President & Chief
Executive Officer
Shigehiko Hattori

President's Message

"Three New Business Fields" and "Five Reinforced Product Lines"
Launching Shimadzu Business Portfolio for the 21^st Century

Seeking New Business Growth in the 21^st Century
Since its inception in 1875, Shimadzu Corporation has consistently accepted the challenge to develop pioneering technologies to ensure that customers in all fields have ready access to a variety of high-technology products. Through these efforts, and by exhibiting our proven expertise in the fields of science and technology, we have earned our customers' steadfast trust. However, we are determined to further refine our technological prowess to realize our wishes for the "Well-being of Mankind and the Earth."
 
Making full use of our vast, accumulated knowledge, we are currently implementing new forms of business management to achieve further growth in the 21^st century. All facets of our business are being reformed from cost structure to business portfolio. The nucleus of these reforms is the development of new business opportunities concentrating on product lines from our business spectrum that will accommodate and foster emerging and maturing growth fields.

Galvanizing Core Business with "Five Reinforced Product Lines"
To increase our market share, we have selected five product lines from our present modes of business that relate to Shimadzu's core competence and that are expected to have growth potential. The "Five Reinforced Product Lines" are: liquid chromatographs, mass spectrometers, environmental measurement systems, nondestructive x-ray inspection instruments, and medical flat-panel detectors. Our intention is to continue producing highly competitive products in these categories for the global market.

Achieving Future Growth with "Three New Business Fields"
The field of life science is expected to yield many new biotechnological developments in the new millennium, including medical therapies. Other vital directions in the 21^st century will include greater advancement of IT and increased focus on environmental protection, which is becoming ever more critical with the growing evidence of accelerated global warming.
 
Evaluating Shimadzu's core competence vis-à-vis these trends, we have selected life science, semiconductors/flat panel displays, and environmental solutions as the "Three New Business Fields" where we will concentrate our resources for rapid business development.
In the area of life science, we are currently implementing a multifaceted business plan by providing instruments, reagents and analysis services, and by focusing on the fields of protein analysis, which will gain even more importance in medical care and drug discovery, and DNA bulk analysis, essential for efficient gene analysis. We also plan to enter the field of diagnostics to further develop our business. Additionally, we are working hand-in-hand with our group companies abroad to fully globalize our operations, while vigorously allying ourselves with American, European, and Japanese vanguard bio-venture enterprises.
 
In the field of semiconductors and flat panel displays, we are channeling our efforts to provide products such as turbo-molecular pumps and LCD inspection devices for use in the manufacture and inspection of semiconductors and LCDs, with the aim of enhancing production of these items.
 
Regarding environmental solutions, in addition to manufacturing analyzers for the atmosphere, water and soil, we will expand our business to the area of solution services, including consultation and environmental restoration projects.
 
Becoming a "Global Player" in the 21^st Century
To keep abreast of rapidly evolving economic globalization and move toward borderless markets, Shimadzu has five overseas headquarters in North America, Latin America, Europe, China and Asia/Oceania, each of which reinforces the production, sales, and service system. Furthermore, both domestic and overseas procurement centers are striving to improve material procurement to enhance cost effectiveness. In this way, we will promote swift business expansion that is strongly linked to world markets centered around the USA, EU and Asia, including fast-growing China.
 
With the above growth scenario as the platform, we aim to launch a new business portfolio to achieve status as a "Global Player" - look forward to a new Shimadzu in the new millennium.

President & Chief Executive Officer
Shigehiko Hattori