Ushio’s Corporate Citizenship Activities
Approach to Corporate Citizenship Activities
Ushio actively engages in local activities and environmental activities based on the idea of "contributing to the development of each region as a member of the international community," which is also one of our Action Guidelines.
Approach to Activities in the Local Community
As a member of the local community, we believe that giving back is an indispensable element for sustainable business activities.
Based on our Management Philosophy and Action Guidelines, we have established priority areas related to our core business to contribute to the local community.
In particular, we invest in local communities in various ways to support sustainable development, focusing on education, culture, health and safety, support for disaster-affected areas, and community exchanges.
Donated "Care222® i-Series" UV Disinfection Equipment to Himeji City and Takasago City (Ushio Inc.)
In July 2021, the Harima Division of Ushio Inc. donated Care222® i-Series equipment to Himeji City and Takasago City, where the division is located, as part of its efforts to contribute to local society. It is installed and used in the following locations in each city. In order to realize "safety and reassurance" in local communities, we intend to continue contributing "light" to the improvement of the sanitary environment in locations where a large number of people visit, such as public facilities.
■Himeji City
Himeji City Hall 1st Floor (Multipurpose Toilet and Resident Desk Center), and Himeji City Jonai Library
■Takasago City
Takasago Public Library, You Ai Hotto Center
Providing Medical Masks to Medical Institutions (Ushio Inc.)
Ushio donated medical supplies, which were insufficient due to the spread of COVID-19, to local medical institutions through Hyogo and Shizuoka Prefectures, where our divisions are located.
Details of the donations are as follows.
1．Medical mask (N95 mask) 72,000 pcs
A mask that has passed NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) standards and is a high-performance mask that can prevent the entry of droplets containing viruses. It is said that it is possible to minimize the possibility of infections in day-to-day operations at medical facilities.
2．Protective clothing 120 sets
3．Protective eyewear 120 pcs
All of the supplies we provided were stockpiled at each division, and we hoped that they would be useful to the health care workers who fight at the front line, and our employees at each division worked together to promote this donation.
Community Contribution Activities: Cleanup Activities at Industrial Park (Ushio Inc.)
Every year we conduct cleanup activities after the rainy season at Komakado Industrial Area, where out Gotemba Division is located. The cleanup is organized by the Komakado Industrial Area Liaison Council, which is organized by 11 companies with operations in the industrial park, and Ushio Inc. participates every year. The area in and around the Komakado Industrial Area is divided into six areas of responsibility, with litter picked up in each area. Employees of Ushio Inc. participate as part of their commitment to community contribution activities. Despite the scorching sun, our employees cleaned up the area under the slogan, “eyes looking for garbage are cool even under the scorching sun, and never leave a single piece of trash behind." In the future, we will not only take part in cleanup activities but also work to beautify the area around the Gotemba Division on a regular basis.
Volunteer Activities: Tanabata Presents for Orphans (Ushio Inc.)
The annual Ushio Festival that takes place in the summer was cancelled in 2021. The local summer festival was also canceled, and it was not possible to see children in orphanages. After considering what we could do for the local community and the children who are our future, we gifted juice to six orphanages on Tanabata (July 7) to deliver even a smallest amount of happiness. We used to receive letters of gratitude from the children who attended the festival, so we hope to maintain this bond going forward. Also, we look forward to seeing the children at the next Ushio Festival when it is held again.
Ongoing Activities in Support of the Recovery and Rebuilding of Tohoku (Ushio Inc.)
Ushio Inc. has held the Tohoku Reconstruction Support Marche at the former Head Office building with volunteer companies. However, we are no longer able to host this event due to the reconstruction of the building. As a result, in recent years, we have been supporting the reconstruction effort in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake by offering a menu at our company cafeteria made using ingredients sourced from Tohoku in March of every year. The March 2023 menu featured ingredients such as rice, meat, and fish from Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. All of the dishes were well received. At the same time, we continue to purchase and use green electricity from the Tohoku region.
Social Contribution Activities (Ushio Philippines, Inc.)
In the Philippines, there are many cases where talented people are forced to give up their studies for financial reasons, or to go abroad in search of work after graduation because of a lack of jobs. In response to this, Ushio Philippines, Inc. started a scholarship program in fiscal 2017. To date, this program has provided financial assistance to five individuals. In addition, we also accept on-the-job training, which is mandatory for many universities in the Philippines.
At the same time, we donate to facilities for children with Down syndrome and that work to prevent child abuse. We also donate whenever a disaster strikes (typhoon, volcanic eruption, etc.). We also engage in charitable activities for nearby elementary schools. In fiscal 2023, we repaired the library and provided school uniforms to about 30 students.
Additionally, we planted mangroves in 2018 and 2023 as part of our environmental initiatives. We are also working on the installation of solar panels and the planting of trees along streets.
Through the above initiatives, we are contributing to the local community.
Social Contribution Activities (Ushio Suzhou)
In April 2021, Ushio Suzhou established a new scholarship fund for students in elementary schools, junior high schools, universities, and master's degrees in the Suzhou high-tech district. The fund made a donation to the Suzhou High-Tech New District charity general meeting, which has greatly expanded the scope of scholarship support for Suzhou University students that we have been provided since 2009.
Contributions to the Environment
As part of our efforts to contribute to the environment, we are working to reduce waste, recycle, install solar panels at divisions, and take part in local cleanup activities. Going forward, we will continue to take part in activities to mitigate environmental impacts.
Recycling of Rare Metals (Harima Division)
In order to reduce the environmental impact, the Harima Division of Ushio Inc. collects discarded PHS and we have it collected by a major cell phone company engaging in recycling activities.
As of July 2020, more than 100 phones have been collected since 2019. In addition, we are gradually expanding our recycling activities by collecting them from other divisions.
Many rare metals are used in electronic devices such as mobile phones, and recently it has become recognized that recycling and reproduction is more efficient than mining.
We will continue our efforts to collect and recycle equipment, and in Japan, where mineral resources are scarce, we are promoting activities that will lead to the effective use of resources as much as possible.
Water Management (Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. (CDS))
Businesses in California were ordered to follow strict water conservation laws and regulations during the droughts. CDS has worked to implement an onsite water management plan.
The plan included the following:
- Purchasing and installing WeatherTrak irrigation system controllers at both facilities. These controllers adjust irrigation based on current weather data. This data is received wirelessly each day and automatically adjusts the irrigation in accordance with changing weather. The controllers allow the user to select landscape-specific parameters (such as plant type, soil, slope and sprinkler type) to establish optimal irrigation schedules.
- Introduction of drought tolerant landscaping which included California native plants.
- Installation of water-efficient fixtures and appliances.
CDS’s water management plan helped reduce the use of a renewable natural resource as well as water conservation during California’s droughts over the past several years. Currently, drought conditions in California and specifically in Southern California where CDS Cypress is located has seen a signification improvement.
Employee-led Volunteering and Charitable Donations
Having each and every employee engage with the community through volunteer activities presents a good opportunity not only to give back to society but also to develop human capital. Ushio supports employees by providing them with a number of opportunities to volunteer in the community by establishing a leave program for volunteering.
Technical Assistance
Ushio has always actively contributed to the technical development the communities where it operates. Going forward, we intend to resolve a number of social issues using the power of light.
Contributing to Local Technological Development (Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc.)
Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. (Christie) is in Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) region. KW region is recognized as Silicon Valley North with more than 1,600 tech-related businesses, two universities and one college, and Christie has always been an active contributor to KW tech community.
On October 24 2019, Christie co-organized a one-day technical event "Tips & Tricks for Product Design & Compliance" with IEEE*1 Kitchener-Waterloo Section and a local company at Christie Kitchener office. The technical event had six presentations which covered the topics from Ferrites (magnetic material) Design Fundamental, Wireless Radio Approval, Design for Compliance, Signal Integrity and Electromagnetic Interference Simulation to IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society (EMC-S) Distinguished Lecturer talk. It attracted 40+ attendees from Christie and other local tech companies.
*1: Stands for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which is the world's largest technical professional society aimed to advancing innovation and technological excellence for the benefit of humanity.
The Ushio Foundation
The Ushio Foundation was established in 1994 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the founding of Ushio. As globalization progresses, the foundation will contribute to society by assisting the development of the next generation of talent, including overseas students, who will be responsible for leading the world in the future, and promote further interaction and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries.
In fiscal 2023, the foundation provided scholarships to 68 graduate students (including overseas students) and 15 students in specialized courses at colleges of technology. So far, 784 scholarship students from 13 countries have been supported.
Supporting the purpose of the Ushio Foundation, Ushio cooperates through human resource support and donations to ensure the stability and continuity of the foundation’s operations.
