Kyocera to make 'smart factory' equipment at new Shiga facility

“We are excited to welcome the new production facility here, in Shiga, which will contribute our company’s factory automation. By reforming production processes, we aim to double productivity,” says Yoshinobu Ozaki, Manager of the Shiga Yasu Plant, in a press release. The recent domestic labor shortage is gradually impeding the growth of the Japanese economy. According to Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the population of Japanese workers age 15-64 totaled approximately 76 million in 2017 — and is expected to decrease to around 60 million by 2040. To overcome this rapid labor shortage, Kyocera has encouraged its production sites to adopt technologies such as AI and robotics, which can double productivity. Further, the company aims to achieve higher growth and profitability by reducing costs while reforming its production processes. As part of an action plan toward doubling productivity, Kyocera say it will consolidate partial operations from two different sites, ― a research and development site currently located in Daito, Osaka and a manufacturing site in Yohkaichi, Shiga, ― with its manufacturing site in Yasu, Shiga, which produces equipment for the company’s own factories and offices. By moving these sites to the Yasu Plant and doubling space for development and manufacturing, Kyocera says it will establish a high-speed development process.