Fujifilm has simultaneously created a “vertical” system of “divisional laboratories” that are under the direct management of particular divisions and undertake R&D tied directly to that business and a “lateral” system of “corporate laboratories” that conduct research on basic technologies fostered through the film business, such as advanced material chemistry, imaging, analysis, and production systems, and can supply the technologies necessary for each business from a group-wide perspective. The system in which the Research & Development Management Headquarters provides integrated management of this vertical and horizontal matrix promotes speedy new product development and new business creation that drives growth.
The Fujifilm Advanced Research Laboratories are hubs of new value creation through “fusion and creation.” Responsible for conducting advanced research throughout the Fujifilm Group and deepening and expanding core technologies that form the foundation for new businesses and products, the laboratories bring scientists in a wide range of fields under a single roof. Thus they are able to not only serve as “open venues” that eliminate barriers between technical fields and organizations but also dynamically fuse a wide range of knowledge, technologies, and methods.
Through the active promotion of efforts to strengthen intragroup cooperation with Fuji Xerox, alliances with other companies, M&As, and industry-academia partnerships, Fujifilm also creates new businesses by capturing creative technologies that differentiate the company.