The Hitachi Group has announced a major restructuring which will include spinning off its Automotive Systems Business into a wholly-owned subsidiary from July 1.
The automotive business will have a special focus on hybrid and electric drive system components as well as technology meant to enhance the efficiency of internal combustion engines. The company will also introduce organisations to plan and propose strategies regarding lithium-ion battery and energy-related businesses.
Hitachi hopes to quickly launch businesses in these areas and its automotive systems business is already in the process of realigning and integrating manufacturing bases in response to a dramatic drop-off in work. In an attempt to return to profitability quickly, Hitachi has introduced a number of measures including spinning off the automotive system group; stepping up product field prioritisation in the automotive systems business; and realigning worldwide bases.
Its focus on new environment-related businesses will take the following forms:
- - Lithium-ion battery business: Hitachi aims to work with others to develop next-generation batteries and strengthen the business for hybrid vehicles. It also wants to break into social infrastructure markets such as railway vehicles and industrial equipment.
- - Renewable energy related business: To promote expanding business with strategies for future growth in generation systems using resources such as solar and wind power.
- - Resource recycling businesses: Businesses that extract and reuse usable resources from waste products.
