New Year’s Greetings from the President (Summary)

Kaneka Corporation
January 6, 2025
I hope that all of you had a pleasant holiday.

This year marks the “Year of the Wood Snake”. The Wood Snake symbolizes two key qualities: “growth amid adversity,” navigating twists and turns much like plants do, and “transformation and rebirth,” akin to a snake shedding its skin. Together, these qualities are believed to bring good fortune.

Both domestic and global environments remain challenging. Ongoing conflicts and inward-looking policies by various nations have raised concerns about stagnation in global economic activity. As a result, 2025 is expected to see slow growth in developed economies, with little prospect of immediate improvement.

Nevertheless, the three major crises (crisis of environment & energy, food and wellness) confronting the world remain unresolved. Last April, we launched “The Three-Year Initiative” 2024 to address these crises. While the challenges we face are complex and demanding, they are also bold and meaningful endeavors with the potential to provide valuable solutions to society.

Kaneka already has major manufacturing facilities in Europe, the U.S., and Malaysia, as well as marketing and development hubs in Europe, the U.S., East Asia, India, and Africa. Additionally, last year we established Bio-Pharma Research Laboratories in Belgium. These developments highlight that our platform for competing on the international stage is already in place. To strengthen our international activities, we will actively pursue both capital investments and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). However, infrastructure alone is not enough. Success requires people who deeply understand Kaneka and can appreciate local cultures and “ways of doing things.” Broadening one’s perspective beyond domestic borders leads to self-fulfillment, which ultimately drives business success. We will continue to invest resources to ensure Kaneka can compete effectively on a global scale.

Let us work together to make 2025 a truly remarkable year, filled with passion and smile.

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                              Kazuhiko Fujii, President