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38 Yamaha Annual Report 2005
Research & Development and Intellectual Property
The technological expertise developed within the Yamaha Group is the major factor that underpins the company’s
broad base of operations. Yamaha invests substantially in research and development activities to support the cre-
ation of advanced technology. Securing, protecting and using related intellectual property is another prime aim to
ensure that Yamaha retains a competitive technical edge.
R&D contribution to brand and technology development
Leveraging its core technological expertise in sound and music
developed over many years, Yamaha strives to increase the value
of the Yamaha brand and to stimulate new demand via the devel-
opment of innovative, high-quality products and novel enterprises.
Yamaha has cultivated an excellent global reputation for innovative
product design that attracts customers worldwide, boosts the
competitiveness of the product range and raises the profile of the
Yamaha brand. Core technological expertise and innovative prod-
uct design are key intellectual properties in Yamaha.
The next stage in the evolution of the Yamaha brand is to
develop sound-related technologies to support network-based
sound lifestyles and to develop materials and devices dealing with
human senses and sensibilities. As an expert in the field of sound
(including the sounds of human voices and environments), Yamaha
is focusing on creating new business opportunities. For instance,
Yamaha is working on blending acoustic, digital signal processing
and network technologies to enable sound to become the basis for
important aspects of home life such as conveying information or
security. Yamaha is also researching the positive social role of
music in health maintenance as another potential business.
Besides burnishing its core technologies to support future
business development, Yamaha also invests in employee training
to ensure that core skills are passed on and nurtured within its
work force. Other key aspects of R&D include various programs to
maintain and upgrade technologies for product development and
manufacturing. All these efforts strengthen the Yamaha brand
while boosting the value of the company’s intellectual property and
other intangible assets.
R&D organization
R&D activities at Yamaha are divided into three elements. First,
product development divisions attached to each business segment
work on product development. Second, a central innovative tech-
nology division focuses on new research and technical develop-
ment projects spanning the entire company. Third, separate
companywide project teams work on specific strategic research
and product development themes. Within the innovative technology
division are separate R&D centers for sound technology develop-
ment (musical instruments, audio equipment, electronic equipment
and software) and material and device development (new materials
and devices). The companywide project teams include one division
that promotes digital media business development and another
that focuses on sound-within-lifestyle strategies, including the
development of core sound technologies and new enterprises.
Intellectual Property
Patents
The charts below illustrate growth in the number of Yamaha
patent applications published in Japan and the number of
patents owned as of the end of March 2005 by business seg-
ment. The musical instruments business accounts for over 40%
of Yamaha’s published patent applications in Japan and over
60% of all patents owned.
Patent strategy
Patent acquisition
Growth of Patent Power is a theme spannig the entire company.
Boosting efforts to acquire more patents worldwide is a key
theme across all business segments at Yamaha. The company is
particularly focused on gaining more overseas patents, notably in
China. Patent acquisition to contribute to business is set as a
specific objective in each of Yamaha’s core businesses.
0
300
600
900
1,200
2001/3
2002/3
2003/3
2004/3
2005/3
Patents Owned by Yamaha (as of March 31, 2005)
Yamaha Patent Applications Published in Japan
(Number of patents)
Other
Electronic Equipment & Metal Products
Lifestyle-Related Products
AV/IT
Musical Instruments
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
Japan U.S. Other
Other
Electronic Equipment & Metal Products
Lifestyle-Related Products
AV/IT
Musical Instruments