Olympus 2013 Annual Report Download - page 12

20 OLYMPUS Annual Report 2013 21OLYMPUS Annual Report 2013
75.1
87.0
140.9
EVIS
EXERA Ⅱ
(2006)
EVIS
EXERA Ⅲ
(2012)
2003/3 2006/3 2009/3
0
2017/3
(Target)
0
100
50
150
7.6
21.8
32.8
2003/3 2006/3 2009/3 2017/3
(Target)
0
100
50
150
2003/3 2006/3 2009/3 2017/3
(Target)
0
100
50
150
58.1
69.5
76.2
EVIS
LUCERA
(2002)
EVIS
LUCERA
SPECTRUM
(2006)
EVIS
LUCERA
ELITE
(2012)
57.0
79.6
125.1
EVIS
EXERA Ⅲ
(2012)
EVIS
EXERA Ⅱ
(2006)
2003/3 2006/3 2009/3 2017/3
(Target)
0
100
50
150
President’s Message
Ongoing Growth in the Medical Business
The Medical Business has continued to support the
Company’s growth as an earnings driver. As the global
need to reduce healthcare costs and limit social security
expenses become ever more pressing, I think Olympus can
play an even greater role in supporting the medical industry
by providing means of early detection and treatment. The
Olympus Group possesses technologies for developing and
manufacturing medical devices that respond to needs
ranging from early detection to minimally invasive treatment,
and it is one of the world’s leading manufacturers in this
area. We have a very strong position in the industry due to
our ability to develop simultaneously the devices needed for
new minimally invasive treatments and the early diagnosis
measures that will be linked to these new treatments. We
will grow our business while fully leveraging this strength.
And, in order to facilitate this growth, I believe that we need
to steadily conduct forward-thinking investments in a variety
of R&D areas. These include enhancing our endoscope
lineup and developing next-generation endoscopy systems
as well as conducting research and development related to
the areas of operating room imaging and energy devices
and bolstering our lineup of endotherapy devices.
Olympus boasts a dominating share of more than 70% of
the highly profi table gastrointestinal endoscope market, and it
will further strengthen its foundations in this fi eld to ensure
ongoing competitiveness. To this end, we launched new
endoscope products into developed markets, including
Japan, North America, and Europe, during fi scal 2013. We
expect that these products will help accelerate future earnings
growth. In addition, we realize that bolstering production
capabilities will be key to further expanding and growing
our business going forward. For this reason, we have decided
to invest approximately ¥20 billion in our three principal
manufacturing facilities over the coming three years. At the
same time, we will create new endoscope markets by
establishing training centers in China and elsewhere in Asia
to foster the development of endoscopic physicians in
rapidly growing emerging nations and accelerate the spread
of endoscopic procedures in these countries.
Within the Medical Business, one fi eld that I think will
play a particularly signifi cant role in future growth is surgical
and endotherapy devices. To strengthen our operations in
this fi eld, our fi rst task will be enhancing sales systems.
Specifi cally, we will create sales systems that match the
scale and characteristics of markets in both emerging
countries and developed nations. If these systems are
properly installed, I believe there are certain products for
which we can expand sales by virtue of these systems
alone. However, our efforts in this area are somewhat
lacking at present. Besides sales systems, I would like to
focus on strengthening efforts to develop new products
and technologies in this fi eld. One such new product is the
THUNDERBEAT energy device, and we will work to develop
this device into a pillar for supporting operations in the
surgical device fi eld going forward. At the same time, I hope to
use this device in other fi elds. For example, it could be utilized
to accelerate expansion in the otorhinolaryngology fi eld. In
addition, the differentiated technologies of THUNDERBEAT
show potential for driving expansion in the orthopedics fi eld.
In April 2013, a joint venture medical company was
established by Olympus and Sony Corporation. This company
operates a business related to surgical endoscopes with
3D and 4K imaging capabilities. I hope to quickly develop
this business to the point where it begins producing results
and to implement expansion measures from a perspective
looking three to fi ve years into the future. I also aim to
expand operations into fi elds peripheral to surgery, and I
believe M&A activities are an option to accomplish this.
Commitment toward Stakeholders
In addition to accomplishing the goals of the medium-term
vision, the management of Olympus is also charged with the
mission of laying strategic foundations for future growth. To
facilitate these efforts, we procured ¥112.6 billion in funds. In
procuring these funds, the Company’s management, myself
included, visited institutional investors around the world to
explain our growth strategies for the Medical Business. These
interactions once again reminded us of our responsibility to
produce results. This recognition is both obvious and
important. Harsh opinions were received from many of the
institutional investors we visited. However, in the end, we
were able to collect funds to an extent that exceeded our
target, which I believe represents the high evaluations of
our response to investors and our growth strategies. As
president, the responsibility I feel is heavier than I have ever
felt in my life, and I am committed to producing results that
meet the expectations of our stakeholders.
Hiroyuki Sasa
President and Representative Director
THUNDERBEAT Features—Comparison of Effectiveness
THUNDERBEAT
Ultrasonic devices
High-frequency devices (bipolar type)
Vessel sealing Precise dissection
Tissue graspingHemostasis
Incision speed
North America
(¥ Billion)
Asia / Oceania
(¥ Billion)
Japan
(¥ Billion)
Europe
(¥ Billion)
Sales Growth of Medical Business after Introduction of New Products and Future Targets