March 07, 2008 Corporate strategy conference

This past January we initiated organizational changes which are intended to strengthen Canon's research and development structure.

The first change was the establishment of an R&D Strategy Committee. The responsibilities of this committee include overseeing the adoption of promising areas of research where Canon's strengths can be put to use and helping to coordinate collaborative relationships with universities and companies around the world.

The second change was the establishment of the Strategic Product Research Headquarters. This headquarters aims to establish future product strategies for each area of Canon, creates future predictions based on technology and market trends, and helps develop needed technologies.

The third change was the establishment of the Frontier Research Headquarters. This headquarters develops new future markets by researching future technologies with the help of research organizations worldwide and by acquiring principle and basic patents.