Story of Creating Value

Cultivated Strengths

Throughout the 147 years since Shimadzu was founded in 1875, we have remained committed to solving the challenges faced by customers and the challenges of society, while facing facts with sincerity to discern their true essence, based on Shimadzu’s corporate philosophy “Contributing to Society through Science and Technology” and management principle “Realizing Our Wishes for the Well-being of Mankind and the Earth.” That process has resulted in establishing an ecosystem within Shimadzu for satisfying customer needs in a variety of fields and for developing new technologies, while also expanding the scope of our business operations with product and technology applications based on even more advanced core technologies. That approach of solving the challenges faced by customers and the challenges of society by confronting them head-on has been an unwavering principle that has served throughout our past, and to this day, as the foundation for the Shimadzu Group corporate culture.

1. Steadfast Commitment to Shimadzu Corporate Philosophy

Founder Genzo Shimadzu Sr. engaged in manufacturing physics and chemistry instruments needed during that era, while also learning about the latest technologies. That resolve to supply what customers need is still carried on to this day in our current commitment for using science and technology to meet the needs of society and customers and contribute to a more prosperous, safe, and secure society. Today, science and technology are becoming increasingly important for solving the increasingly diverse and complex challenges of society. Consequently, we will continue contributing to society by working tirelessly to acquire new knowledge and skills for providing solutions based on creating new concepts and achievements unimaginable to date. 

Founded 1875
Widespread Use and Advancement in Physics and Chemistry Instruments

Genzo Shimadzu Sr. supported science education in Japan by producing educational physics and chemistry instruments made in Japan as an alternative to imported products. He also invested effort in promoting the spread of scientific knowledge throughout Japan, such as by launching a manned balloon, distributing physics and chemistry equipment catalogs, and publishing scientific journals.

Genzo Shimadzu Sr.

From 1945
From Post-War Rebuilding to Business Development

During the difficult period after the war, Shimadzu helped support the post-war recovery by producing products such as coal mining machinery required for increasing production in the critical coal industry, X-ray systems for medical facilities throughout Japan, and spinning pumps and nozzles used in the increasingly important fiber export industry.

Remote-Controlled X-Ray Fluoroscopy System

From 1996
Raising Technology Levels to New Heights

The Life Science Research Center was established in 2001 based on a strategy of focusing management resources in biotechnology and other high-growth fields. The following year, Koichi Tanaka, who was working at the center, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the soft laser desorption/ionization method used to analyze the masses of biological macromolecules.

Soft Laser Desorption/Ionization Method

From 2011
Becoming the No. 1 Partner Selected Globally

Innovation Centers were newly established in four locations around the world. Shimadzu is also investing efforts in developing products that help solve various problems faced by society, such as a food radiation scanner and a woman-friendly dedicated breast PET system.

Shimadzu Tokyo Innovation Plaza

2. Serving the Needs of All Customers

Based on our corporate culture of earnestly satisfying the needs of customers and society, Shimadzu has created a wide variety of technologies, products, and services thus far. We will continue to create new shared value for society and Shimadzu, promote human health, ensure the safety and security of society, and contribute to industrial development by constantly combining new knowledge acquired from open innovation with our technical capabilities cultivated previously to continue solving challenges of an increasingly global and complex society.

Infectious Disease Countermeasures

As fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious diseases is a major challenge for society, we are developing new products in addition to offering our current line of instruments and reagents. We are also actively collaborating with academia, hospitals, healthcare institutions, and others to create systems for fighting infectious diseases.

Novel Coronavirus Detection Kit

Healthcare Innovation

In an effort to conquer cancer, lifestyle diseases, and other disorders and achieve a healthy life cycle, Shimadzu has been promoting“ advanced healthcare” solutions that combine analytical and medical technologies for every stage of healthcare, from routine health management, ultra-early diagnosis, and diagnosis to treatment and prognosis.

Amyloid MS CL System for Measuring a Potential Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease

Life Innovation

Shimadzu is engaged in generating life innovation by searching for diagnostic biomarkers, providing support for drug discovery, offering solutions for cell therapy and regenerative medicine, and developing technologies for analysis of functionally beneficial components in foods.

Using a Mass Spectrometer for Biomarker Discovery

Green Innovation

For the global transition to carbon-free operations, Shimadzu is engaged in generating “green innovation” by developing technologies for materials informatics, the smart cell industry, sequestering carbon dioxide, and measuring infrastructure deterioration.

Testing was Started to Verify the Utility of a Prototype Autonomous Lab System Intended for the Smart Cell Industry Based on Robotic, Digital, AI, and Other Technologies

3. Increasing Technology Development Capabilities

Shimadzu is researching and developing core technologies for use in creating revolutionary next-generation products, developing new products by improving current products and technologies, and developing broadly applicable shared technologies, including AI, IoT, and robotics technologies. In addition, we are also engaged in developing new businesses and technologies that will be required by society in the future, by quickly responding to changes or new challenges of society with solutions that combine or improve our technologies and expertise.

Model for Creating Value

Given these circumstances, the current business environment can be described as having a mixture of risks and opportunities.

While constantly questioning the significance of our existence in light of Shimadzu’s core characteristics, we strive to create a better society, build the foundations for a prosperous, safe, and secure world, and become a company even more needed by society by working with partners around the world to solve challenges in our increasingly diverse and complex society using science and technology and to further increase value shared with customers and society.

The source from which our new science and technology flows is the combination of people with diverse expertise and senses of value. Therefore, we believe providing a workplace environment where employees are free to fully utilize their strengths is a prerequisite for attracting talented human resources and ensuring Shimadzu continues to be a company that is admired by society. In other words, human resources are essential for increasing corporate value based on our corporate philosophy and management principle. Accordingly, we are implementing working practice reforms intended to generate new ideas, practicing health management, further increasing productivity both organizationally and individually, and increasing awareness of our goal to achieve sustained growth of Shimadzu.

Using such talented human resources to offer innovative products and services will require engaging in ambitious research and development work intended to acquire advanced technologies. Furthermore, we are deploying a coordinated three-pronged combination of R&D, business, and intellectual property strategies in an effort to build the foundation for long-term sustained growth.

Initiatives to Achieve Advancements in Science and Technology

R&D and Innovation

Shimadzu is engaged in developing new businesses and technologies that will be needed by society in the future. For example, Shimadzu is developing new improved products and technologies, developing shared technologies with broad applicability, such as AI, IoT, and robotics, researching and developing core technologies for use in creating innovative next-generation products, and combining or developing more advanced technologies and expertise.

R&D Systems and Collaboration Processes for Promoting Innovation

Shimadzu engages in basic research and product/application development by addressing challenges of society based on our corporate philosophy “Contributing to Society through Science and Technology” and management principle “Realizing Our Wishes for the Well-being of Mankind and the Earth.” Shimadzu is also actively collaborating with outside partners to develop innovative technologies and products, establish new services in society, and strengthen incubation capabilities for quickly commercializing such technologies, products, and services.

Innovation Centers

Innovation Centers have been established in five locations—the United States, Europe, China, Singapore, and Japan—as facilities for conducting joint research or joint development with academic institutions, research institutions, private companies, or other partners with advanced technologies.

Products and Services Development

Shimadzu has product and service development locations in Japan, China, and Europe, that develop and supply solutions for challenges of society. The Healthcare R&D Center consolidates Shimadzu’s R&D activities related to healthcare. It combines analytical/measuring technologies with medical imaging technologies or accelerates product development processes. A KYOLABS collaboratory space was also established for broadly presenting and discussing Shimadzu technologies or joint research projects. The purpose of the facility is to generate new businesses by working with outside partners to research and develop innovative products and solutions.

Basic Technology Research and Incubation

Key technologies are researched and developed at the three locations in Japan, China, and Europe. In Japan, in particular, Shimadzu established the SHIMADZU Future Collaboratory (Kyoto Prefecture) to promote R&D of advanced analysis, brain science and the five senses, innovative biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), and other technologies. The aim of open innovation is to create new value and solve challenges of society.

(Current as of March 2023)