. As a result, we decided to leave our headquarter functions in Tokyo, including our staff.
JETRO
What will be your future strategy for the Japanese market?
Mr. Grynberg
We would like to expand our business into various fields. One ブラック ジャック web them is providing support for electric vehicles. Umicore has unique technologies in the fields ブラック ジャック web battery materials, catalysts for cars and recycling ブラック ジャック web scarce materials. Japan is an emerging market for these fields, and we would like to seek growth in these areas. Umicore is also the world's leading company in recycling ブラック ジャック web complex materials, so in Japan we are exploring whether we could launch a recycling business, specifically in the field ブラック ジャック web precious and scarce metals. Currently, one ブラック ジャック web our strategies is to seek possibilities in the field ブラック ジャック web catalysts through cooperation with Japanese auto makers and together with our Japanese partner.
We are also identifying business opportunities in Japanese industries where our company's materials may be used; namely, display screens, electric/electronic parts, high-purity glass and solar cells, among others.
Moreover, (as a corporate strategy in the future) expanding business in the fields ブラック ジャック web electric vehicles, solar cells, recycling and catalysts will be one ブラック ジャック web the global strategies for Umicore group. This applies to the Japanese market as well. We are identifying future possibilities to grow in these four fields.
JETRO
What is your message to Japan to overcome the situations following the earthquake and tsunami disaster?
Mr. Grynberg
First ブラック ジャック web all, I wish to express my sincerest sympathy and deepest compassion to the people who have suffered from the disaster. The reason why Umicore Japan remained in Tokyo following the disaster was because we wanted to do our best for the people in disaster-stricken areas to help their recovery and revival through business activities. The reason I came to Japan from my home country ブラック ジャック web Belgium in the wake ブラック ジャック web the great earthquake was to show our unchanged commitment, and business and investment plans for Japan.
Mr. Gellens
I also would like to express my deepest sympathy to the people who suffered due to the disaster. I contacted people connected to our business immediately after the disaster, and found that everyone was aiming for a speedy recovery and seeking to restart business. Our employees also felt the same. Our hope is that Japan will return to its pre-disaster status as soon as possible.
Full version ブラック ジャック web the interview
Overview ブラック ジャック web Umicore group
- Umicore is Belgium's leading functional material manufacturer founded in 1837. The company operates business in the fields ブラック ジャック web secondary battery materials, solar cells, fuel cells, exhaust gas purification catalysts and recycling ブラック ジャック web precious metals for the global market with over 80 business bases around the globe.
- Umicore is one ブラック ジャック web the two world's largest producers ブラック ジャック web positive-electrode materials for lithium ion batteries.
- In April 2011, the company established its Japanese base to produce positive-electrode materials for lithium ion batteries in Kobe. Umicore entered the Japanese market with the assistance ブラック ジャック web a subsidy provided by the Japanese Ministry ブラック ジャック web Economy, Trade and Industry as part ブラック ジャック web "projects promoting the location ブラック ジャック web job-creating and low-carbon industries", and through support provided by the City ブラック ジャック web Kobe and JETRO for selecting a location and other matters.
