Our intellectual property division leads the intellectual property strategies as a core of intellectual property activities of all Group companies and promotes strategic activities in coordination with the R&D division and business divisions under the slogan "Enhance the Air Water Group’s business competitiveness through intellectual property activities."
Intellectual property activities are largely associated with the three elements that constitute the implementation measure for the basic concept of our mid-term management plan "Challenges towards issues for post 2020 growth." Therefore, we actively promote intellectual property activities mainly to support the establishment of the "Realization of a new technology-centered company by rebuilding the R&D system" as well as "Maximization of M&A effect" and "Strengthening of global business." In addition to the Research and Development Institute, we have a number of development organizations that are capable of creating their own unique technologies, which include existing Group companies and new companies that joined the Group through M&A.
Having a wide range of business areas, our Group companies look toward the current and future needs, proactively develop technology and acquire intellectual property rights, such as patent rights. The intellectual property division provides support for intellectual property activities of our Group companies that are actively engaged in such development as well as intellectual property training for the entire Group companies so as to improve the intellectual property ability and promote revitalization of activities of the entire Air Water Group.
Air Water Group holds patents in various categories of technical fields. For example, it holds patents in all the eight large categories under the "International Patent Classification," a global patent classification system. This means that we have technologies and patent clusters that are extraordinary for one corporate body. These patent clusters support our management strategy "All-Weather Management System" and our growth strategy "Order Rodentia Style of Business" from one end.
Nowadays, as our global business is significantly increasing, we acquire rights and conduct surveys in relevant countries in advance from the aspect of intellectual property, establishing a structure where risks are minimized in those countries before moving on to actual business operations.
In the area of intellectual property, in particular, laws and systems are reformed frequently in many countries. We are responsive to such changing world situations and conduct our intellectual property activities from a global perspective.
