NSK Global
Sculpture Project

To mark its 100th anniversary, NSK established a Centennial Projects Team comprised of mainly younger members tasked with the mission of defining a new vision for the company, designing the concept for NSK’s 100th Anniversary events, and putting these projects into action. The leaders of each regional team (ASEAN, the Americas, China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea) gather regularly to discuss the range of initiatives underway for NSK’s 100th anniversary and collaborate on global projects. The original idea for the above project came from the Americas team, who proposed creating a commemorative sculpture built from NSK products. This grew in scale to become the NSK Global Sculpture Project – an initiative to collect products or components from as many NSK sites around the world as possible to create a single sculpture to commemorate 100 years and symbolize the start of a new century as a unified global team.

Expressing “Setting the Future in Motion”
in Sculpture Form

This project has seen active employee participation from across NSK’s global sites, with many members submitting their design ideas. Following a voting process, a design plan proposed by an employee from NSK Italy was selected. This design (which we will introduce in the next issue) incorporates a variety of NSK products and symbolizes NSK’s ambition to move forward toward a newer, more proactive future in line with the NSK Vision 2026 ideal of “Setting the Future in Motion.”
In the next issue, #2: “Production Report,” we talk to Paolo Laneve, creator of the winning design, about the inspiration behind his design.

NSK Global Sculpture Project:
What’s Next?

Now that the design has been finalized, a range of NSK products and components of different sizes and shapes, produced by our plants across the world, are currently being gathered at our headquarters in Japan. In the next stage, we will arrange the products gathered from each site into their final configuration and determine the construction method. A total of seven sculptures will be created by October and displayed at each of our seven regional headquarters, located in: ASEAN (Singapore), the Americas (Ann Arbor, US), China (Kunshan), Europe (Ratingen, Germany), India (Chennai), Japan (Tokyo), and Korea (Seoul) from November 8, 2016 – NSK’s centenary. We will be updating this page with details of the construction process as it takes place. Be sure to check back to see the sculpture as it starts to take shape!

NSK Makes the
World Go Round

With 210 sites in over 30 countries, NSK continues to embark on new challenges across the world. The bearings and other precision products manufactured by NSK are incorporated in a range of applications, from the household appliances we use each day to satellites high above the earth, contributing to a safer, sounder, smoother, and more prosperous world. (Link: NSK is All Around You)

A Bold, Speedy Start to NSK’s Next 100 Years
– the Inspiration Behind the Winning Design

NSK employees from around the world participated in a contest to design a sculpture to celebrate NSK’s centenary and symbolize the company’s vision going forward. After a voting process, a design created by Paolo Laneve, a sales engineer based at NSK Italia S.P.A in Milan, was selected as the base for construction. We talked to Mr. Laneve about the inspiration behind his winning concept.

When I heard of the centennial sculpture contest I envisioned a picture that could convey the idea of movement, energy and grit, because I believe that only with these attributes we can contribute to a better future. So the image I wanted to communicate was not a static one but a design that expressed proactivity, speed, movement and determination. I thought of what gave me energy, motion, and determination, and realized that this was best represented by a human figure, because as a company NSK is ultimately driven by the many men and women working across the world. Starting with a “human” silhouette, I decided to compose a “puzzle,” incorporating all the types of NSK products I knew into an athlete sprinting toward the finish line.
Embodying this mindset, we have also begun working on a range of new initiatives to Set the Future in Motion, both at NSK Italia and across the whole of Europe.

Incorporating 46 Products to
Their Final Configuration

The 46 products and components sourced from across NSK’s global manufacturing sites span a wide range of sizes, shapes, and applications. Utilizing the shapes of the various products, our team in Tokyo worked to configure the layout and recreate the original design concept submitted by Mr. Laneve. Each step of the construction process requires careful planning and execution by skilled craftspeople. Custom-made fittings and attachments have been constructed to hold each part in place, and the products have been incorporated into their final configuration against a human silhouette set on a plaque. With the sculptures now nearing completion, the unveiling is not far away!

Movement, Energy, and Grit
New Initatives to Set the Future in Motion

The NSK Global Sculpture, which took a whole year to plan and create, is finally complete. The range of NSK products and components gathered from around the world were combined together to form an athlete making a powerful sprinting start―representing the movement, energy, and grit NSK needs to set the future in motion in the next 100 years.

Looking Back
Over the Project

“When we first saw the completed sculpture, our first impression was that the final product was even more impressive than we had envisioned. Collecting products and components from all over the world required cooperation among all global regions and employees. This showed us that it is possible to accomplish a common worldwide goal if everyone works together as one. This is the type of ‘new motion’ we want to create in NSK’s next century”
“This piece was first unveiled at the 100th anniversary event for employees in Japan held on October 10, 2016. Representatives from the Centennial Projects Teams in each global region who gathered for the event were also impressed by the completed piece. Identical sculptures will be displayed at NSK’s seven regional headquarters around the world from November 8, 2016.”
“We are very pleased that this project was successful. However, we want to make sure that this “new movement” of collaboration between our global regions is not just a one-off – we will continue working across national boundaries and departments to set the future in motion.”

A New Chapter in Our Evolution,
Looking Toward the Next 100 Years

We hope that this three-part series tracking the progress of the NSK Global Sculpture has provided an insight into the global scope of NSK’s business, as well as the wide range of products that we produce. As NSK reaches its 100th anniversary on November 8, 2016 and looks ahead to the next 100 years, we will continue striding forward with the frontier spirit of our founders, always staying a step ahead of the world’s needs – Setting the Future in Motion.