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CANON ANNUAL REPORT 2015 25
Strengthening Our Global R&D
Structure
Pursuing globalized diversifi cation of its operations in the
fi eld of R&D, Canon has established the foundation of the
Three Regional Headquarters management system that leads
to new businesses emerging from Japan, the United States,
and Europe.
For example, in the United States, Canon U.S. Life Sciences,
Inc. is making steady progress in genetic testing systems, while
Healthcare Optics Research Laboratory is steadily advancing
research on ultra-miniature endoscopes and medical robotics.
In Europe, we are reinforcing R&D in business fi elds mainly in
printing solutions centered on Océ, as well as making further
use of existing R&D centers to advance R&D in new fi elds.
R&D Expenses and Patents
Canon is bolstering R&D activities to enable the ongoing devel-
opment of innovative products and services. In the year under
review, R&D expenses amounted to ¥328.5 billion, up 6.3%,
or ¥19.5 billion, from the previous year. The ratio of R&D
expenses to net sales was 8.6%. This focus on R&D activi-
ties has cemented Canon’s high status in the fi eld of intellec-
tual property. In 2015, Canon was granted 4,134 patents in the
United States, ranking it third in the world and the top ranked
Japanese company for an eleventh consecutive year.
Initiatives to Establish New Businesses
Taking a long-term standpoint, Canon is concentrating on pre-
competitive fi elds where the seeds of new technologies for the
future are discovered. At the same time, the Company is continu-
ally bolstering R&D activities centered on key parts and key devices
in order to enhance the competitiveness of its products. With
regard to CMOS sensors employed in interchangeable lens digital
cameras and digital cinema cameras, in 2015, a prototype camera
equipped with a newly developed approximately 250-megapixel
sensor succeeded in capturing images of the lettering printed on
the body of an aircraft fl ying roughly 18 kilometers away. By rais-
ing the performance levels of CMOS sensors to their fullest extent,
we are developing sensors applicable to functions in such areas as
astronomical and nature observation, medical research, aviation,
and surveillance and security. We are also promoting businesses of
CMOS sensor components.
In addition, by integrating Canon’s material appear-
ance acquisition and image-processing technologies with
Océ’s elevated printing technology using UV-curable print-
ers, Canon is working on the development of technology to
faithfully reproduce material appearance characteristics of
the original object, such as glossiness, surface contours, and
transparency, with a printer. We will aim to expand its appli-
cation in such areas as wallpaper and other interior design
materials, and product packaging.
STRATEGY BUSINESS SEGMENT CORPORATE STRUCTURE FINANCIAL SECTION CORPORATE DATA
A wide-view picture (left-hand side) taken
with a 250-megapixel CMOS-sensor-equipped camera;
a digitally magnifi ed close-up of a guide sign
near an overpass in the high-resolution picture.