Business Solutions|Printing Solutions- KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta reports successful sales at Drupa 2016. About 260,000 visitors came to the world’s largest and most important trade fair for print and cross media solutions. Even though this was fewer than at Drupa 2012, Konica Minolta saw an increase of about 25% more visitors at its stand. A prominent showpiece at Konica Minolta’s 2,400 sq. m. booth was the AccurioJet KM-1, making its debut as a commercially available product. Throughout Drupa, AccurioJet KM-1 drew admiring crowds of visitors all keen to see how this breakthrough technology can help them diversify into new markets such as books and packaging, or serve their existing markets better. The first two orders from a list of prospects for the AccurioJet KM-1 were confirmed during the show – from U.S. companies Postcard Mania and Cohber Press. These contracts, together with several orders for the bizhub C71CF label printer that were also placed at Drupa, represent Konica Minolta’s first successes in the industrial printing segment.

Furthermore, Konica Minolta’s leading position in the mid-production color printing sector was strengthened as customers from across the world chose to invest in Konica Minolta printing systems and software. Besides the output devices and print embellishment technologies, KM also demonstrated host of solutions under Accurio Pro Portfolio of workflow software solutions for the customers to be more productive and profitable. A healthy pipeline of future orders was secured, underpinning the company’s impression of an extremely positive overall mood and investment climate during the show. Konica Minolta India was pleasantly amazed to host and demonstrate its products and solutions during the exhibition.

Konica Minolta’s partnership with MGI Digital Technology was another highlight of the stand at drupa, with the French company’s JETvarnish technology being shown working in conjunction with several Konica Minolta systems like the AccurioJet KM-1 as well as the bizhub PRESS C71CF label printer.

Mr. Yuji Nakata, MD Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt Ltd, comments, “The Drupa 2016 been a great platform for us to demonstrate that we deliver the right and have a very strong R&D to constantly innovate for our customers. The exhibition has pushed Konica Minolta from being a market leader- in commercial printing and in publishing to now being recognised as one of a few select companies operating right at the forefront in the exciting world of industrial printing and pushing on towards new horizons. We also achieved an extremely healthy pipeline of new orders.”

About Accurio Pro

AccurioPro, Konica Minolta’s suite of digital solutions for professional printing, is one of the industry’s most versatile and powerful tools for optimising print production operations and workflow launched during Drupa 2016. The AccurioPro name derives from accurate, automated, control. Our automated precision technologies lead to consistent gains in productivity and significant reduction in human and technical errors that raise costs by wasting time and resources.

For large printing companies that need integration with offset printing as well as businesses that use digital printing to produce their own in-house publications and promotional materials, AccurioPro can boost speed and efficiency, expand capabilities and services, and reduce the need for operational manpower, all of which improves profitability.

AccurioPro’s comprehensive suite of features includes centralised management, software for automated processing workflow, cloud-based colour management, seamless integration of offset and digital printing, and full connectivity of all printing systems used from input to output.

Evolving from Konica Minolta’s expertise in precision technologies and more than 80 years of experience in the printing and imaging industries, AccurioPro reflects our commitment to developing market-shaping technology with functionality that enables businesses to grow.

About Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.:

Konica Minolta Business Solutions is a leader in advanced imaging and networking technologies from the desktop to the print shop. Konica Minolta is the global developer, manufacturer of multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), printers, equipment for production print systems and graphic arts, equipment for healthcare systems, measuring instruments for industrial and healthcare applications, inkjet print heads and textile printers for industrial use, and related consumables and solution services. It is also engaged in the development, manufacturing and sale of electronic materials (including TAC films), lighting source panels, functional films

Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta), a global technology company with distinctive core competence in chemistry and imaging, has launched with the Institut Pasteur and Paris-based BioAxial a joint research project regarding bioimaging technologies to support pharmaceutical development.

Joint Research

The joint research aims to develop in vivo fluorescent nanoparticles and an observation system. The system will allow direct observation of the movement and distribution of molecules or cells within mice’s body and further observation of effects of the drug on live cells when delivered to organs and cells (living cell imaging). These functions are expected to enable observation of effect of drugs and mechanism of actions and support accurate evaluation of the effectiveness of new drug.

Konica Minolta is willing to utilize its development of proprietary fluorescent nanoparticles and analyzing technologies of their images through technological cooperation with the Institut Pasteur’s imaging technologies necessary to meet the demands of pharmaceutical development and BioAxial’s microscopic observation device which can provide super-resolved images. The joint research is expected to develop and offer new in vivo* imaging technologies.

* in vivo (defined as “within living organism”): test articles are directly administered to laboratory animals for detecting reactions of the drug in the living organs and cells

Konica Minolta’s Proprietary Technologies

One of hardships in the development of new drugs has been the low success rate of the candidate medicine’s efficacy at the clinical study. To grapple with the challenge, it is effective to use detailed analysis of the medicine’s effectiveness within cells based on quantification of protein, among others, when researchers study candidate medicines. Such detailed analysis requires innovative imaging technologies. In addition, detection technologies with the use of fluorescent dyes is a field of fluorescent detection technologies for research and development of cell imaging and bioimaging. Conventional marker techniques using fluorescent dyes are subject to problems such as being photobleaching, low sensitivity and low quantitative capability.

Konica Minolta addressed these problems by applying techniques used in its own silver halide particle development technologies fostered for photographic films. The company has successfully developed fluorescent nanoparticles that are both approximately 30,000 times as bright as conventional fluorescent dyes and highly photostable. In addition, Konica Minolta has developed “nanoparticle surface modification technique” to create better compatibility to biological materials, including bonding of the fluorescent nanoparticle and antibody, and “fluorescent bright spot analysis software” so that the quantitative capability of diagnosis is improved, based on “single particle fluorescent imaging” that can count protein in the cells and cancer tissues by single particle.

Konica Minolta launched a “pathology specimen production” program in the in-vitro field in Japan in July 2015, utilizing its fluorescent nanoparticle technologies, and has been highly valued by many pharmaceutical companies and drug discovery-related companies. While driving the business development of in-vitro diagnostic services, Konica Minolta expects to enter in a new business for consignment of drug development from pharmaceutical companies, based on the fundamental technologies in in-vivo imaging from the joint research. As part of the joint research, pharmaceutical companies will be able to consign Konica Minolta to apply their candidate drugs to cells and animals and conduct nano-scale observation so that the effectiveness and side effects be estimated and screening be made. Globally many pharmaceutical companies and drug discovery-related companies have shown interest in the prospects of such technologies, as expectation has been growing for improvement in the success rate of clinical tests in the future. Furthermore, a new business development into light imaging contrast business for visualized diagnosis of cancer and other illness during clinical tests and diagnosis, replacing the existing PET (positron emission tomography) imaging.
The joint research has come to the stage of launch, as Konica Minolta’s advanced material technologies regarding the new fluorescent nanoparticle imaging have been highly recognized by the Institut Pasteur and BioAxial, two French institutions renowned for their state-of-the-art research.Under the brand proposition “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta aims to contribute to creating social values and become a company vital to society, by delivering new services and values.Part of this research has been assigned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) through its “Japan-France Bilateral R&D Cooperation Program.”

Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta), today announced that Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd. (KMBGB), its sales company of business technologies, signed an acquisition agreement with Process Flows Holdings Ltd. (Process Flows), an IT service company in the United Kingdom. Following the acquisition, Process Flows will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of KMBGB.

Purpose of acquisition Konica Minolta aims to

-provide more valuable services to the customers through a hybrid sales structure with combining documents solutions knowledge by KMBGB and IT services knowledge by Process Flows; and

-strengthen sales platform to realize a hybrid sales structure by utilizing ProcessFlows’ knowledge and expertise of Managed Content Services (MCS)*

* MCS optimizes information-relevant corporate processes such as managing documents efficiently.

Overview of ProcessFlows

ProcessFlows is a leading IT service company which is strong with managed contents services. Their strengths are high consulting skills for pre sales, flexible software development capabilities to ensure realizing customers’ needs, and their own service portfolio with their 29 years customer experience.

ProcessFlows is a leading IT service company which is strong with managed contents services. Their strengths are high consulting skills for pre sales, flexible software development capabilities to ensure realizing customers’ needs, and their own service portfolio with their 29 years customer experience.

Agreement dateMay 31, 2016 (BST)

Konica Minolta has decided to acquire ProcessFlows with a view to deepening relationships with its customers and accelerating its efforts to reinforce its business base towards the last year of its medium-term business plan, TRANSFORM 2016.

With its brand proposition Giving Shape to Ideas, Konica Minolta will continue creating new values through offering of customer-centric services that combines IT and document management.

Konica Minolta, a leader in digital printing today announced that it will showcase its products at drupa 2016, the world’s leading international trade fair for print and cross-media solutions to be held in Dusseldorf, Germany from May 31 (Tue) to June 10 (Fri), 2016, at its booth (A65, Hall 8B) with an area of 2,400 m2, the largest ever exhibition space for the company.

Konica Minolta is committed to further strengthening its products and services for the commercial printing market, while encouraging printing companies to introduce digital printing systems for various purposes, ranging from general commercial printing to label and packaging space, by offering both toner-based and inkjet printing systems.

Konica Minolta will showcase its latest products and solutions that bring innovations to printing tasks and help printing companies and visitors a concrete image of how its products can work in an actual business environment and help them expand their operations.

Highlights at Konica Minolta’s Drupa stand

1. Official launch of AccurioJet KM-1 B2 digital inkjet press (new product)
The AccurioJet KM-1, will be available in the market on June 2016, it can produce high-quality images comparable to those of conventional sheet-fed offset printing. Furthermore, this product is highly acclaimed and can directly print on a wide variety of paper media, ranging from art paper, coated paper and wood-free paper to embossed paper and packaging paper. The versatile AccurioJet KM-1 is capable of serving general commercial printing to small-size packaging markets. At drupa 2016, demonstrations will be given to show how this product can produce high value-added printed materials when used with MGI’s JET varnish.

2. Label and packaging printing zone
Labels and packages play an important role in communicating the characteristics of a company or brand to customers and cause them to select a particular product in preference to others. Companies seeking ways to improve their marketing operations will find ideal solutions in the label and packaging printing zone in Konica Minolta’s booth.

Konica Minolta will show how a combination of its bizhub PRESS C71cf, a digital label press capable of printing full-color labels at a high speed and JETvarnish, a product of MGI – a company that has a lot of experience and knowledge in embossing and varnishing – can reduce label print run lengths and production time and enable high-quality production of high value-added labels.

As a new application of the digital inkjet printing technology established in the development of the AccurioJet KM-1, Konica Minolta will also stage a technical showcase of the KM-C, B1 digital inkjet press for paper packages. This product can print on sheets up to 760 mm x 1,060 mm in size, with thicknesses ranging from 0.3 mm to 1.2 mm, and thus is capable of high-quality printing on various types of presentation boxes and thin corrugated boards.

3. AccurioPro, a series of solutions and services that ensure higher work Efficiency and stable print quality
AccurioPro is the brand name of a series of digital printing solutions and services offered by Konica Minolta to promote automation of printing tasks with a view to improve work efficiency, reducing production time and ensuring effective quality control. At drupa 2016, Konica Minolta will showcase two collaborative software products, AccurioPro Cloud Eye, which enables cloud-based central management of printing tasks at multiple locations, and AccurioPro Conductor, which enables operation of multiple presses at a higher efficiency.

4. MGI JETVarnish
Konica Minolta will also showcase its flagship product from MGI JETvarnish series at Drupa for various segments at the event.The JET varnish 3DS with iFoil is a unique technology that takes Print to the next level by adding more value to printed documents. It is designed and manufactured by MGI with Konica Minolta to help printers expand their services. This includes new amazing spot UV and 3D tactile varnishing capabilities. The MGI’s JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil can convert regular printed output into high-margin spot UV printed sheets, or even higher margin 3D embossed jobs with up to 100 microns of varnish.

MGI’s JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil inkjet spot UV coater offers users the flexibility for two powerful and highly sought after digital finishing capabilities: traditional flat spot UV coating and new 3D digital effects. The new machine is specially designed to take inputs from the digital machines and offset as well. The machine has capabilities to digitally foil and emboss.

Utilizing MGI’s patented inkjet engine technology, the JETvarnish 3DS can accommodate sheets from 8×11.8-inch up to 14.33×40-inch and substrate thicknesses from 135 to 450gsm. The 100 percent digital JETvarnish 3DS uses no plates or screens and has virtually no make-ready, ideally suited runs from one to thousands, with full variable data capabilities. JETvarnish 3DS is an environment friendly solution that also features solvent-free coatings and a closed-circuit system that eliminates waste.

Besides JETvarnish 3DS with ifoil, Konica Minolta shall also demonstrate new products for various segments upto B1 size of paper and also the Roll to Roll version for Spot UV and Digital Spot Foil for label segment.

About the MGI Group:
The MGI Group is composed of MGI Digital Graphic Technology, headquartered in Paris (Ivry-sur-Seine), France, and KÖRA-PACKMAT, located in Villingendorf, Germany, and CERADROP, located in Limoges, France and Konica Minolta is are the shareholders in our organization. We are proud on partnering with Konica Minolta in India and worldwide to bring synergies into the business.

About Accurio
Konica Minolta hopes to offer optimal solutions to printing companies to meet their needs, help them expand their business, and increase their profits. With this in mind, Konica Minolta will introduce a new brand, Accurio, at drupa 2016. This brand is Konica Minolta’s truthful and sincere declaration of its strong determination to become a reliable partner of all printing companies.

About Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions is a leader in advanced imaging and networking technologies from the desktop to the print shop. Konica Minolta is the global developer, manufacturer of multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), printers, equipment for production print systems and graphic arts, equipment for healthcare systems, measuring instruments for industrial and healthcare applications, inkjet print heads and textile printers for industrial use, and related consumables and solution services. It is also engaged in the development, manufacturing and sale of electronic materials (including TAC films), lighting source panels, functional films (including heat insulation films), and optical products (including lens units). To know more please visit:www.konicaminolta.in

Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to participate in the publication, G7 Climate Change The New Economy (CCTNE), with a two-page advocacy in Japan Business Showcase section, focusing on its responsibility in turning cutting-edge technologies into social solutions.

As a global company Konica Minolta has been driving innovation to improve quality of life and contribute to sustainable environment, putting people deeply at the heart of innovation. The company has applied latest digital technologies and open innovation to develop socially responsible businesses such as Care Support Solution to reduce workload of caregivers at care facilities.

“As long as we maintain connection between business growth and social contribution, our connection to society will only grow stronger,” says Shoei Yamana, President and CEO of Konica Minolta. “Even as companies pursue innovation, we must remember that we have a responsibility to engage in social issues ranging from the environment to human rights to quality of life.”

CCTNE is the flagship magazine published by London-based World News – Climate Change The New Economy Ltd. for the annual G7 Summit and the Conference of the Parties (COP) convention.

The print version of CCTNE is made available to a broad range of world leaders, global corporate business leaders and universities, among others, in time for G7 summit in Ise-Shima, Japan.

The magazine is also distributed to attendees for G7 summit at selected hotel rooms and first- and business-class passengers of 20 international airlines and departure lounges at the gate. In addition to 20,000 copies of distribution, the magazine is available online for the public.

Konica Minolta’s advocacy on page 20 and 21 in the electronic version of CCTNE.

http://touchline.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/g7/climatechange2016/20-1

Konica Minolta, a leader in digital printing today proudly announces its 1st ever installation of MGI Jet varnish 3D with iFoil machine at Dina Color lab, 66, Perambur Barracks Road , Vepery, Chennai.

The JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil is a unique technology that takes Print to the next level by adding more value to printed documents. It is designed and manufactured by MGI with Konica Minolta to help printers expand their services. This includes new amazing spot UV and 3D tactile varnishing capabilities. The MGI’s JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil can convert regular printed output into high-margin spot UV printed sheets, or even higher margin 3D embossed jobs with up to 100 microns of varnish.

MGI’s JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil inkjet spot UV coater offers users the flexibility for two powerful and highly sought after digital finishing capabilities: traditional flat spot UV coating and new 3D digital effects. The new machine is specially designed to take inputs from the digital machines and offset as well. The machine has capabilities to digitally foil and emboss.

Utilizing MGI’s patented inkjet engine technology, the JETvarnish 3DS can accommodate sheets from 8×11.8-inch up to 14.33×40-inch and substrate thicknesses from 135 to 450gsm. The 100 percent digital JETvarnish 3DS uses no plates or screens and has virtually no make-ready, ideally suited runs from one to thousands, with full variable data capabilities. JETvarnish 3DS is an environment friendly solution that also features solvent-free coatings and a closed-circuit system that eliminates waste.

With speeds of up to 2300A3 sheets per hour for flat spot UV coating, the JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil is fast machine complementing both offset and digital presses and allowing commercial printers to increase their productivity while boosting their margins and differentiating themselves from their peers.

In 3D mode, the JETvarnish 3DS can apply digital effects up to 100 microns in thickness, producing visually stunning, tactile effects. Coat directly onto digital prints (dry or liquid toner) with no lamination required and the ARC camera system ensures precise registration to printed sheets. The JETvarnish 3DS’s variable data feature allows for full personalization capabilities resulting in maximum marketing impact.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Yuji Nakata, MD Konica Minolta Business Solutions Pvt Ltd said “We are extremely proud to install our first ever JETvarnish 3DS with iFoil at Dina color lab. With our cutting edge technology of MGI JET Varnish 3DS, we are sure that our solutions will help our esteemed customers grow their business manifold.”

About Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.:

Konica Minolta Business Solutions is a leader in advanced imaging and networking technologies from the desktop to the print shop. Konica Minolta is the global developer, manufacturer of multi-functional peripherals (MFPs), printers, equipment for production print systems and graphic arts, equipment for healthcare systems, measuring instruments for industrial and healthcare applications, inkjet print heads and textile printers for industrial use, and related consumables and solution services. It is also engaged in the development, manufacturing and sale of electronic materials (including TAC films), lighting source panels, functional films (including heat insulation films), and optical products (including lens units). To know more please visit:www.konicaminolta.in

Konica Minolta, Inc. today announced the appointment of Jun Haraguchi as the president of Konica Minolta Japan Co., Ltd., a new domestic company of the Konica Minolta Group. Haraguchi will take office as president on April 1, 2016.

Outline of Konica Minolta Japan, Co., Ltd.

Konica Minolta Japan, Co., Ltd. will be established on April 1, 2016 with the aim of capturing the top position in the following businesses by offering value added solutions to customers to help them transform their digital workflow, thereby creating value and growth for customers.

• Handling the entire process of digital marketing solutions, from planning marketing strategies in order to acquire customers, collecting and analyzing data, to implementing and evaluating strategies based on the analysis
• Handling the entire process of digital marketing solutions, from planning marketing strategies in order to acquire customers, collecting and analyzing data, to implementing and evaluating strategies based on the analysis
• Providing digital manufacturing services utilizing data collected by measuring instruments to help customers automate and integrate color and visual inspections for improved productivity, and to help improve the workflow at production bases
• Providing one-stop services with a wide range of digital printing systems to cater to diverse customer needs

Konica Minolta, Inc. today announced the appointment of Jun Haraguchi as the president of Konica Minolta Japan Co., Ltd., a new domestic company of the Konica Minolta Group. Haraguchi will take office as president on April 1, 2016.

Features of the New Company

In line with the TRANSFORM 2016 Medium Term Business Plan launched in 2014, Konica Minolta has been making progress towards transforming itself into a customer-centric company and realizing sustainable profit growth.
As part of its ongoing efforts, Konica Minolta will establish a new company to reinforce its contributions to its domestic customers’ value creation and business growth by supporting reforms to their digital workflows utilizing the expertise in digital marketing and digital manufacturing that Konica Minolta has accumulated through its own practices as a manufacturer, as well as by offering solutions tailored to specific needs of industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and commercial and industrial printing.

Purpose of Establishment of the New Company

The new company aims to achieve genre-top positions in the following business operations by offering value added solutions to customers to help them facilitate transformation to their digital workflows, thereby contributing to its customers’ value creation and business growth

• Offer digital manufacturing services utilizing the data collected through the measuring instruments to assist customers in the automatization and integration of color and visual inspections for improvement of productivity, and to facilitate workflow reforms at production bases
• Offer digital manufacturing services utilizing the data collected through the measuring instruments to assist customers in the automatization and integration of color and visual inspections for improvement of productivity, and to facilitate workflow reforms at production bases
• Offer solutions to hospitals, clinics and nursing care facilities to promote workflow reforms in the areas of home medical care and nursing care
• Offer a one-stop service by means of a wide range of digital printing systems to cater to diversified customer needs

Overview of the New Company

Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) is pleased to announce that it was ranked first place for two consecutive years in the overall manufacturing sector at the 19th Environmental Management Survey conducted by Nikkei Inc.

The annual survey assesses environmental management of Japanese companies and recognizes initiatives toward sustainability in terms of both environment and business management. 1,737 manufacturers were invited to the survey and 413 companies responded.

In the survey Konica Minolta earned the top score in Environmental Management Promotion System, as well as high scores for the rest of the components in the assessment. The company has been developing comprehensive environmental initiatives, including environmental management policies that combine reduction of environmental impact and growth in corporate value. In addition, Konica Minolta has been willing to utilize its own environmental know-how and hands-on practices for both existing and potential customers facing challenges in their environmental management and day-to-day operations to lower environmental impact. These efforts create shared values beyond the Konica Minolta Group for the good of customers and a broader society.

At Konica Minolta, energy-saving and resource-saving initiatives are very important not only for reducing carbon emissions but also for enhancing its competitive edges such as cutting down production costs and material use.

The company has been sharing with customers and suppliers with no financial ties its environmental technologies, know-how and good practices from its offices and factories around the world. The diverse know-how from Konica Minolta helps the customers’ and supplier’s factories strengthen their energy saving activities. The collaborative work with Konica Minolta will be increasing the effect of environmental impact reduction in a broader society. In an initiative, the company’s employees with energy-saving expertise have been visiting and working with suppliers’ factories in China and Vietnam, through assessment of the energy use and assistance for their work to lay out programs to curb emissions. The assistance has also been provided to customers’ factories in Japan and abroad upon request.

Konica Minolta’s Environmental Management

Konica Minolta established its long-term environmental vision “Eco Vision 2050” in 2009, with the target of reduce CO2 emissions throughout the product lifecycle by 80% by 2050, compared to fiscal 2005 levels. The Medium-Term Environmental Plan 2016 works as an action plan toward the long-term goal and is in tandem with the business plan. At the pillar of the medium-term plan are Three Green Activities: Green Products (planning and development); Green Factories (procurement and production); and Green Marketing (distribution, sales & service, and collection & recycling). These activities cover the entire and each process of the Group’s businesses and have been running globally.

Under the brand proposition “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta will keep creating new value and driving innovations to assist solving societal challenges and strengthen its contribution to the reduction of environmental impact in global supply chains and worldwide community.

Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) has been awarded RobecoSAM Silver Class, a global distinction for corporate sustainability.

Outline of Konica Minolta Japan, Co., Ltd.

Konica Minolta Japan, Co., Ltd. will be established on April 1, 2016 with the aim of capturing the top position in the following businesses by offering value added solutions to customers to help them transform their digital workflow, thereby creating value and growth for customers.

In this year’s assessment, Konica Minolta has earned the highest evaluation in the Computers & Peripherals and Office Electronics sector for its economic initiatives including innovation management and risk management, as well as for environmental initiatives on climate change strategies, environmental policy and its management, and information disclosure.

RobecoSAM, based in Switzerland, is the investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing. RobecoSAM invites over 3,000 of the world’s largest companies to participate in the Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Results are analyzed in terms of economic, environmental and social issues with a focus on long-term value creation. Recently RobecoSAM has released its annual “Sustainability Yearbook 2016” in which 77 companies are ranked as Gold Class, 74 companies including Konica Minolta as Silver Class and 97 companies as Bronze Class. Nine Japanese companies including Konica Minolta are awarded Silver Class.

Globally, institutional investors have been stressing the importance of not only financial indices but also environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts and policies in evaluating corporations’ long-term and sustainable value creation. Socially responsible investment (SRI) assessment companies provide those institutional investors with company ratings based on ESG researches

At Konica Minolta, its businesses have to play a meaningful societal role in contributing to environmental protection and solutions for many challenges surrounding a global society. Based on this approach, the company has been vigorously working on the creation of new values through innovations. As climate change and other environmental challenges have a great social influence, Konica Minolta has started an initiative to share with its customers and suppliers the environment technology and know-how it has mastered so that they will be utilized to help reduction of environmental burden in the broader society beyond the Konica Minolta Group. The comprehensive management system and worldwide CSR activities embedded in the businesses have been highly appraised.

Besides RobecoSAM Silver Class, Konica Minolta has been included in Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for four years and Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index for seven years by Dow Jones and RobecoSAM, FTSE4Good Global Index of the UK-based FTSE Group for twelve years, and Japan-based Morningstar Socially Responsible Investment Index since 2003. In addition, the company has been named to CDP’s Japan 500 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index for three years. Konica Minolta has also been awarded Prime Status by Germany-basd oekom research AG since 2011, among the best companies for CSR in its worldwide industry segment.

Under the brand proposition “Giving Shape to Ideas,” Konica Minolta aims to become a sustainable global company vital to society and will contribute to solving social challenges through its business activities.