Konica Minolta 2004 Annual Report Download - page 37

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KONICA MINOLTA HOLDINGS, INC. 2004
The following is a description of the main research and development
themes and business strategies of the Konica Minolta Group.
(1) Business Technologies business (digital copiers, printers, etc.)
The Konica Minolta Group aims to further expand earnings in its core
business through the promotion of colorization, digitization, and high-
resolution business strategies. Main business fields include color multi-
functional peripherals (MFP), laser printers (LBP), high-speed MFPs, light
production printing, polymerized toner and other chemical products,
and network solutions.
(2) Optics business (optical devices, electronic materials, etc.)
The optics business is quickly growing in scale toward contributing to
Group earnings through business strategies aimed at enhancing
advanced functions and differentiation. Main technological fields
include products compatible with next-generation optical pickups (blue
laser and high-density next-generation DVDs), microcamera units offer-
ing high resolution and advanced functions, as well as high-function
film for large LCDs.
(3) Photo Imaging business (photosensitive materials, inkjet media,
cameras, etc.)
While aiming to secure earnings in the conventional business field of
photosensitive materials, the Konica Minolta Group is promoting
restructuring toward digitization through the stronger development of
digital networking, digital cameras, inkjet media, as well as key
devices and components such as lenses.
(4) Medical and Graphic Imaging business (medical and printing
products, etc.)
We aim to secure earnings and rapidly develop businesses alongside
digitization and film-less products by concentrating efforts in medical
and printing hardware, software, and small-lot printing systems.
(5) Sensing business (industrial and medical measuring instruments,
etc.)
We aim to secure earnings in the color measurement and medical
measurement fields. We are concentrating efforts in the field of 3-D
digitizing technology.
(6) Common basic and advanced technologies
By strengthening efforts in this field, we aim to pioneer the develop-
ment of promising new technologies that will support the Konica
Minolta Group in the future.
3. R&D Segment and Intellectual Property Overview
In the Business Technologies business, the Konica Minolta Group is
aggressively acquiring and using patents related to high resolution and
high reliability in the core technological fields of color MFP, color LBP,
high-speed MFP, light production printing, polymerized toner and other
chemical products, and network solutions. In particular, polymerized
toner is a key technology for achieving high resolution, and is an
example of how Konica Minolta has significantly increased its number
of patents in Japan recently, through measures that emphasize patent
applications.
In the Optics business, we are acquiring patents in mainly the opti-
cal pickup field. We strongly support our businesses by building a
portfolio of crucial technology patents in the field of CD pickups, for
which our global market share is over 80%. In the DVD/CD pickup
field, we continue to acquire patents covering key technologies, and
already own many related patents.
In the Photo Imaging business, we acquire and use patents in the
conventional business field of photosensitive materials, and are aggres-
sively acquiring patents related to digital cameras and digital photo
network printing to prepare for digitization in future business develop-
ment.
In the medical imaging field of the Medical and Graphic Imaging
business, we are aggressively acquiring patents related to digital
imaging input and output devices, network systems, and new business
fields, in preparation for business development toward digitization and
a film-less era. In the graphic imaging field we are proactively acquir-
ing patents related to printing plates, small-lot printing systems and new
business fields.
In the Sensing business, we are aggressively acquiring patents
related to the color measurement and medical measurement fields, as
well as in the core 3-D digitizing field.
In the field of common, basic and advanced technologies, we are
focusing efforts on the acquisition of patents related to inkjet heads,
ink, recordable media, printing technology as well as to such technolo-
gy fields as organic electroluminescent materials, piezoelectric actua-
tors, nano-processing, thin-film coating, and image processing.
4. Analysis of Marketability and Technology Market Advantages
In the Business Technologies business and Optics business, synergistic
effects are rapidly emerging from management integration.
In the core Business Technologies business, we aim to expand
operations by strategically positioning the polymerized toner business
and the networking input and output business. The polymerized toner
business responds to future needs for higher resolutions backed by our
advanced technological expertise, while the networking input and out-
put business is centered on color MFPs, which are expected to contin-
ue growing in line with greater usage of color and on-demand printing
in business offices.
In the strategic Optics business, we aim to expand operations cen-
tered on our extremely advanced optical technologies. The Konica
Minolta Group’s aspherical plastic lenses for optical discs are particu-