Integrated Report 2019

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41LINTEC INTEGRATED REPORT 2019Intellectual Property ActivitiesLINTEC aims to increase corporate value by developing original products that fully satisfy customer needs. We there-fore position intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, and design rights acquired through these devel-opment activities as important management resources. While placing the utmost emphasis on respecting the rights of other companies, the Intellectual Property Dept. coordi-nates with respective business operations and R&D departments in promoting strategic intellectual property activities. These activities aim to increase and improve intel-lectual property rights, which are the lifeblood of LINTEC given that it is a technology-centered company. By such means as building a patent portfolio for our foundation and growth business domains and securing intellectual property in step with the globalization of our business, we aim to increase profitability based on intellectual property that has high business value.2,5002,0001,5001,0005001,7971,9471,5991,4361,2972,0412,2151,8481,6991,526201520162017201820190Number of Patents Japan Overseas(Fiscal year ended March 31)A Message from the Executive General Manager, Research & Development Div.LINTEC’s greatest strengths in R&D are its long-standing technical development and proposal capabilities, which enable the Company to provide detailed, customized responses to the needs of customers. Some newer strengths include our advanced R&D environment, such as large-scale pilot coaters and leading-edge testing and analysis equip-ment at our Advanced Technology Building. As Executive General Manager of the Research & Development Div., I will strive to contribute to the Group’s growth by leveraging these strengths with two points of focus—contributing to current businesses and creating new businesses and products. First, from the perspective of contributing to our current busi-nesses, it is important to rigorously implement the division’s R&D policies and to boost development speed and efficiency so that we can rapidly progress to the stage at which contri-butions are made to sales. Moving forward, we will also explore innovation in the development process through the use of simulation and AI technologies. In addition, from the viewpoint of creating new businesses and products, we must develop new technologies that move beyond our traditional material development, which we cultivated on a base of papermaking and coating technologies. Specifically, we are already starting to see the results of our efforts in new tech-nologies that are a step ahead of our current adhesive technologies, such as LED die bonding agents and light diffusion films. Moreover, through technical exchange initia-tives with the R&D teams at overseas subsidiaries and collaboration with the New Project Planning Office, we will strive to develop products that will become new business pillars supporting the LINTEC Group’s future growth.Tatsuya TsukidaExecutive OfficerExecutive General Manager, Research & Development Div. ESGStrategyOverviewFinancial Information