JVC 2005 Annual Report Download - page 28

into effect a system that manages R&D themes according to
three specific time frames—our immediate future to support
the JVC of today, 3 to 5 years from now to create the tech-
nology of tomorrow, and 5 to 10 years hence. This system
will enable us to deliver a steady stream of one-of-a-kind
products.
Speeding Up Development
of Consumer Electronics Technologies
The technology department of each in-house company is in
charge of developing technologies for the immediate future.
Engineers from the AV & Multimedia Company (Consumer
Electronics business segment), which is to be reorganized in
fiscal 2006, used to be dispersed among the JVC Head Office
and two plants. However, in April 2005, JVC gathered approx-
imately 1,000 engineers at its new technology center Techno
WING, which is located adjacent to the Head Office. We did
this to encourage more active communication among engi-
neers and between engineers and marketing and sales man-
agers as well as to promote the sharing of information, skills,
and implicit knowledge. This, in turn, will facilitate the rapid
creation of products that meet market needs and wants.
JVC is positioning its optical disc operations as a priority
business and is seeking to optimize all aspects of required
R&D by clarifying and unifying the Company’s development
resources.
As a part of efforts to achieve this, in fiscal 2006, we
established the Optical Disk Core Technology Development
Developing New Technologies
and Passing on Technological Know-How
To achieve the goals set out in Leap Ahead 21 and sustain-
able growth into the future, we must continue to develop and
commercialize technologies that produce sound and images
of unprecedented quality. In the fiscal year under review, we
used our proprietary technologies to develop a dedicated
image processor Genessa LSI and a D-ILA high definition
microdisplay device, which led to the creation of new high-
value-added displays. In addition, we successfully developed
numerous new optical disk media technologies, including
DVD and Blu-ray technologies.
In fiscal 2005, we also established the JVC Technology
Expert Group (JTEG). In-house experts in high quality audio
and visual, high-density recording and playback, optical, and
other technologies in which the Company excels are
appointed to JTEG. The group is designed to enhance the
skills of members as well as promote the transmission of the
sophisticated technological know-how that these experts
possess and contribute to the development of successors.
As of May 2005, JTEG comprised 20 members (12 execu-
tive experts and 8 other experts) specializing in seven fields.
In fiscal 2006, R&D activities will play an important role in
bringing us closer to achieving our objective of putting into
place management that is fast-acting and creates a high
level of added value. In addition, we need to make steady
progress in developing technologies that will support
operations several years from now. In fiscal 2006, we will put
Research and Development Activities
26 Victor Company of Japan, Limited
Over the years, JVC has employed the host of audio and visual technologies that it has developed
and advanced from the analog age to bring an array of products unlike anything seen before to
market. JVC plans to invest ¥40 billion in R&D in fiscal 2006 to develop commercially viable tech-
nologies that will generate sustained growth in revenues and earnings from the present into the
future.
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