Top Message

At the time of my appointment as president and CEO in April 2021, I set “Change & Go Beyond to Set the Future in Motion” as my vision as president. I envision NSK as a company that keeps society in motion 100 or even 1,000 years into the future, a company that is needed, trusted, and relied upon by society, and a company that is vibrant, energetic, and engaging as it works toward high future-oriented goals while continuing to take on new challenges and moving forward. A passive response to changes and advancements will result in our falling behind the times and a loss of competitiveness in the marketplace. I would like us to continue proposing new value to society by means of the concept of “Change & Go Beyond” and build the competitiveness necessary to survive in this era of change.

We assume that the demand environment will recover from the previous year, however, we also recognize that uncertainties surrounding such issues as the supply chain, the spread of new COVID-19 variants, and soaring material costs will remain. We will continue improving even against the backdrop of this anticipated uncertainty and always operate while keeping an eye on the next year, the year after that, and beyond.

Even though the business environment surrounding NSK is changing, I believe that three areas—the environment, electrification, and digital transformation—will be key for the Company to continuously collaborate with its stakeholders to create value and grow.

Conservation of the global environment is part of our corporate philosophy and one of the reasons for our existence. The smooth motion of machines and vehicles in various industries will help increase efficiency and save energy.
As the trend toward electrification, in our Automotive Business, the shift from gasoline-powered vehicles to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), as well as hydrogen and biofuel vehicles, is accelerating. Due to this change, the technical requirements for automotive parts are becoming higher in terms of their high-speed rotation, the need for compactness and lighter weight, low noise, and durability. NSK will respond to these technical demands and contribute to the development and widespread use of environmentally friendly vehicles.

In our Industrial Machinery Business, bearing demand for use in small motors will continue to grow significantly due to increased connectivity as well as the accelerating need for electrification and automation as 5G and IoT become more widespread. Another of the key themes is digital transformation. NSK is currently focusing on digital twin technology in its application of digital technology. By further deepening the process of digitization, I believe that it will be possible to analyze the phenomenon caused by friction more theoretically, shorten development lead times, and we are aiming to create new value that leads to safer, more secure proposals that are better for the global environment.

Our mission statement is to contribute to the realization of a safer, smoother society, which is a social issue, and to help protect the global environment through Motion & Control™. Under this mission statement, the SDGs Declaration stipulates that we respect all 17 goals of the SDGs, select seven business-related goals as important issues, and actively promote related initiatives. NSK’s products are involved in the entire value chain of industrial systems and have contributed to the reduction of energy loss throughout industry. As the movement toward a carbon neutral society accelerates, NSK believes that it can make further contributions, and I personally would like to lead in the collaborative creation of new social value with our stakeholders.

To be a company that keeps society in motion 100 or even 1,000 years into the future, a company that is needed, trusted, and relied upon by society, and a company that is vibrant, energetic, and engaging that works toward high future-oriented goals while continuing to take on new challenges and moving forward, we will endeavor to “Change & Go Beyond.” As we work toward achieving our goals, we ask for your continued support and cooperation.

Akitoshi Ichii,
President & CEO
NSK Ltd.