We Will Never Give Up Against Coronavirus
Greetings, everyone!
As you know, the new coronavirus storm from China and elsewhere in Asia is now sweeping across Europe and the rest of the world. This has had a major impact on daily life in almost every country; the effort to halt the spread of this infectious disease has also stalled the flow of people and goods. I convey my deepest condolences to the families ofthose lost, and my thoughts are with those who are infected and suffering from the impact of this illness.
The economic crisis and the associated stock market crash, which surpasses that of the Lehman Brothers crisis, are casting a long shadow that is affecting both our work environment and our personal lives. Clearly, many are experiencing a sense of entrapment in light of the restrictions on their freedoms, such as travel prohibitions for those seeking to enter or leave the country, cancellations of business trips and increased telecommuting, and postponement of meetings and various public events and the like. Moreover, school closures and restrictions on the free flow of people and goods are making life quite difficult for many.
However, humanity has a history of applying its wisdom, reserve, and tireless energy to overcome many such crises.
I am therefore confident that humankind can develop solutions to this crisis by applying its wisdom and dynamism to help build a better society. As one example, we have developed a pyrotechnology-based medical technology under the product name ÷ActranzaTM lab.ø that features the innovative pyrotechnology we have refined over many years. This product is capable of injecting a drug solution through the tip of a needleless injector. It uses the combustion energy generated by pyrotechnology to deliver the drug into the body. As the medical community continues to work toward the development of a vaccine for this corona virus, the use of Actranza lab. for vaccine distribution would likely enhance the effectiveness of the vaccine and contribute greatly to the eradication of this and other infectious diseases. We are making Actranza lab. available in the interests of vaccine development.
I am wishing that our efforts to remain a company dedicated to value creation while contributing to society will support the security and peace of mind of people around the world.
In recent years, companies have been focusing on the need to consider a change in work style. Current circumstances have given us an opportunity to accelerate that transition. Last year, for example, in the interests of reforming our work style, I proposed reducing the scope of our R&D projects by half and minimizing the number of meetings we hold. The purpose of these initiatives was to create a more comfortable pace of work.
The objective is to make us less passive and more proactive. Instead of always being pressed for time, we can more boldly transform the way we work so that we can gain more awareness as well as the ability to think and act with greater initiative.
Our current challenge is to work on a breakdown of each division for our next long-term business vision, and to formulate a new med-term business plan based on the results. Moreover, we must draft a strict budget and continue to implement the organizational and structural reforms we introduced last year. Toward that end, I encourage all to seize the opportunity presented by this crisis. We can use this chance to create a comfortable work space and refresh both body and mind.
What I think essential is that we all spend some meaningful time with family and close friends. The times we are living through make this quite worthwhile.
We, the management team, are committed to working with you to firmly respond and adapt to this crisis. If you encounter any problems, please do not hesitate to contact our Response Headquarters.
I must also emphasize that we are preparing to participate aggressively in the upcoming period of economic recovery, rather than retreat in the face of the economic crisis.
In closing, I urge all of you to continue responding as one with confidence and a steadfast attitude.
Yoshimi Ogawa,
President of the Company, CEO
