Unceasing Challenge for New Value Creation

Sumitomo Corporation Group conducts business activities throughout a wide range of industries on a global scale and aims to achieve prosperity and realize dreams through sound business activities. Since its foundation in 1919, we have made steady growth through enhancing our ability to create new value together with stakeholders such as business partners and clients, across business networks around the world.

The basis for our management and business activities is rooted in Sumitomo’s business philosophy, which has formed the foundation for Sumitomo’s sustainable development over the course of 400 years. One of the credos of this philosophy states: “Benefit for self and others, private and public interests are one and the same.” This credo underscores the importance that Sumitomo’s business activities not only benefit Sumitomo, but must also benefit society around us in order to achieve sustainable growth together.

In 2019, we celebrated Sumitomo Corporation`s 100th anniversary year and created a new corporate message――“Enriching lives and the world”――that conveys the determination and enthusiasm of the Sumitomo Corporation Group.

This message is the result of discussions among several of our group members from around the world. We looked back at our history over the past 100 years in which our company has advanced together with society, and we looked ahead at the next 100 years and the achievements yet to come. The message also represents the group’s unwavering pledge to further enrich the world, society, and people’s lives through sound business activities.

Today, the world faces a wide range of issues, and the role of the private sector has become even more important. We identified material issues in April 2017 to achieve sustainable growth with society, based on Sumitomo’s business philosophy and the Sumitomo Corporation group’s corporate mission statement. To expand on this, we have now identified key social issues related to our businesses that we will address through our business and corporate activities. We assigned long-term goals to each of these issues and will measure our progress against these benchmarks as part of our commitment to growing alongside society.

As we enter into this next century for our company, Sumitomo Corporation group will continue to aim high, act on our principles and execute to enrich the world and society.

Our global enterprise will act as one to face challenges, overcome obstacles and create new value in a world that is constantly evolving.

We will continue to move forward, shaping the future, and staying ahead.