GK had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Kenichi Horino, president of RASCO, about Japan’s enduring strength in monozukuri, the company’s niche role in semiconductor manufacturing, and its strategic decision to focus on core competencies following the pandemic. Read an excerpt of the interview below.
In terms of Japanese innovation and its concept of Monozukuri, what is it that gives the country a competitive advantage against other regional competitors?
Japanese products are usually more durable and have a strength which allows them to last longer than other countries’ products. For example, we manufacture equipment which has a high reputation among our client base to be extremely durable and almost unbreakable.
What impact has the increased demand for semiconductor manufacturing facilities had on your business?
We are in a very niche industry, therefore a lot of the things that we do is very unique in the world. In that sense, because we are niche, this means that there are few alternative players within this field. One example of development is that our products can have a special kind of control that other competitors’ products cannot achieve. This kind of technology performance, our products having the ability to do what others cannot, is the key to RASCO being the preferred partner.
What role does Rasco play in supporting the pharmaceutical industry?
Since one of our partnerships is within the pharmaceutical industry, we do have techniques such as sterilization technology that we can offer to them. However, as the world changed so quickly following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the semiconductor supply shortage, we decided to focus solely on our semiconductor business instead. Our company motto is “manufacturing accomplishment”, meaning we manufacture products, supply to our customers and gain customer satisfaction.
