Kyocera R&D chief says Japan’s manufacturing edge lies in coordination and integration

Shoichi Nakagawa, head of research and development at Kyocera, said in an interview with Maeil Business last month that the competitiveness of Japan’s manufacturing industry rests on technology and people accumulated on the factory floor, as well as the capability known as “suriawase,” or coordination and integration. He explained that even amid rapid changes in industrial structures, field-based technical accumulation continues to support competitiveness. Nakagawa also stressed the importance of a research and development attitude that challenges what everyone says cannot be done. His remarks highlight that manufacturing strength depends not only on equipment or individual technologies, but also on people, shop-floor experience and integration capability. Source: mk.co.kr