CHRO Message

Shimadzu's Approach to Human Capital

Since our founding, the Shimadzu Group has continued to preserve a corporate culture that treasures people. Our corporate philosophy of “Contributing to Society through Science and Technology” is deeply embedded in our DNA, and is the behavioral guideline for all our employees. We believe that respecting and valuing our employees forms the foundation for creating corporate value. By empowering individuals and bringing together their strengths, we can generate social value and contribute to solving global challenges in collaboration with partners around the world. From an ESG perspective as well, the Shimadzu Group places great importance on human capital and is committed to building a sustainable society. We aim to realize a more prosperous future by promoting collaboration that transcends organizational boundaries and encouraging teamwork among employees with diverse backgrounds.
Enhancing the corporate value of the Shimadzu Group over the medium to long term requires adapting to a changing business environment while aligning talent development and workplace environment initiatives with our business strategies. In addition, we recognize the importance of leveraging diversity and strengthening efforts to drive innovation. Talent development and the improvement of our internal environment are core components of the “Five Business Strategies” and “Strengthening Seven Management Foundation” outlined in our medium-term management plan, and are critical initiatives directly linked to corporate value enhancement.
We believe that continuous investment in building a foundation that enables employees to thrive contributes to attracting top talent and enhancing engagement through greater job satisfaction and improved physical and mental well-being.

KPI Settings Aimed at Maximizing Efficiency

In FY2023, we launched an engagement survey using a globally standardized platform. We plan to expand participation to include overseas Group companies in the future. The results of this survey are regarded as key management indicators closely linked to sustained corporate value creation, and are used as valuable data for addressing organizational challenges. We have also introduced KPIs for our talent-related initiatives to ensure transparency. Going forward, we aim to define more effective KPIs to maximize the impact of these initiatives.

Three Key Human Resource Initiatives to Drive Our Next Stage of Growth

(1) Fostering Management Leaders Aiming for Continuous Growth
At Shimadzu, we offer a wide range of training programs tailored to job types, roles, and age groups, with a strong focus on developing management leaders who will support the company’s ongoing growth. In particular, we have designated the development of executive talent as a key priority. In FY2023, we launched a new leadership program for executive candidates aimed at cultivating the ability to proactively propose ideas to senior management, through theme-setting and in-depth discussions with stakeholders. The program incorporates tough assignments that provide experience outside participants’ usual scope of work, as well as opportunities for external training and secondments, helping broaden their perspectives and elevate their strategic thinking. Participants are also encouraged to adopt a forward-looking mindset, as they are expected to take on key leadership roles in the future.
We are also placing strong emphasis on developing business leaders who can solve challenges and drive business growth. Our goal is to cultivate managers who can flexibly adapt their leadership style based on the needs of their team members and the surrounding environment. This training program is currently being implemented for managers at Shimadzu Corporation and overseas Group companies, with plans to expand it to domestic Group companies as well.
We are also introducing a dedicated training program for management executives at our overseas Group companies. This program is designed to further enhance our global competitiveness by strengthening capabilities in regional business strategy development, improving understanding of required governance practices, promoting deeper integration of our corporate philosophy, and fostering effective leadership.

(2) Improving Technological Capabilities to Support Innovation and Strengthening Expertise
The drivers of growth for the Shimadzu Group are our continuous enhancement of technological capabilities and the active contribution of highly specialized talent that generates innovation and value. To sustain this growth, it is essential to develop expert human resources who can collaborate with leading professionals around the world to create new technologies and business opportunities, design and develop high-quality products, execute advanced management functions, and adapt to the evolving demands of digital transformation (DX).
To this end, we are advancing the REACH project in collaboration with universities, enabling employees to fully dedicate themselves to earning a doctoral degree while remaining employed. In addition, we launched the SPARK program in FY2024, a new initiative that supports employees pursuing doctoral studies, with the aim of further enhancing their expertise.
In addition to offering certification incentive programs and training opportunities, we are creating an environment that supports employees in developing their expertise by issuing Open Badges for advanced national and in-house certifications.

(3) Promoting Growth by Providing Diverse Career Paths
At Shimadzu, we support employees in shaping their careers based on their individual aptitudes and aspirations. Since FY2024, we have expanded career paths to include not only management roles but also professional tracks that allow employees to deepen their expertise in specialized fields. We are building a human resource system that fosters the advancement of technical skills and knowledge.
Careers at Shimadzu are not fixed but fluid. Employees may take on professional roles at one stage of their careers and transition to management roles at another. This flexible approach fosters individual growth through diverse experiences while enhancing the organization’s adaptability and competitiveness.

Message to the Stakeholders

As mentioned at the outset, one of our greatest strengths of the Shimadzu Group is that our corporate culture treasures people, and that our corporate philosophy is the very essence of our DNA. Our founding spirit̶captured in the phrase, “We will gladly undertake the manufacture of whatsoever you may request of us”*̶has fostered a culture of insatiable curiosity and sincere commitment to meeting customer needs. This mindset has remained a core value throughout our 150-year history.
As we navigate the growing responsibilities that accompany changes in society and the business environment, we remain committed to evolving and growing as a company. Through the implementation of human resource initiatives, we aim to ensure that all employees carry forward this spirit and continue to thrive. This journey would not be possible without your continued support and understanding. We sincerely thank you, and we look forward to your ongoing partnership.

• * Shimadzu’s oldest product catalog, Science Equipment Catalog List, which was published in 1882, ends with this phrase, pledging to manufacture whatever is needed to suit our customers.