FUTABA INDUSTRIAL RAMPS UP INTERNATIONAL GROWTH STRATEGY
In the past six years – under the stewardship of president Hiroyoshi Yoshiki – automotive parts manufacturer FUTABA Industrial underwent a process of internal consolidation and restructuring to emerge as a stronger organisation. Towards the shift to electric vehicles, in addition to focusing more on research and development (R&D) and delivering high-value-added products at competitive prices, FUTABA has improved and reformed its organisational structure to address social issues such as sustainable development goals and carbon neutrality.
“We have become much more customer-oriented while continuing to leverage our technology leadership in stamping, pipe bending and welding,” Yoshiki says. “In this highly competitive environment, we’re also set apart by our technology to work with ultra-hightensile materials with high strength.”
FUTABA primarily serves leading automotive parts manufacturers in Japan and abroad through a global supply system that spans production facilities in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and China. Combining the latest technologies and innovative concepts, FUTABA has built a solid name for supplying sophisticated exhaust system solutions, including automotive mufflers, which meet engine power and environmental performance requirements.
Allocating more resources for its R&D efforts, FUTABA is planning to apply the prospective capabilities in the field of exhaust system solutions to the expansion of new business areas for body-related products, from concept development to assembly and production of medium-sized parts, and to evolve and expand the structural development capabilities and manufacturing technologies for body-related products.
FUTABA takes the period of change in the automotive industry as an opportunity to become a company that can grow sustainably.
“I want to focus our efforts on digitalisation and innovation of our monozukuri (manufacturing). We are trying to speed up development by promoting digital transformation using digitalisation and artificial intelligence, to win orders for body parts for battery electric vehicles by identifying and proposing changes in body structure and performance requirements,” Yoshiki says.