Toshiba 2005 Annual Report Download - page 27

130th Anniversary Toshiba Corporation 27
As a generator of steady sales and profit, Social
Infrastructure Segment is essential to Group opera-
tions, a source of technologies and products that
bring comfort and convenience to daily life and that
add to the quality of life of people everywhere. In
the year under review, the Social Infrastructure
Segment saw sales increase by ¥51.2 billion from the
previous term, but operating income declined by
¥10 billion.
Industrial and Power Systems & Services Company
Results for the term under review: Overall sales rose on
increased overseas sales for power plants, even as the
Industrial Electric and Automation Systems businesses
were transferred to equity method affiliates.
In the domestic market, capital expenditure by the
manufacturing sector remained steady, but the trend to
restrained spending by power utilities and the public
sector continued for yet another year. Overseas, demand
for power equipment, transportation systems, and other
systems remained firm in the Asian and North American
markets. Toshiba is steadily raising its presence in overseas
markets, where the business has held the No. 1 share in
the market for steam turbines for power generation
since 2003.
Challenges and strategies: It is essential to make the
transition to a global presence by expanding overseas,
moving away from a traditional concentration on the
domestic market.
At the moment, overseas business accounts for
approximately 30% of total sales, and is centered on
thermal power generating plants. The main emphasis will
be on the Asian and North American markets, where
demand is firm, and expansion will be sought in all main
business areas, including Electric Power, Transportation,
and Water and Sewage systems.
China is seen as a particularly promising market and
the primary source of growth. In light of this, efforts will
be made to develop and expand local manufacturing and
sales. Typical of this approach are two new subsidiaries,
established recently, to handle Hydro Power Equipment
and Water and Sewage systems. This brings the total of
Power and Social Systems-related companies in China to
11. These companies promote local business, and are also
manufacturing bases for products and components that
supply the Japanese and international markets.
As it builds today’s infrastructure, Toshiba also looks to
cultivate new businesses for tomorrow. In coming years,
Fuel Cells are expected to find wide application as a trump
card against global warming. In readiness for this, the
business turned its Joint Venture with U.S.-based technol-
ogy partner, United Technologies Corporation (UTC), into
a 100% subsidiary that is now accelerating development
of 1kW class Fuel Cells for the Japanese market. Other
areas where Toshiba is rolling out new products and tech-
nologies for new markets include Information Systems,
Superconductive Equipment, and Inspection systems.
Social Network & Infrastructure Systems Company
Results for the term under review: Operations achieved
increases in revenue and profit compared to the previous
term, on improved performance in radio-wave systems, such
as Radars and Transmissions systems for Telecommunications
World’s Fastest Elevator for the Super Skyscraper
TAIPEI101
The world’s tallest skyscraper* also boasts the
world’s fastest elevators. The Toshiba elevators
installed in TAIPEI101 in Taipei, Taiwan travel at a
scorching 1,010m/min. But speed was only one
concern during development, along with the quality
of the ride and total safety. Innovations include the
world’s first barometric pressure control equipment,
which eases pressure on the ear. The elevator was
certified as the world’s fastest by the Guinness Book
in December, 2004. * As of December 31, 2004
64–row Detector CT Scanner
The latest Multi-Slice CT scanner acquires 64 slices
simultaneously, at 0.5mm per slice, with each scan
taking only 0.4 seconds. Designed for high-speed
operation and high resolution, it integrates a 64-row
detector technology and high-speed image recon-
struction technology to deliver standout performance.
Industry-leading image resolution and high temporal
resolution deliver the speed and accuracy necessary
for diagnostics, delivering clear images of internal
damage and pathologic changes in a short time. The
system is patient-friendly, particularly for the exami-
nation of heart disease, where minimized examination
times are a major plus.
Pedestrian Face Identification System
An achievement of R&D efforts during fiscal 2004,
this high performance face recognition system allows
identities to be checked and verified as people are
walking. Integration of technologies for quickly
isolating a suitable image and for fast facial feature
matching assures stable, reliable identification. A wide
range of applications is anticipated, including entry
and exit control at office buildings and apartments,
and identification systems at airports, stations, and
other locations.
Portable 3D Ultrasonic Inspection System
(Matrixeye™ 64)
Development and commercialization of this portable
system has brought a new level of mobility to ultra-
sonic inspection. The equipment can be carried to a
worksite, where its dedicated ultrasonic array probe
and image processing technologies allow 3D imaging
of parts made with CFRP, metal, and other materials.
Any defects can be detected nondestructively.