26 September 2025
Business Trip to Europe
Earlier this month, I visited two locations related to the expansion of Sumitomo Electric’s environment & energy business in Europe. The first place I traveled to was in Scotland, where a new manufacturing base is being established. This was followed by a visit to a company in Germany that joined the Sumitomo Electric Group last year.
On September 9th, I had the pleasure of seeing for myself how the construction of a new factory is coming along. The factory is located next to Port of Nigg in Scotland. It is where Sumitomo Electric U.K. Power Cables Ltd. will be manufacturing submarine power cables. The site looked very different from the last time I was there in May 2024 to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. I was delighted to hear that construction has been progressing smoothly and that equipment will begin soon. After touring the construction site, I met with local staff, including the engineers and operators who are scheduled to receive extensive training in Japan. I sincerely hope they will flourish in a cross-cultural setting and become instrumental to the new factory’s operations.
My next stop was to Südkabel GmbH in Mannheim, Germany, on September 12th. Südkabel specializes in the manufacture, sales, and installation of onshore power cables. This was my first visit to the company since they became a subsidiary in October last year. It was clear to me that, on the manufacturing side, significant effort is going into the continuous improvement of safety and quality. I also observed the progress being made on the capital investments for increasing production capacity. My meeting with the company’s executives, who have led Südkabel since before joining our group, was very meaningful as I learned that they are applying Sumitomo Electric’s management methods to address various matters in their business and operations.
Europe is at the forefront of addressing environmental issues. In the area of renewable energy, the infrastructure being built will be supported in an essential way by the two group companies I visited on this business trip, through the provision of high-quality power cables. Sumitomo Electric will continue to leverage the combined strength of our group companies to demonstrate our technologies and manufacturing capabilities, as we seek to make further contributions to the realization of a green society in Europe.
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