Materiality

In April 2022, we formulated the "The CITIZEN Group Vision 2030" by organizing and backcasting the social issues to be addressed by The CITIZEN Group leading up to 2030 from the perspectives of a sustainable society and a digital society.

In order to realize The CITIZEN Group Vision 2030, we have identified five materiality issues by organizing The CITIZEN Group's materiality issues (important issues for the sustainable enhancement of corporate value) from both internal and external perspectives in terms of business activities and business infrastructure, based on a consideration of the mid- to long-term environmental changes and megatrends.

The CITIZEN Group Vision 2030 and the Identifying of Materiality
Figure

Materiality Identification Process

  1. Step 1: Identification of Social Issues

    Identify social issues based on the mid to long-term social trends, the company's direction, ESG external assessments, reviews, etc.

    • * Reference: SDGs, macro trends in environmental, social, and economic fields, FTSE, MSCI, GRI Standards, ISO 26000, etc.
  2. Step 2: Materiality Assessment of the Social Issues

    Assess the impact on society and the importance of the materiality to the company, and make assumptions about the proposed materiality.

  3. Step 3: Assess the Appropriateness of the Proposed Materiality

    After checking with external experts and a discussion by the Sustainability Committee, reconsider the materiality plan in light of the relevant measures for each business.

  4. Step 4: Identification of the Materiality

    Materiality is identified by the Management Committee and Board of Directors after reaffirmation by the Sustainability Committee.

Figure

Materiality Identified

  • Responding to climate change and contributing to a recycling-oriented society
  • Contributing to better quality of life
  • Providing solutions in the industrial sector
  • Enhancing job satisfaction and developing human resources
  • Fulfilling social responsibility

Materiality Opportunities, Risks, and Measures

Please scroll down to see→

E
S
G
Materiality Opportunity / risk Classification Main measures to be taken in terms of business activities / business infrastructure Applicable businesses
E Responding to climate change and contributing to a recycling-oriented society
13 14 15
Opportunity
  • Expanding demand for products and services that contribute to energy and resource conservation and productivity improvement
  • Progress of CASE
Risk
  • Wind and flood damage at business sites
  • Increased energy costs
  • Dependence on specific industries and customers
  • Violation of laws and regulations concerning the chemical substances contained in products
Response to climate change
[Business activities]
  • Sales of parts for eco-cars (EVs and HVs), etc.
  • Sales of LEDs for lighting
[Business foundation]
  • Reduction of CO2 emissions, expansion of introduction of renewable energy, etc.
Watches and Clocks
Machine Tools
Devices
Electronics
Others
Contribution to a recycling-oriented society
[Business activities]
  • Supply of photovoltaic and mechanical watches
  • Sales of products using low-frequency vibration (LFV) technology, etc.
[Business foundation]
  • Reduction of water consumption, promotion of recycling, management of hazardous chemicals, reduction of packaging materials, etc.
S Contributing to better quality of life
3 4 5
Opportunity
  • Shift from mechanical to emotional value
  • Shift from treatment to preventive care
Risk
  • Widespread use of smartwatches
  • Increased competition in the healthcare market
  • Regulatory changes for medical devices
  • Leakage of personal information
Contribution to diverse lifestyles
[Business activities]
  • Sales of wristwatches for the visually impaired persons
Watches and Clocks
Devices
Electronics
Others
Contribution to medical and healthcare
[Business activities]
  • Sales of specimen-holding plates for bacterial analysis, etc.
  • Sales of thermometers and blood pressure monitors that are easy for anyone to use
  • Providing digital health care services, “Health Scan,” etc.
Providing solutions in the industrial sector
08 09
Opportunity
  • Factory automation / labor saving / automation / digitalization
  • Expanding demand for products/services that contribute to manufacturing management efficiency
  • Advancement of CASE
  • Diffusion of next-generation telecommunications infrastructure
Risk
  • Loss of business opportunities
  • Decline in competitiveness
  • Entry of competitors from other industries using digital technology as a weapon
Provision of labor-saving and automation solutions
[Business activities]
  • Sales of products using low-frequency vibration (LFV) technology
<Column>
Machine Tools
Devices
Electronics
Others
Contribution to next-generation communication technology
[Business activities]
  • Development and sales of sensing devices (teleoperated robots, etc.)
Contribution to mobility
[Business activities]
  • Sales of components for advanced braking systems, communication systems, sensors, etc.
Enhancing of job satisfaction and developing human resources
4 5 08
Opportunity
  • Increase employee engagement
  • Driving DX / innovation
Risk
  • Outflow of human resources
  • Deterioration of business performance
Enhancement of job satisfaction
[Business foundation]
  • Implement measures to improve employee engagement, provide training opportunities, etc.
Watches and Clocks
Machine Tools
Devices
Electronics
Others
Development of human resources
[Business foundation]
  • Developing human resources to promote change within the group, strengthening group collaboration in the development of management human resources, etc.
Diversity and inclusion
[Business foundation]
  • Systematic training and promotion of female management candidates, encouraging male employees to take childcare leave, etc.
G Fulfilling social responsibility
12 16 17
Opportunity
  • Realization of the sustainable factory concept
  • Compliance with major customers' terms and conditions
Risk
  • Damage to corporate value
  • Reputation
  • Weakening of the management base
Strength of risk management
[Business foundation]
  • Update and operation of the Group's material risks, etc.
Watches and Clocks
Machine Tools
Devices
Electronics
Others
Quality Compliance
[Business foundation]
  • Activities to disseminate the Quality Code of Conduct, etc.
Respect for human rights and labor practices
[Business foundation]
  • Implementation of human rights due diligence, etc.
Enhancement of (or Promotion of) Sustainable Procurement
[Business foundation]
  • CSR procurement, green procurement, responsible mineral procurement, etc.

<Column> Supporting Digital Transformation in the Manufacturing Industry – alkapplysolution

Amid the ongoing digital transformation of society, including manufacturing sites, the CITIZEN Group has taken proactive steps in internal reform and solution development.

CITIZEN Machinery, specializing in precision machinery manufacturing, recognizes that it is essential to connect machines, IoT, and user-oriented technology in a circular fashion and powerfully drive the three elements together to optimize value-added machine tools and the people who handle them. The company is developing and offering a digital product line called “alkapplysolution,” which includes 11 different products and services. For instance, they offer a service called “aleart live2,” which uses IoT to monitor how machine tools perform in real-time to ensure that they are operating safely and efficiently. They also have a web service called “alkart site,” where people can access digital content like user manuals, e-learning materials for training engineers, software, and other latest “how-to-use” technology. This web service is currently used by over 1,000 precision parts processing companies for maintenance operations and employee training. Including the above two services, alkapplysolution offers a wide variety of network services, web services, and other solutions.

The solutions of alkapplysolution have been embraced by various industries, such as automotive, semiconductor, and medical equipment manufacturing, since the 1990s, and have evolved over time to overcome challenges faced at the production sites. They meet the needs of companies in transforming their production systems and work styles in response to difficult-to-foresee changes in the economic environment.

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