As part of a growth strategy to achieve its long-term business plan “Vision 2025”, Yaskawa Electric Corporation (Representative Director, President: Hiroshi Ogasawara) will begin to conduct full-fledged venture investment activities aimed at accelerating the creation of new businesses and to expand its core areas of business. The company plans to invest two billion JPY in the three years between FY 2016 and FY 2018 as it offers continuous support for the development of ventures.

To date, Yaskawa has formed capital alliances with and has been working together with companies with whom it sees potential for technical synergies such as ReWalk Robotics Ltd., an Israeli venture that makes exoskeleton devices which aid people to walk, Japanese EV venture GLM Co., Ltd., and Robotic Biology Institute Inc., a venture in the field of automation in biomedical work. In recent years, open innovation has become more widespread in society, and many venture companies, both in Japan and abroad, have appeared on the scene with advanced technology and applications that offer potential for commercialization in short periods. By making full-fledged investments in venture companies which have capacities for faster development to add to its own high level of technology, Yaskawa will accelerate its bid to achieve “fusion of core technology advancement and open innovation” as outlined in its Vision 2025 and offer new values to society.

Yaskawa has set up a structure for speedy investment decisions and will look at venture companies in Japan and abroad with whom it may expect business synergies in the areas of IoT and AI, and the field of Mechatronics, Clean Power, and Humatronics, which are key areas in its Vision 2025. Specifically, it will offer flexible investments in areas such as FA networks, next-generation robotics applications, storage battery technology, wireless/sensor technology, and next-generation semiconductor technology, collaborate as it aims to realize the rapid development of elemental technology, improved product quality, and mass production technology, as well as provide support as necessary from the perspectives of sales and human resources as it makes maximum use of its own resources.

Contact:
Corporate Communications Div.
YASKAWA Electric Corporation
E-mail: kouhou@yaskawa.co.jp