Epson’s Minoru Usui gives the IFA 2012 opening keynote
Epson’s President Minoru Usui opened the 2012 edition of IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics trade fair, by outlining his vision for growth.
Following headlines dominated by news of major copyright settlements and challenges for the technology sector, Usui accepted in his keynote speech, that technology manufacturers were experiencing unprecedented change in their competitive environment, as well as their markets, and the economy at large.
Cautioning against short-term solutions, he advocated a return to core values as the answer not only to financial success, but finding innovative and differentiated solutions to society’s needs. In addition to exhibiting new compact, high precision and energy saving printer (nearly 40% smaller than last year’s models) and projector ranges, Usui discussed Epson’s new wearable products, focused on entertainment, sports, medicine and healthcare.
Usui said, “Innovation in engineering has been driven by high cost competition in printer, PC and smart phone consumer markets. Epson has identified wearable technology as an area of future growth which it is uniquely capable to address. Combined with our R&D in this field, competition in our core markets is also driving rapid innovation in our proprietary technologies that we can leverage for these new products.”
When Usui took charge of Epson in 2008, he chose to emphasise Epson’s core values of Takumi (craftsmanship) and Monozukuri (the art and science of manufacturing), as well as instructing his engineers to leverage Epson’s unique and proprietary technologies to new ends.
These choices have translated into a specialised engineering school to teach all Epson’s engineers the necessity to build-in volume manufacturing requirements into their innovative designs. And also, Epson’s continued ownership and oversight of all of its global manufacturing sites.
Visitors to Epson’s IFA booth try out the Moverio
BT100 see-through mobile viewer
Usui credited these early decisions with the development of this year’s product offering, saying, “We are confident that nobody else could make these products.” Epson’s investment in its core engineering, manufacturing values and core technology has resulted in the launch of innovative inkjet printers and cutting edge home entertainment products this year. It has also helped Epson to maintain its position a leader in global projector, large format printer and retail printer sales. Wearable technologies that interact with the cloud will be the way forward for Epson.
The Epson booth focused on home entertainment, especially gaming
