President & CEO Messages / Let's accelerate growth with the Hitachi Founding Spirit!

I would like to express my New Year greetings to all of you.
Firstly, my heart goes out to those people affected by the continuous crises in Ukraine and the Middle East and the catastrophic earthquake in Noto Peninsula on the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. I pray with all my heart for the safety of the people in the corresponding regions and the earliest settling down of those situations.
Cooperation across regions and international societies is essential to overcome this difficult situation and to create a safe, secure, and peaceful society. Let us work together to build a brighter future.

Last year, the outlook remained uncertain due to price fluctuations, developments in financial and foreign exchange markets, and geopolitical risks. Even in such an economic environment, Hitachi was able to achieve strong growth by responding to changes in the market and controlling risks globally. The stock price also reached a new high since its listing in 1949, and the corporate transformation aimed to realize Chairman Mr. Higashihara's vision, "becoming a global leader in Social Innovation Business," has been highly evaluated by investors. These are all fruits of your efforts, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude.

This year, the use of generative AI, an innovative technology that burst into prominence, will further advance. As I mentioned at the Hitachi Social Innovation Forum 2023 JAPAN, generative AI strongly supports our intellectual work by spotlighting on buried information. We aim to improve productivity by promoting business use of this technology throughout the company, and to accumulate know-how to provide value to customers. We have also established organizations and launched projects to promote the use of generative AI, and I would like you to work on transforming your business processes with your ingenuity.

To accelerate our growth, we would like to return to the corporate values, "Hitachi Founding Spirit" once again. On January 15th, we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of our founder, Mr. Namihei Odaira. Hitachi's corporate mission of "contribute to society through the development of superior, original technology and products" and the founding spirits of "harmony," "sincerity," and "pioneering spirit" are condensed with elements that are essential for Hitachi that aims sustainable growth by Social Innovation Business. Hitachi will grow globally by working together with colleagues around the world with diverse values in the spirit of "harmony," facing the challenges of customers with "sincerity," and solving them with a "pioneering spirit" and leading it to business opportunities.

The Mid-term Management Plan 2024 will finally enter its final fiscal year. Solid orders and business performance boosted by tailwinds of digital, green, and connective, improvement of cash generation, and many cases we satisfied our customers by values provided with One Hitachi, all these aspects gave me confidence about the progress of the Mid-term Management Plan. Let's accelerate growth with the Hitachi Founding Spirit and achieve the Mid-term Management Plan.

January 4, 2024