Panasonic 2012 Annual Report Download - page 35

18%
Supplies ran short during the rst half of the
scal year under review following the earthquake
disaster and the sudden rush in demand. Due
to market corrections in the second half, demand
declined year on year.
To address this rst half jump in demand,
Panasonic increased production at global sites
and imported approximately 16 million units
from overseas plants. Utilizing an innovative
manufacturing process to prevent leakage, the
Company also released a new EVOLTA battery in
April 2011 in response to a growing awareness
toward disaster prevention. Amid the ongoing shift
overseas from manganese to alkaline dry batteries,
Panasonic commenced the production of EVOLTA
batteries at its Thailand plant in March 2011. With
Dry Batteries
Sales of EVOLTA Batteries to Approximately
60 Countries Worldwide
In this business, Panasonic provides batteries
for gasoline, diesel, and hybrid vehicles,
independent power supply systems, and
industrial-use lead-acid batteries for electric
forklifts and other devices. Driven by car
battery growth both in Japan and overseas,
sales in scal 2012 increased year on year.
In addition to expanding sales in such
developing country markets as China and India,
Panasonic will endeavor to further increase sales
focusing mainly on idling-stop vehicles in Japan
going forward.
Lead-Acid Batteries
Robust Results in Car Batteries
Profit/sales ratio
(¥2,304.8 billion)(
¥60.9 billion)
Fiscal 2012 Results (Fiscal 2011 results are in brackets)
1.3%
¥1,880.9billion
Other
¥23.6billion
Percentage of
Fiscal 2012 Sales Sales Segment Profit
In fiscal 2012, overall segment sales
decreased compared with the previous
fiscal year due mainly to the semiconductor
business transfer implemented by SANYO
Electric Co., Ltd. in fiscal 2011.
Panasonic provides a variety of
healthcare-related products and services
primarily in the fields of In-Hospital Work
Assistance, Home Healthcare, and Early
Diagnosis and Treatment.
Put simply, the Company is working to
deliver healthcare that is affordable to more
people. Its success in this endeavor will
help the global community to lead an
enriched and healthy life.
Healthcare Company
Healthcare markets in Japan and overseas
continue to expand year by year due largely to
aging populations and an upswing in such
lifestyle diseases as diabetes. Against this
backdrop, Panasonic released an integrated
picture archiving and communication (PACS)
electronic medical chart system to assist
hospitals in more efciently diagnosing disease,
and strengthened its lineup of hearing
Continued Growth in the Healthcare Market
sales extending over around 60 countries
worldwide, the Company’s EVOLTA batteries have
not only been recognized for their long life, but
also their use after an extended period of storage.
As a result, Panasonic achieved double-digit
percentage growth compared with the previous
scal year. Buffeted by a downturn in the European
and U.S. markets, however, overall sales in the dry
battery business declined year on year.
Moving forward, the Company will work
toward meeting demand growth particularly in
developing countries. With the aim of
becoming the world’s leading manufacturer of
dry batteries, Panasonic will target an annual
production capacity of approximately six billion
units by scal 2016.
instruments in Japan. Sales increased in
high-precision next-generation blood glucose
monitoring systems, while being introduced to
various overseas markets including Europe.
In ultrasound diagnostic systems, Panasonic
commenced sales of proprietary brands in
North America and Japan from scal 2012, in
addition to its existing OEM supply activities.
However, sales declined due mainly to the
strong yen and increasingly intense price
competition.
Accounting for each of the aforementioned
factors, healthcare-related sales were essentially
unchanged from the previous scal year.
of lithium-ion batteries for Toyota Motor
Corporation’s Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle,
U.S.-based Ford Motor Company has decided
to adopt the Company’s products in four of its
hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. Panasonic
has also entered into an agreement to supply
lithium-ion battery cells for use in Tesla Motors’
electric vehicles. Under the agreement, the
Company will deliver cells for more than
80,000 vehicles by scal 2016. Working to
further expand business in all directions, the
Company is increasing production capacity by
expanding to a six-line mass production
structure in scal 2013.
In lithium-ion storage battery systems,
Panasonic began receiving orders for
business, industrial as well as residential, and
public sector-use from August, November, and
December 2011, respectively, in Japan.
Moreover, the Company began accepting
orders for its Energy Creation-storage Linked
System for the Home in March 2012. The
system integrates Panasonic's solar cells and
lithium-ion storage battery unit.
Boasting
long-lasting
performance and
a recommended
shelf-life of 10
years, EVOLTA
alkaline dry
batteries are
widely acclaimed
as an essential
item particularly
in the event of a
disaster.
A defining feature of
Panasonic’s ultrasound
diagnostic systems is their
simple touch-panel
operation. These systems
help in the early diagnosis of
arteriosclerosis.
EVOLTA Alkaline Dry Batteries
Release of Panasonic-Brand Ultrasound
Diagnostic Systems
To Our
Stakeholders Top Message Segment Information
Highlights Corporate
Governance
Financial
Highlights
Performance
Summary
Financial and
Corporate Data
R&D Design
Development
Intellectual
Property
Environmental
Activities
Panasonic Annual Report 2012 Search Contents Return Next
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Business at a Glance Business Review and Strategies Overseas Review by Region