During their 110th year anniversary on Thursday (September 15, 2022), consumer electronic products manufacturer Sharp Corporation announced that they’re setting their eyes on a leveled up Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals and revitalized sustainable growth moving forward. Aside from innovative solutions that are sustainable, Sharp has introduced a new management system and even a new logo. These changes also apply to Sharp Philippines, which has been around for 40 years now, so here’s what you should know:

Re-emphasized ESG

Management emphasizing on ESG will be carried out under four major policies: 1) Further strengthen healthcare related business, 2) Contribution to carbon neutral, 3) Management based on HITO (people), and 4) True global company.

(1) Strengthened healthcare-related business

Sharp will introduce products, services, and solutions centering preventive care, such as by strengthening sensing functions installed in its home appliances, TVs and mobile devices, developing unique healthcare related sensors, and creating new healthcare related devices, along with carrying out partnership and M&A(Mergers & Acquisition) aggressively. This way, a system will be formed that measures people’s health related data naturally in various scenes and provide a solution optimum for each individual. Eventually, Sharp aims to realize people to lead a self-directing healthy living.

(2) Contribution to carbon neutral

Sharp will contribute to carbon neutral by reducing its GHG(Greenhouse Gas) emission and expanding renewable energy in society. Under its long-term environmental vision “Sharp Eco Vision 2050”, Sharp declares to realize net zero emission of GHG emission through its activities. As a mid-term target, Sharp aims to reduce 60% GHG emission by 2035. To realize this target, Sharp will further expand its energy solution business by developing business in aerospace and automotive appliances, expand PPA(Power Purchase Agreement) business, and accelerate research of latest technology solar cells such as perovskite for practical use. By such means, by 2030, Sharp expects to contribute in reduction of GHG emission equal to approximately 12 times emission of its in-house activity, and contribute to carbon neutrality of society.

(3) Management based on HITO (people)

Personnel system will be further innovated based on four perspectives: Hybrid personnel with multiple professions, Innovation-cultivating environment, Talent-based optimum personnel stationing, and Opportunity for growth provided to excellent members. The initials spell out HITO, meaning “people” in Japanese.

Specifically, performance-based personnel system to support young talents, attractive work treatment system to gather professional personnel, fulfilled structure to support growth of personnel, and rejuvenating and speed-up of decision process will be executed to cultivate and young and spirited corporate culture.

(4) True Global Company

Sharp aims to expand global business by strengthening sales strategy in each region and promote management innovation. While already being recognized as a strong electronics brand in Japan, it seeks to further develop its brand worldwide to contribute to society with its featured products, solutions, services and technology.

Specifically, development of global personnel and acceleration of partnership and M&A with global companies will be promoted, while introducing new products with latest technology simultaneously worldwide, and strengthening local-adapting products and services to raise the brand on a global scale.

In celebration of Sharp Corporation’s 110th anniversary, Sharp Philippines will conduct various activities and promotions to express its gratitude towards its customers for their support to the company over the years. These includes CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility) Activities in Public schools, B2B(Business to Business) exhibit this coming September 22-24 at SMX Convention Center, Manila, and Special promotion and giveaways on all of their Koten events for the month of September and October as well as other exhibits where 110^th Sharp merchandise will be given away.

New logo, new goal

In commemoration of their 110th anniversary and as a sign of gratitude towards the support from stakeholders, Sharp has changed the colors of their logo to a green and blue hue which was said to represent their ESG goal.

From 110th onwards

To achieve its vision, Sharp uses its three core brand businesses, Smart Life, 8K Ecosystem, and ICT, along with two device businesses, Display Devices and Electronic Devices that support them, in an integrated fashion in pursuit of “One Sharp” business.

Based on Sharp’s business creed of “Sincerity and Creativity,” and founder Tokuji Hayakawa’s ideal to “Make products that other companies want to imitate,” Sharp has continued to introduce unique products and solutions including world-firsts and Japan-firsts to contribute to the development of society. As a result, Sharp has reached many milestones over its history of 110 years with its products and solutions. These include:

• Introduction of AQUOS LCD TVs from 2001 and shipping of 500 million units by end of September 2020
• Develops photovoltaic power generation (Solar power) since 1959
• Introduced Plasmacluster air purifying technology on October 2000 which incorporates also to their other products and already achieved 100 million units shipped worldwide by October 2021
• Developed the world’s first all-transistor calculator in 1964
• Developed mobile phones since 1994 and delivering many featured products such as the industry-first camera-equipped mobile phone in 2000
• Developed convection microwave ovens since 1961 and introducing Japan’s first mass production model in 1962
• Introduction of its first multi-copier in 1972
• Most recently, produced face masks from February 2020 and reaching total 300 million shipment by November 2021.

Such activities over all these years have been recognized by various worldwide institutes, including IEEE(The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the world’s largest academic society for electrical, electronics, information, and telecommunications engineering, recognizing three individual developments by Sharp as IEEE Milestones including “Pioneering Work on Electronic Calculators”, “Commercialization and Industrialization of Solar Cells”, and “Sharp 14-inch Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid-Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) for TV”.

We congratulate Sharp Philippines on this milestone and we look forward to see their ESG goals be realized in the years… and even decades to come! 🙂

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