The branding associated with a small business is fundamental to establishing commercial goodwill and building reputation. Business names, symbols and logos – referred to in this article as trade marks – play a crucial role in a brand’s identity and allow businesses, big or small, to differentiate their products or services from those of competitors. If used properly, a trade mark can serve as an excellent marketing tool for a small business.

We often see businesses employ a ‘set and forget’ approach by, for instance, registering several key trade marks and then taking no further action. Trade mark management is an ongoing process and it is important that businesses have systems in place to help monitor, revise and renew trade marks as required.

Some of the key trade mark decisions of the Federal Court of Australia in 2023 have shown that failing to stay on top of and conduct regular ‘health checks’ of a business’ trade mark portfolio and brand protection strategy can have significant adverse consequences for small business owners.

To assess and maintain the ‘health’ of your business’ brand and trade marks, consider the following questions:

• who is using the business’ registered trade marks? Are they being used by the registered owner of the trade marks? If not, are there proper arrangements in place to ensure that the registered owner is maintaining control over any third party use of the trade marks? If the trade mark owner does not maintain sufficient control over its use, the trade mark registration may be vulnerable to removal from the Register. We explored this in our article here.
• when was an audit of the business’ unregistered trade marks last conducted? Are all trade marks which are in use currently registered? Have any of the trade marks being used by the business changed in recent years? Are there any gaps in the business’ portfolio of registered trade marks?
• when was an audit of the business’ registered trade marks last conducted? Are the business’ trade marks being used and, if so, are they used properly to perform a branding function? Are the registered trade marks being used in relation to the goods and services in respect of which they are registered? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘no’, the trade marks may be vulnerable to removal from the Register for non-use.
• does the business’ trade mark contain any environmental elements or credentials? If so, are the environmental components of the trade marks in any way misleading or deceptive? See our discussion here.

Holding Redlich’s expert team

Holding Redlich has a team of legal experts with deep expertise in safeguarding small business’ valuable brand identity through comprehensive trade mark solutions.

We also manage worldwide portfolios for many significant brands and we deliver protection in connection with all aspects of trade mark and brand protection services, as set out in further detail below.

If you need any assistance with auditing or reviewing your current trade marks portfolio, please contact Ian Robertson at ian.robertson@holdingredlich.com or Sarah Butler at sarah.butler@holdingredlich.com.

Disclaimer

The information in this article is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, we do not guarantee that the information in this article is accurate at the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future.

Content provided by Holding Redlich Partner Ian Robertson and Special Counsel Sarah Butler

As the Enterprise XR space and industry competition continue to grow, HTC VIVE is leading the way. At Mobile World Congress 2024, HTC VIVE is announcing new enterprise features for VIVE XR Elite Business Edition, including Location Based Software Suite support, and VIVE Business+ to make fleet management and content deployment effortless at any scale. VIVE XR Elite Business Edition also has new physical accessories to support even more versatile use cases and enhance comfort for longer sessions or multiple users.

VIVE’s hardware and software combination has seen it become the global standard for multi-user Location Based Experiences, including Arcades, Museums, Galleries, and Cultural institutions The breathtaking Horizon of Khufu started with a single venue in Lyon, France, and has seen over 150,000 visitors in just one year, resulting in expansion to nine locations across the globe.

VIVE’s hardware has also become essential in training scenarios across the world. VIVE’s hardware and software mean it’s easy to create simulations with realistic graphics, and the ability for users to move around on a 1:1 scale, even incorporating physical props.

“Every year, the XR industry is delivering more innovation to support humanity,” said Cher Wang, Chairwoman and Co-Founder of HTC. “In 2023 we helped older people to have new experiences while also optimising medical diagnostic tools. We put a VR headset onto the International Space Station for mental and physical health. And VIVE Arts helped to create a beautiful look at Vincent van Gogh’s final works, in a way never seen before. XR is inspiring people around the world, and the possibilities are endless.”

VIVE’s Location Based Software Suite also helped to develop the first functional VR system in microgravity. VIVE’s Simulator Mode was adapted for use on the International Space Station, as Commander Andreas Mogensen used a VIVE Focus 3 flawlessly for mental and physical health support. Mogensen said, “It’s actually one of my favourite activities onboard the space station… it’s a game changer.” VIVE’s LBSS is also an integral part of the upcoming large-scale multiuser exhibition at Museé d’Orsay, “Tonight with the Impressionists – Paris 1874”, celebrating 150 years of Impressionism.

The new VIVE XR Elite Business Edition features include:

• Location Based Software Suite support
• A new face gasket designed for high-user turnover scenarios like LBE
• A new over-the-top headstrap, enhancing comfort and making it even easier and quicker to switch users
• Security clips for the temple arms, to prevent anyone from removing the battery cradle

VIVE is also launching a new 5-in-1 USB-C dock for VIVE Ultimate Tracker, so that five units can be charged at the same time quickly and easily. The VIVE USB-C Dock (Five Ports) is perfect for power users and businesses who have a large number of VIVE Ultimate Trackers in use, for LBEs, group training, motion capture, and more.

VIVERSE Starter Pack

As remote collaboration becomes increasingly important across the world, VIVE is launching a special VIVERSE “Starter Pack” to help organisations build their capabilities. The VIVERSE Starter Pack promotion includes:

• 3 months of VIVERSE for Business
• 10x free VIVE XR Elite Business Edition units, including free VIVE Business Warranty
• Free access to VIVE Business+ for fleet management and content deployment
• Total savings over $12,000
• 20x VIVE XR Elite Business Edition bundle also available, with total savings over $15,000

AI and VIVERSE

VIVERSE is also adding a number of new features, including AI tools, support for VIVE Ultimate Tracker and VIVE Full Face Tracker for VIVE XR Elite, as well as non-VR motion capture for avatars. The new AI technology includes a Personal Assistant to act as a personal tour guide, packed with information about the world the user is exploring.

The AI Personal Assistant will also function as a Voice Assistant for productivity tasks like updating the user’s personal calendar, with more features coming soon. The AI technology also supports Voice-To-Text Transcription, and Real-Time Translation into eight languages*, making it easier than ever for people from different cultures to converse.  

Helping avatars to be more realistic and expressive, VIVERSE is adding support for VIVE Ultimate Tracker for precise body tracking. VIVE Full Face Tracker is capable of eye-tracking and capturing subtle facial expressions – 38 blend shapes across the lips, jaw, cheeks, chin, teeth, and tongue at 60Hz. This means avatars will be more natural and realistic in VIVERSE. Highlighting how easy it is for organisations to add third-party solutions such as AI to their own VIVERSE avatars, HTC’s partner ACCESS will showcase avatars built using the VIVERSE Avatar SDK which incorporate AI for speech and facial expressions.

As the battle for the Wi-Fi 7 market rages on, TP-Link is set to shake up the enterprise space with a Pro upgrade to its Omada routers, switches and access points.

Omada Pro takes the familiar Omada gear and supercharges it for the next generation of networks (and network managers). The biggest upgrade is support for up to 1500 clients, up from non-Pro Omada’s 500. That’s a maximum of course, and in a real-world network environment, you’ll probably see a slightly lower actual maximum, but it’s still a substantial increase in capacity.

Ceiling Mount Omada Wi-Fi 7 Access Point

The boost in maximum connections on Omada Pro networks is supported by a High-Density Connectivity feature set, which includes OFDMA, BSS Colouring, and MU-MIMO. Not a radio geek? Basically, these are are features that improve the stability and capacity of hundreds of simultaneous Wi-Fi connections, to devices like the AP9778 Omada Pro BE19000 Ceiling Mount Wi-Fi 7 Access Point. Which, as the name suggests, can provide up to 19Gbps of Wi-Fi 7 across its 6GHz, 5Ghz, and 2.4GHz bands. 

Ceiling-mount APs are great for a whole range of businesses, industries, even schools, because they’re discreet (they look like chunky smoke detectors) and they use power over Ethernet (PoE) to minimise the need for cabling – and save you precious wall sockets.

Prioritising security

With security top of mind for all network managers, Omada Pro Wi-Fi devices include Wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (WIDS) and Wireless Intrusion Protection Systems (WIPS). Naturally, wired Omada Pro devices, such as Managed Switches and 10G Routers, also have IDS and IPS.

TP-Link assures us that one thing network managers have been asking for in a new range of high-end devices, is security assertion markup language (SAML) support for single sign-on (SSO). This gives managers more flexibility and convenience, without compromising on security.

This reflects Omada Pro’s software defined networking (SDN) approach to enterprise-grade network management. TP-Link’s Cloud Management Platform makes it easy to deploy new networks, monitor existing networks, and of course deal with any issues that may arise.

As well as the afore-mentioned ceiling-mount Wi-Fi access points, the Omada Pro range also includes smart and managed switches, weather-resistant outdoor access points (ideal for places like restaurants, resorts, and sporting grounds), and routers. And, TP-Link says, layer 3 aggregate switches are in the pipeline too.

Employment Hero, the Australian-founded employment management platform, is helping SMEs move closer to ‘one-click’ hiring with new Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 automations*. 

At a time when SMEs face increased pressures to find and retain the best talent, they need to be able to hire and onboard at the click of a button. Employment Hero is enabling businesses to do just that by reducing the double handling during onboarding and offboarding.

Now Employment Hero customers can automatically and securely set up or deactivate employees’ Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 accounts via the Employment Hero platform thus significantly reducing the administrative burden on IT teams. This is especially impactful for SMEs with limited or no IT resources.

Employment Hero is committed to building a best-in-breed tool for SMEs, allowing them to manage their workforce in Australia, New Zealand and beyond. The new Microsoft and Google features also follow a previous integration with Slack, which made it easier for managers to recognise team members while also improving employee engagement. 

Dave Tong, CPTO and co-founder of Employment Hero, comments: “This is the next step towards our goal of helping businesses to hire someone with the single click of a button. In this case we’re easing unnecessary burdens placed on IT departments and tackling the pain of software provisioning and management. Depending on the amount of hires an organisation is making this could save hours of time over the course of week.

“We are all about making life easier for those running and managing SMEs. We’re constantly thinking of ways to save them time, admin and money and our continued investment across R&D allows us to do that – and keep on doing it. These new integrations with Google and Microsoft will make it even easier for Employment Hero users to manage their teams safely and securely, while running and growing their businesses.”

Employment’s Hero’s continued investment in its platform and new automations follows an announcement last week that it now processes more than $100bn in payroll globally and serves approximately 20 per cent of Australia’s private businesses. In addition, Employment Hero’s employer of record service – Global Teams – is now available across 144 countries.

Employment Hero continues to partner with best-in-breed software from around the world via open API integrations to make employment easier and more valuable for everyone. Additional integrations that work with Employment Hero include Sage, Xero, QuickBooks and many others included here. 

Synology has announced the launch of BeeStation, a new addition to its product line designed to bring personal cloud storage to everyone, particularly those who seek simplicity and ease of use. BeeStation will make backing up, managing, and sharing files adaptable to any small business without subscription fees and with maximum control over your private data.

Lewis Sheng, Product Manager at Synology Inc., emphasizes the role of BeeStation within the Synology ecosystem: “For nearly two decades, Synology has been a leader in NAS solutions, offering advanced features for tech enthusiasts and professionals. With BeeStation, we’re addressing a different need. BeeStation packs all the file management and backup essentials into a more accessible and simplified hardware and software experience.”

Get Started in Minutes

Start your personal cloud straight out-of-the-box with a built-in 4 TB hard drive*, ample room for work documents, personal files, photos, and videos. By simply scanning a QR code and connecting the necessary cables, users are minutes away from their personal cloud service.

The accompanying web, desktop and mobile applications offer a seamless experience for managing and accessing files from anywhere, mirroring the convenience of popular cloud services.

Share with workmates

Understanding the need for personal and small business storage solutions, BeeStation allows users to easily create private storage spaces for each employee. This feature ensures that individual privacy is respected and maintained. No complex networking or IT skills needed by anyone.

Backup and AI Capabilities

With BeeStation, automatic backups of photos and videos from iOS and Android devices keeps your most important data protected. Additionally, the AI-powered photo organizer simplifies the task of managing your entire photo library, making it easier than ever to find and share specific images or albums with hardware-accelerated people and object recognition.

BeeStation’s advanced features include the ability to back up files from Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and connected USB drives, ensuring that users always retain a copy of their important data.

Availability

BeeStation is available for purchase starting today on the Synology website and through official partners and resellers worldwide. 

To purchase or learn more, visit https://bee.synology.com/BeeStation

Nearly 70% of businesses fail when they attempt to scale and expand internationally. To help more companies join the 30% that do succeed, Trena Blair – Global Business Expansion Expert and Founder of FD Global Connections – has written her debut book Decoding Global Growth: How successful companies scale internationally.

As a global entrepreneur, Trena Blair has lived and worked in Australia and the USA throughout her 20+ year international corporate executive career, where she has worked with C-suite leaders and organisations including MasterCard, AGB Events and Austrade to deliver highly specialised international expansion and scaleup strategies to access the USA market, and beyond.

Trena has leveraged her expertise to author Decoding Global Growth, whichis a practical guide designed to give any business the tools and confidence needed to launch globally. The bookis the culmination of everything she’s learned, along with real-life case studies from some of the world’s most accomplished business leaders including Emma Lo Russo, Founder and CEO of Digivizer, Skander Malcolm, Chief Executive, Managing Director of OFX Group and Gemma Lloyd, the co-founder and CEO of WORK180. This is supplemented with research and insights from their learnings, whilst also weaving in historical context to support Trena’s proven processes.

The book is structured in four parts – setting the globalisation scene, how to lay the foundations for global growth, the key pillars for global growth, and an analysis of the top five global markets companies expand into. Each section covers content that can be applied to any business, including Trena’s proven scalability formula for success, how to develop the most effective go-to-market strategy, and various sales and distribution strategies, so every reader walks away with a clear path forward.

Trena Blair says, “There are many lessons to be learned when scaling a business globally, and often businesses and their leaders have to learn them the hard way, unfortunately. I was passionate about writing Decoding Global Growth in a way that provides true to life examples of some of the mistakes made, and provide my expert advice on how organisations can avoid similar mishaps on their expansion journey. I also delved into many complex factors that influence the right outcome in the global marketplace, and advice on how business leaders of any organisational size, can apply these practically.

“Essentially I wanted Decoding Global Growth to be a handbook – whether the reader is a start-up entrepreneur or a seasoned CEO  – who wants to ensure their business scales successfully, that they do this in the most efficient way possible to save on time and money, and turn their vision into a reality.”

4 of the most common mistakes business leaders make when attempting to scale internationally, and how to avoid these:

1. Assuming their business success can simply be duplicated in a foreign market

• Companies need to conduct in-depth research on the local practices, values and cultural nuances of the target country, and not assume that everything in their own market will easily translate.

2. Lacking confidence in their team, and not having the capacity to delegate

• It is imperative for leaders to cultivate trust within their teams by mastering the art of delegation.

3. Not fully understanding the business and all of its functions

• Leaders need to be aware and have deep knowledge of all functions of their business, from employees to the product or service they are providing their customers.

4. Trying to scale too soon

• Premature scaling is considered one of the most common signs of imminent doom for a startup. Trena has developed her own ‘Global Scalability Audit’, to help leaders decipher whether they are ready to grow.

Trena adds, “In my 20 years of doing business internationally, the one thing I’ve come to know is that scaling internationally is not for the faint-hearted. Not only does it take grit, determination, and a healthy dose of courage, but an in-depth understanding of the risks and the intricacies of the landscape you’re launching into is imperative. In a race where only the best-prepared survive, getting it wrong could cost you millions, could impact your reputation negatively, and put your core business at serious risk.”

Decoding Global Growth: How successful companies scale internationally is available for purchase both via FD Global Connections’ website and on Amazon. The book is also being adapted to an online e-learning platform, FD Global Academy, where business leaders can go at their own pace, choosing modules based on their specific needs and skill gaps.

Optus has today announced the launch of FutureFit, a series of workshops designed to help small businesses strategically plan digital initiatives, identify and respond to business risks and implement resilience strategies.

The workshops will be conducted across six locations and online (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wagga Wagga and Perth) starting from Thursday, 7 March and running through April. More than 700 small businesses will have the opportunity to take part in an interactive workshop where they will leave with a personalised digital strategy for their business.

The program aims to support business owners to enhance their knowledge and skills as they adapt to the demands of an increasingly digital economy focusing on how small business owners can plan for digital transformation, incorporate a whole business digital approach and increase resiliency.

Research shows that digitisation is a key driver of success with small business owners. Employees that possess an advanced level of digital engagement are 50% more likely to experience business growth and businesses with digital skills earn 60% more revenue per employee^[1].

Emma Jensen, VP Small Business at Optus said: “We understand that running a small business comes with many opportunities and challenges that aren’t always easy to navigate alone.”

“Through listening to our customers, we know that digital capability – and keeping up to date as it rapidly changes – is one of the key issues that small businesses face.   We felt there was a real opportunity for Optus to add value by offering a solution to help educate small businesses and reimagine their own digital strategy.“

“The FutureFit workshops we’re launching will enable small businesses to better understand and leverage technology such as AI, social media, digital marketing tools and website development, with the goal of making their business more resilient in a digital age.” 

Optus Business customer and Founder of small business, Only the Sweet Stuff, Debbie Hatumale-Uy, knows the importance of digital communities in today’s small business ecosystem and the importance of being able to continue to upskill.

Hatumale-Uy said: “As a small business owner, you can’t ‘set and forget’ your operations, because something that works today might not work tomorrow.”

“We’re building our businesses in a world where there are a lot of changes that can have a big impact on your day-to-day operations. It’s essential that you’re upskilling so you can harness new opportunities.”

“I know how important it is to spend your time effectively. It can be overwhelming to know where to get your information from, which is why I’m excited to see Optus launch workshops that will give small business owners tools to adapt to an ever-changing digital landscape.”

With the ever-evolving digital landscape, many businesses with fewer than 20 employees are forced to prioritise business critical matters over investing in IT teams or other external services. It becomes vital that small businesses harness technology in order to thrive

Expert business coaches from Dynamic Uplift take a gamified approach that incorporates interactive canvases and cards as well as user-friendly apps to simplify complex processes and meet the needs of small businesses regardless of their digital maturity stage. The workshops will cover a number of topics including:

• Putting digital in context – understanding why it’s critical for every business.
• How to better leverage artificial intelligence and the right apps
• Understanding what ‘digital’ could mean for your business, customers, and partners.
• Evaluating your current digital capability and competitive position.  
• Planning and implementing your digital strategy.

Robert Kinkade, Director, South Pacific Digital at Dynamic Uplift said, “Australia is well progressed on the shift to the digital age, and no business is immune to the impacts of digital disruption, regardless of size.”

“Many small to mid-sized businesses are seeking urgent support without the budget to hire consulting firms or other advisors, and the business owners and operators are time constrained, meaning that they only have days to devote to this critical agenda, not weeks or months.”

The FutureFit workshops will commence on Thursday 7 March in Melbourne. Small Businesses who are interested in attending any of the events in person or online should RSVP, as space is limited.

SMEs urged to negotiate payment discounts

The recent announcement by the Reserve Bank to leave the cash rate target unchanged at 4.35 per cent came as welcome relief for SMEs grappling with inflation and rising living costs.^[i] Any increase in interest rates can quickly reshape the financial landscape for SMEs. 

Moneytech CEO Nick McGrath acknowledges that Australian small business owners have proved to be a very resilient group of people. “SMEs have been really copping it on all fronts but generally holding up well,” said McGrath. “Over the past twelve months, they’ve had to deal with inflation, and supply chain issues, while interest rate increases have impacted their business lending and home loans.”

McGrath identifies cash flow, primarily impacted by debtors stretching payment periods beyond agreed terms, as the big issue for business in 2024. SME business owners and also consumer borrowers are increasingly turning to the non-bank lending industry to make up cash flow short-falls.

“Debtor payment periods are just one of these storms impacting business at the moment, with debtor payment days blowing out at the big and small ends of town,” said McGrath. “30 to 60-day invoice terms are dragging out to anywhere between 90 and 120 days. That’s a lot of time for SMEs to wait to get their money after delivering goods or services.”

To overcome cashflow issues, a finance facility can give tight budgets some much needed breathing room. SMEs using finance to deal with slow invoice payment and high cost of living pressures are advised by McGrath to put their finance to work by getting a better deal, instead of simply using it just for cash.  

Negotiating terms with suppliers is just one of the ways better cash flow from a finance facility can improve the bottom line. According to McGrath, SME business owners should ask suppliers for a payment discount for quicker payment.

“SMEs are paying their own suppliers in 30, 60, or 90 day terms, if you pay cash on delivery or a 14 day term, often a supplier will give business owners a discount of anywhere between three to five per cent of the cost of goods sold. The discount generally far outweighs the cost of finance, so make sure any capital from finance is put to good work.”

To learn more about finance facilities to assist and grow your business, visit www.moneytech.com.au.

Mimecast, an advanced email and collaboration security company, published its Q4 Global Threat Intelligence Report today, revealing extortion campaigns, geopolitical threats, and attacks on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to be among the greatest cybersecurity risks to cybersecurity defences. The report analyses the threat landscape for Q4 2023 and offers actionable recommendations on how to improve cyber defence. Key findings from the report include: 

Ransomware threat evolves to effectively hold victims hostage

Ransomware and breach-for-ransom campaigns continued to grow in Q4 2023, with one of the larger groups, ALPHV Blackcat, compromising more than 1,000 victims with ransomware and data extortion and reaping more than $300 million in ransom payments by the end of the quarter. Attack strategies have evolved from crypto-ransomware (where attackers encrypt data and hold the decryption key) to breach-for-ransom campaigns (where attackers steal sensitive data and threaten to release the sensitive information unless paid) to double- and triple-extortion strategies (where attackers combine tactics for more dire consequences).

Garret O’Hara, Senior Director – Sales Engineering APAC said: “We blocked nearly 250 million attacks against Mimecast-protected systems in January – a new record high for the business, highlighting the sheer scale of the threat.

“It’s striking that in a busy election year, with 76 countries due to go to the polls, geopolitical tensions have increased, leading to more cyberattacks, with over 100 hacker groups claiming participation in the Israel-Gaza conflict alone. It is deeply concerning that nation-states are using cyber operations to gather intelligence on rival governments and attack critical infrastructure and information systems. Organisations must act to ensure they and their employees are protected against this continuing uptick in malicious activity. Our new report offers threat-specific countermeasures and general recommendations to help combat threats.”

Small and Medium businesses pay BIG price

Users at small and medium-sized businesses encountered more than twice the number of threats — 31 and 32 threats per user (TPU), respectively — than users at large companies, who saw about 15 TPU in Q4.

The larger risk for SMBs is due to a greater share of employees in critical roles; targeting those users results in a higher level of threats per user. In addition, because SMBs rely on credential-based cloud services for much of their operations, attackers are more focused on credential theft, a common phishing goal. A striking 97.3% of Australian businesses are small to medium enterprises, according Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, making the threat particularly pronounced in the Australia.

Threat actors become less attached

In Q4, for the first time, the average user was more likely to encounter a malicious link than a malicious attachment. With users ignoring the overwhelming volume of email messages blocked as either spam or impersonation (phishing), attackers are shifting from delivering payloads as malware to sending links to malicious sites, which then deliver the payload.

Fujifilm is celebrating its 90^th anniversary with the launch of the company’s first ever Global Purpose, ‘Giving our world more smiles’, underscoring the company’s commitment to bring diverse ideas, unique capabilities and extraordinary people together to change the world.

The new Global Purpose also reflects the role of Fujifilm Group in bringing smiles globally through innovative products for the past 90 years and the aim for the entire Fujifilm group to guide employees, customers and the community toward a shared future.

To see a short video on Fujifilm’s new Global Purpose go to: https://holdings.fujifilm.com/special/90th/en/#video

Fujifilm Australia CEO Richie Matoba said, “Fujifilm’s 90th anniversary celebrates the rich diversified history of our brand and our journey through a wide range of industries and products that have enriched and changed countless lives. It is also a commitment to the future, with the belief that our product range and proprietary technologies will be successful in giving our world more smiles.”

Fujifilm Australia CEO Richie Matoba

Since its foundation, Fujifilm has been dedicated to providing products and services based on its advanced and proprietary technologies to bring smiles to people’s faces. In achieving sustainable growth and with its employees as the driving force, the company aims to propel the Fujifilm group toward realising the new Global Purpose as an embodiment of shared aspiration.

 
President, CEO and representative director of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation Teiichi Goto added, “Through our new Global Purpose and by combining the Fujifilm Group’s strengths in technology and the wisdom of our diverse and talented workforce, we will contribute to solving social issues through all of our businesses.”

To mark its anniversary Fujifilm has also launched a dedicated 90^th anniversary website which showcases the company’s history since 1934 and reflects the wide ranging public discussions it has had about its role in society and how it can contribute to create a brighter future.

Fujifilm’s new Global Purpose is one of its most unique and wide-ranging initiatives to date as it encompasses all of the company’s divisions, including medical systems, photo imaging, recording media and electronic imaging.

The new Global Purpose has roots as far back as Fujifilm’s 2006 corporate philosophy change when the company began aligning its business expansion and the addition of diverse products globally. It also aligns with Fujifilm’s global CSR plan which emphasises sustainable development as a part of Fujifilm’s Sustainable Value Plan (SVP) 2030.

Whilst Fujifilm’s “Value from Innovation” remains as the company’s corporate slogan, there has also been a key Corporate Philosophy Update which the company describes as, “an embodiment of aspirations propelling the group toward realising its purpose.”

Matoba added, “There are some key messages that form a strong thread running through our new Global Purpose. These include Fujifilm’s resilience through crises, diversification and proactive initiatives, our transition from photographic film to our Second Foundation with focus on imaging, healthcare, materials and business innovation and our unwavering commitment to contributing to societal challenges whilst maintaining a needed and trusted status in our corporate culture.”

The timing of the new Global Purpose Establishment is no coincidence as the company aims to unify employees, customers and the community worldwide on its 90th corporate anniversary year whilst setting the vision for its 100th anniversary.”

Richie Matoba concluded, “Our goal is for Fujifilm to continue providing innovative value and achieve sustainable growth towards our 100th anniversary and beyond as we realise our new Global Purpose. To that end, we will continue to take on the challenge of learning from the past in order to shape the future.”

To see a short video on Fujifilm’s new Global Purpose go to: https://holdings.fujifilm.com/special/90th/en/#video

For more information on Fujifilm’s new Global Purpose and its 90^th anniversary go to: https://holdings.fujifilm.com/special/90th/en