2.Soft Drinks, Overseas
Alcohol Business, Pharmaceuticals and Other Diversified Businesses
In the soft drink business, centered on Kirin Beverage Corporation,
Kirin will advance proposal-based product development that aims to increase the
value of the Kirin brand through Group synergies. Kirin Beverage will release
a new product Taishitsucha, which uses lactobacillus KW that is being promoted
Groupwide. In addition to integrating the product development functions of Group
companies and promoting joint distribution, Kirin aims to strengthen competitiveness
by establishing new business schemes that leverage synergies in the domestic alcohol
beverages and soft drink businesses, such as the production of Kirin Alkali-Ion-no-Mizu
brand of mineral water at Kirin’s Hokuriku Brewery starting in 2006.
In the overseas alcohol beverages business, Kirin aims to expand Group
synergies in Asia and Oceania as target markets. Kirin concluded a capital participation
agreement with Dalian Daxue Brewery Co., Ltd. in northeast China, a region we
consider strategically important. In the Pearl River Delta region of southern
China, Zhuhai Kirin President Brewery Co., Ltd. will release Kirin Chun Zhen
Wei Beer, a new draft beer that uses the Ichiban Shibori production
process. In the Yangtze River Delta region of eastern China, Kirin will establish
Kirin (China) Investment Co., Ltd. in Shanghai as a holding company to manage
its alcohol beverage operations throughout China. Kirin (China) Investment Co.,
Ltd. will be in charge of strategic planning for the whole of China, supervising
Group companies and selling Kirin products in the Shanghai market in order to
drive the alcohol beverages business forward in China. In addition, Kirin will
strengthen its partnership with San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines through
the acquisition of additional shares.
In the pharmaceuticals business, Kirin will make the transition to
100% in-house sales of ESPO(EPO) and GRAN (G-CSF), the respective
treatments for renal anemia and leukopenia, from April 2005, as well as continue
upgrading its development pipeline such as KRN321, a new generation of renal anemia
treatments, human antibody drugs and cell regeneration medication. Kirin also
plans to launch full-fledged business development activities in the ASEAN market.
In the agribio business, leveraging global Group capabilities, Kirin aims to strengthen
the foundation of domestic operations by proposing high-quality, high-value-added
products through the branding of production regions for fresh flowers such as
Sakurajima Chrysanthemum, as well as sales of potatoes under the Cynthia
brand. In the nutritional foods business, Takeda Kirin Foods Corporation, which
is involved in the seasonings business, will strive to strengthen competitiveness
by improving its ability to propose ingredients in the on-premise market. At the
same time, Kirin Well-Foods Co., Ltd., which offers health foods, will promote
sales of Kirin Noale, a product that uses lactobacillus KW.
3.Social Responsibility-Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Kirin will actively engage in communications with all stakeholders,
and makes every effort to promote its own corporate social responsibility within
the Group through the establishment of the CSR promoting organization.
In our environmental activities, we aim to achieve our 2010 targets
for reducing CO2 emissions by 2007 through the
use of on-site natural gas power generation facilities and installing solar energy
generation facilities at the Kobe Brewery in joint research with New Energy and
Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Kirin is examining the
business feasibility of natural energy usage with the government while promoting
new schemes for environmental communication with NPOs and local governments. In
addition, the Company is accelerating water preservation and afforestation activities,
and with packaging materials, Kirin is introducing packaging with less impact
on the environment and promoting the conservation of resources by reducing six-can
packs. To encourage responsible drinking, Kirin is creating an improved video
program to prevent underage drinking. Building its own risk model, Kirin is establishing
preventative risk management practices. To reinforce compliance, Kirin is setting
up training sessions over its intranet. With regard to food safety, Kirin continues
to maintain and improve its quality management system throughout the Group. Kirin
interacts with communities around its breweries, and continues sponsoring Japan's
national soccer team. To promote beer culture, Kirin is exploring the roots of
beer in Japan, tracing the origins of ancient Egypt beer and medieval Guruto beer
as a part of the ‘Five Thousand Years of Beer’ research project. |
