ESG Initiatives

Innovation On The MoveFor The Next Decade

President and
Representative Director Masafumi
Muro

Director Tomoko
Tada

Having an action guideline, "Always strive for innovation in our work," Muro Corporation is now moving aggressively toward the next decade. "Innovation" is fostered in an environment where a variety of human resources play an active role. Muro Corporation values diversity and challenges new business development as a united company.

President and Representative DirectorMasafumi Muro

Born in Osaka in 1968
Graduated from Department of Production Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Engineering, Shinshu University
Appointed as President in 2013
DirectorTomoko Tada

Labor and Social Security Attorney with ADR Certification
Graduated from Graduate School of Innovation Management, Hosei University
Obtained MBA

In this interview, Masafumi Muro, President, and Tomoko Tada, our first female member of the Board of Directors (outside), discussed Muro Corporation's business and management from the perspective of the SDGs.

About SDGs

Q: In this era, TV and magazines feature companies actively tackling the SDGs, and young people are increasingly interested in the SDGs. Where does Muro Corporation intend to focus its efforts on the SDGs?

Masafumi Muro: Companies are required to be "Going Concern," in other words, to have permanence and continuity. This is closely related to the word "Sustainable.” Companies generate employment and consumption by continuing to exist, and provide a fair profit to various stakeholders, including business partners. At this point, they already contribute to the SDGs, and we will particularly focus on decarbonization. This is an issue we must address, in response to the Japanese government's policy of achieving virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, as well as our customers' requests. Although it is a very difficult goal, we will work on it with a plan.

Tomoko Tada: Contributing to the realization of a sustainable society through business will be increasingly required.
At the same time, the global movement on climate change issues is rapidly advancing.
We need to recognize and address the need to "balance decarbonization and economic growth," rather than the conventional wisdom that "economic growth is proportional to CO2 emissions." The government used to take the lead, but we recognize that each company must take the lead from now on, and we would like to discuss this at the Board of Directors' meeting.

Masafumi Muro: The automotive industry is shifting to electrification and automation to realize zero emissions. Components of the future will be required to be lighter in weight and higher in function to improve the electric and fuel efficiencies of automobiles. New needs include units for thermal management, etc. While internal combustion engine-related works are declining, we will discover new needs-based works and contribute to the improvement of engine/motor efficiency, etc., in our areas of expertise.
In addition, to realize carbon neutrality, we will strengthen our daily improvement activities and further energy-saving efforts more than ever, as well as promote renewable energy generation, etc. in-house.

Tomoko Tada: Inevitably, one of our future management challenges will be to develop a cycle in which both the companies and society will improve by gathering together companies that sincerely consider these initiatives and develop their businesses. We too consider these to be one of the values of our products and services. Tasks are piling up, such as reviewing product design and processes, saving energy, reviewing the energy used, etc. However, this is a challenge for companies around the world, so let's take advantage of our strengths in improvement and respond positively.

Q: As part of our corporate CSR activities, we have donated to the affected areas as "contribution to local communities," but what are your thoughts behind this?

Masafumi Muro: We started this after I was appointed president. When a major disaster occurs, the Board of Directors discusses and sends sympathy funds. The motivation for our support activities is that I actually experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake in Utsunomiya and felt that I wanted to help the disaster-stricken areas that suffered so much damage. One of our management principles is to contribute to local communities. Japan is truly a country of many disasters. I also experienced the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in Himeji. I was slightly outside the areas of maximum damage in each case, but the damage was still significant. Whether it is due to the effects of global warming or the disaster cycle, there have been many major disasters in recent years. Because Japan is a disaster-prone country, helping each other in times of trouble and providing mutual support will also lead to a sustainable society.

Tomoko Tada: Support for disaster-affected areas is discussed at every board meeting. I was impressed by the fact that support for disaster-stricken areas is a natural part of the company's operations. I saw that the entire board of directors agreed with President Muro's thoughts. The management team and corporate culture of the company is warm-hearted and willing to help each other in times of need, which I believe is also a positive factor in the realization of the SDGs.

: <Recent Support for Disaster-Affected Areas>
　2016　Kumamoto Earthquake Donation
　2017　Asakura City, Kyushu Torrential Rain Disaster Donation
　2018　Torrential Rain in Western Japan, Kure City Disaster Donation
　2018　Torrential Rain in Western Japan, Kurashiki City Disaster Donation
　2019　Typhoon No. 19 Nagano City Disaster Donation

About Globalization

Q: I would like to ask you about our company 's action guideline, "Develop business with a global mindset." What was your motivation or reason for becoming aware of globalization and why do you want to promote it? Also, there are many different types of globalization, but what is your definition of globalization?

Masafumi Muro: The word "global" here means a broad perspective. It is true that in a company the size of ours, some employees have an internal mindset and are reluctant to go abroad or take on new challenges. However, to see the whole picture and do work that we are satisfied with, it is essential to look at the synergy and human resource strategy of our organization, including our overseas operations, in a comprehensive manner.
This will change our awareness, knowledge, and ideas. As long as the business comes out of unbounded thinking in a big way, it doesn 't have to be global. Globalization means free activities that are not influenced by region, occupation, race, language, etc.

Tomoko Tada: What kind of experience do you want your employees to have overseas in the future?

Masafumi Muro: In terms of global experience, I have worked overseas for more than a year on a business trip basis. My first trip was to the United States, when I was in my mid-twenties. After that, I often went on overseas business trips, and I found that no matter what country or what kind of place, if you don't go there, you will never know. This is true in the field as well, since we are in the manufacturing industry. It is important to actually go, see, and try things. This is the same with our daily activities. You will never know unless you try. It is no use talking about things without doing them. The best way to understand this is through overseas experience. Therefore, I would like young people in particular to go abroad and try various things. They will make mistakes, but the mistakes made in their youth are an asset. The characteristic of young people is that they can learn from their mistakes and make the most of them. By doing so, they will gain more experience, which will lead to personal growth. I have no experience of working abroad, but I would like them to do so as well. This is just a few years in the era of 100 years of life. The future will be an era in which global thinking and a spirit of challenge will be more necessary than ever before. I would like our employees to be people who are not overly fearful or small, but who take on challenges in everything they do.

Tomoko Tada: Challenges. We have many overseas bases and a long history, so it is an advantage to be able to gain experience in such an environment.
Currently, I am the only female director, but many of the board members have overseas experience, so I felt that they are open to diversity.
I appreciate the fact that they carefully listen to my opinion and we equally discuss the issues.
Because they have experienced a wide range of environments, including overseas, I believe they are able to accept diverse values and think about the company 's position, strategy, and raison d 'être from a global perspective.
In addition, overseas experience is something that cannot be gained in Japan.
Our company has also strengthened its support system by providing several months of English language training in the Philippines prior to the new assignment.
We would like to continue to provide opportunities for motivated and capable people to take on challenges, regardless of age or gender.

Toward the Creation of New Businesses

Q: Next, I would like to ask you about new businesses. You have publicly stated that we will always challenge new businesses and the development of current businesses looking ahead to the next 10 years, but it is also necessary to build the soil in which innovation can occur, isn't it?

Masafumi Muro: Yes, "Always strive for innovation in our work" is our action guideline.
We will further develop the concept of innovation that is currently prevalent within the company. We would like to discuss new business areas with an open-minded concept, including products that we are not currently involved in, or more specifically, the provision of intangible services.

Tomoko Tada: We need to foster diversity management, a workplace environment that truly makes the most of diverse human resources and provides opportunities for them to demonstrate their abilities. We have a comfortable working environment, with women being promoted to managerial positions and female employees working on the factory floor as part of our efforts to promote gender equality. Not only the workplace environment, but also the rate of women taking childcare leave has been 100% in the past 6 years. It is wonderful that both the hard and soft aspects are well balanced. I have high expectations for the future of women's leadership.

Q: The world trend tells that the number of automobiles with gasoline and diesel engines will decrease in the future. Muro Corporation 's sales are almost entirely made up of engine and transmission related parts. What kind of new businesses is Muro Corporation aiming to create for sustainable growth in the future?

Masafumi Muro: With the market for internal combustion engine parts shrinking due to the accelerating shift to EVs, we need to develop new businesses. We are looking to develop new businesses, mainly in the metal parts business centered on our core press technology and the plastic parts business of our subsidiary Igari Sangyo, as well as in other businesses that solve social issues. Some of our directors are already working on specific projects, and we have several projects under consideration. We have recently increased collaboration with industry, academia, and outside consultants. There is also the means of M&A. From these, we would like to nurture the next pillar of our business.

Tomoko Tada: Yes, we are currently actively working on new business creation at our company.
In 2018, new business ideas were examined in a time-limited project structure. From 2021, new studies were conducted in several divisions, and after presentations to and selection by management, several projects have advanced to full-scale studies for commercialization. These activities have helped to foster a company-wide awareness of the challenges of new business.
Most especially, a diverse range of talents and young forces, who are not afraid to face failure, are indispensable. New business creation is truly all about people.ゼWhen creating something from scratch, we must involve people inside and outside the company, and assemble new businesses while making good use of resources. Our current company is exactly the kind of place where this kind of experience can be had.
While we are sure that you experience many difficulties in your current new business, we believe that it is vital to enhance the training of the next generation of executives and to foster a corporate culture that can adapt to the new environment from a medium- to long-term perspective based on our management philosophy. I am excited.

Message

Q: Finally, please give a message to young people who would like to be involved in new business creation in the future.

Masafumi Muro: Both the world and Japan are undergoing a period of great change. It is said that the automotive industry is also in an era of great change "once in a century". A time of great change is a time of major shifts in thinking and common sense. EV, electrification, IT, digitalization, etc., will replace anything with anything, and the emergence of some function will make the previously mainstay functions unnecessary. Creating something new or changing the conventional structure requires new ideas that are not bound by conventional frameworks. Young people are better suited for this kind of thing, so I would like to encourage them to take on new challenges with their youthful power and ideas. Let 's do it together.