Kyocera centre to consolidate engineering and development

Kyocera is to consolidate product engineering and development in a new centre at its Shiga Yasu Campus.

The aim of new centre is to, strengthen manufacturing capabilities through stronger collaboration among Kyocera’s diverse business divisions, while training new generations of engineering leaders.

Drastic changes in the business environment now compel manufacturers to implement new strategies for raising productivity and improving product quality by deploying AI and robots; tackling carbon neutrality; and training employees to master digital technologies and data analysis.

Kyocera plans to raise its capabilities to a new level in production engineering through developing state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, promoting smart factories by adopting automated and optimized production processes, investing in engineering skills development, building digital transformation expertise, and sharing knowledge among divisions.

Within this context, the company envisions the new centre as a gathering place for production engineers from all major Kyocera manufacturing sites.

Key objectives will include strengthening and accelerating development of core technologies and manufacturing processes at Kyocera’s components businesses, while creating a new space for engineers from each business division to engage in co-creation, information-sharing, and technological training.

The centre is planned to have six floors. The first through third floors will feature spaces for production process and equipment development, including pilot production lines for new technologies in ceramic moulding, dispersion, mixing, firing, and laser processing for components manufacturing. Special emphasis will be placed on optimizing manufacturing processes to achieve carbon neutrality.

The fourth to sixth floors will include offices, co-creation cafes, and training spaces both for newly hired engineers and for employees who need to learn the digital transformation skills necessary for operating smart factories.

In addition, the centre will collaborate closely with Kyocera’s three R&D bases in Japan, including the Minato Mirai Research Centre, Keihanna Research Centre, and Kirishima R&D Centre, to strengthen the manufacturing capabilities of the Kyocera Group.

 Overview of the centre