Sustainability
Intellectual Property Management
The NGK Group positions intellectual property as an important management resource.
Through our intellectual property strategy, we are aiming to expand business and increase profitability. We work to maximize the utilization of retained intellectual property while also promoting intellectual property activities that contribute to our management strategy. We also strive to link intellectual property to creating new businesses and enhancing the competitiveness of existing business.
What We Aim for in 2030
The NGK Group positions intellectual property (IP) as an important management resource. Thus far, we have supported business through IP activities focused on securing global patent rights. Recent years have seen an increase in the importance of investing in and utilizing intangible assets. In addition to conventional IP protection efforts, we also recognize the need to conduct activities focused on IP utilization. This includes investing in intellectual property that is aligned with our management strategy. These activities will contribute to new business creation, help us secure a competitive advantage in the future, and contribute to the realization of the NGK Group Vision. To this end, we outline the following as what we aim for in 2030:
- Three-pronged promotion of business strategy / development strategy / IP strategy
- Utilize tools such as IP Landscape® to promote activities focused on IP utilization and initiatives aimed at supporting these activities.
Number of Patents Held
What We Aim for
[IP Landscape Example]
Search for New Applications for NGK’s Retained Technology
This is a visualization of our patent application distribution. The contour lines forming mountains and islands represent concentrations of patent applications. Dark colored regions indicate that numerous applications have been filed. This tool helps us engage in strategic IP activities by recognizing strengths and weaknesses in our own IP activities and in the IP strategies of our competitors.
Promotion of IP Activities
At the beginning of each fiscal year, the IP Strategy Department collaborates with business and development divisions to hold IP Activity Meetings for each product or development unit. The objective of these meetings is to have relevant departments discuss and set IP activity goals, and then propose IP strategy towards goal achievement. In FY2024, we are aiming to strengthen these activities. Persons responsible for IP strategies in each business and development division will lead efforts to strengthen IP activities. We will also aggressively promote IP awareness activities for employees. These activities will include holding IP seminars and introducing IP analysis methods. We will also provide business and development divisions with IP education led by IP Strategy Department staff.
New Business Creation and Early Commercialization
New Business Creation
Through patent analysis, we will work to create new businesses by exploring new development domains for our core technology and examining new applications for existing technology.
We are also proactively engaged in DX promotion. For example, we will use large language models (LLM) to search for promising new markets. We will use analysis results gained from IP information to extract candidates for collaborations and alliances related to new businesses. This will also contribute to development and business strategy formulation. Through such IP activities, we will promote new business creation and early commercialization that maximizes the strengths of the NGK Group.
Securing Competitive Advantage for New Businesses
To secure a competitive advantage for new businesses, we steadily work to secure IP rights for our own technology and build a strong patent strategy. With new businesses in particular, we are promoting the utilization of a mixed IP strategy that combines various IP rights. This includes a focus on patent strategy related to our supply chain, including business model patent utilization and design rights.
At the same time, we appropriately distinguish between important know-how that should be kept secret, and technology we should seek the acquisition of rights. Through patent analysis, we also work to ascertain competitor and
technology trends. Based on those analysis results, we provide development and business departments and management with specific alliance candidates.
Through these IP activities, we are helping secure a competitive advantage for new businesses.
Strengthen Competitiveness of Existing Businesses
To maintain and strengthen the competitiveness of existing businesses, we conduct inventory of our held patents to ascertain the number of our right-to-practice patents and patents with influence over other companies. Through patent analysis for our own patents and competitor patents, we propose appropriate IP strategy that is aligned with the business environments of our products.
We are also engaged in a mixed IP strategy that combines various rights, including business model patent utilization, design rights, and trademark rights. This strategy promotes the multifaceted protection of our business and helps increase the brand value of the NGK Group. At the same time, we engage in effective IP management by appropriately distinguishing between important knowhow that should be kept secret and technology for which we pursue rights.
Through these IP activities, we are working to maintain and increase the competitiveness and profitability of the NGK Group.
