Capital as the source of value creation
In order to improve the corporate value of Mitsui Kinzoku Group by continuously creating growth products andbusinesses through the implementation of our business model, we make efforts to maintain and strengthen the
non-financial capital that is the source of this value.

Human Capital Management
Mitsui Kinzoku Group is committed to solving
environmental and social issues through its business,with the objective of enhancing the sustainability ofsociety at large as well as the Group. To this end, wedevelop strategies to continuously create innovations andgenerate new value. The key to successful
implementation of these strategies is our workforce madeup of diverse individuals with different values as well as a
wealth of experience and skills.
The Group’s personnel work around the world,
performing their roles in contributing to the creation of
new value. In order to increase employee engagement
and the job satisfaction of each person, we strive tocreate a working environment and employment systems
that can foster a sense of security and maximize thepotential of each individual.
The Group develops personnel who are committed tosolving environmental and social issues through businessactivities and generating new value, based on its Human
Resource Development Policy. For the purpose of fully
utilizing our human capital while pursuing this policy, we
have developed personnel strategies centering on thefollowing four areas: introducing the HRBP＊ function
based on the personnel strategies; promoting healthmanagement; promoting diversity & inclusion; andlaunching the performance-based system and making it
firmly entrenched.

Establishment of Human resource business
partner Office
Previously, the roles of the corporate personnel divisionwere basically limited to operational duties, such as
putting into practice personnel strategy plans created by
the management team and performing employment
administration duties. Recently, however, in face of thebusiness environment becoming increasingly uncertain,
many companies have begun to pursue strategic
personnel functions to link business strategies topersonnel management aiming to grow their business
continuously.
Against this backdrop, the Company set up the HR
Business Partner Office in April 2022, with the aim ofbuilding a structure that enables us to deploy personnel ina timely manner to implement business and management
strategies.
As part of the structure, an HRBP is assigned to each
Sector to support close cooperation between the Human
Resource Department and the Sector.
We will identify forward-looking HR issues, such as theimplementation of human resources allocation tied to the
dynamic management of the business portfolio from agroup-wide perspective, and rapidly develop measures toresolve these issues. At the same time, we will support
and promote talent management in each department
through succession plans and individual
deployment/development plans.

＊ Human resource business partner (HRBP): HR function that

Promotion of health management
Mitsui Kinzoku Group considers the physical and mental
health of all employees and their families to be an
important management issue for its sustainability.
The good health of employees and their families
constitutes a condition for the employees leading afulfilling life, which provides a basis for maximizing theirindividual potential and contributing to increasing theCompany’s productivity and performance, a source forcreating new value.
Based on this understanding, we have expressed ourcommitment to maintaining and increasing the health of
our employees and their families, in pursuit of vigorous
corporate activities and thereby contributing to society.
Mitsui Kinzoku is committed to health management.
We have been certified as a Health and Productivity
Enterprise every year since 2019. Going forward, we will
work to focus more on maintaining and increasing thehealth of employees’ families in addition to employees
themselves.
In FY2022, we carried out various activities to promotehealth management, such as disseminating our healthmanagement commitment statement within the Group,
running health-themed seminars and campaigns, andproviding ongoing mental health training programs at allsites.
We are also conducting an array of healthimprovement programs, including: performing companywide analysis of health check results; identifying healthissues; setting health management goals and taking
improvement measures to address each issue;
introducing systems to support employees to receive
medical treatment while continuing to work; giving
feedback of mental stress checks to each workplace;
conducting interview surveys for target workplaces;monitoring the progress of environmental improvement
activities; and providing support with improvement
activities.

serves as a partner to the management team or business divisions,
supporting the organization with using its human resources
effectively to implement business growth and strategies.

SUGIMOTO Akiko
Executive Officer, General Manager of Human Resource Department

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MITSUI KINZOKU Integrated Report 2023

Humans are the only beings that can create value proactively.
Even the most advanced equipment, materials, intellectual
properties or any other form of capital cannot generate value
unless directed by humans with the intention of generating value
from them. In this sense, humans represent the most importantmanagement resource. And the capacity for creating value can be
expanded by providing appropriate personnel training andallocation programs.
However, the effect of such programs differs significantly by
person depending on their frame of mind.
To enable individual persons to focus their efforts on fulfilling
their duties, it is essential to establish a working environment
where each person can work in good health and with safety andsecurity in mind, a basic requirement. It is also necessary to create
an environment where diverse values and views are respectedwithout prejudice so that the Group’s employees can
independently work and where they can work together creatively.
With such an environment in place, we can achieve the mosteffective personnel deployment for the purpose of carrying out
our management strategies. We are pursuing a suitable model forthe organization respecting and utilizing individual qualities at thesame time.

Active participate of diverse human resources
In response to major changes occurring in the external
environment, chiefly induced by Japan’s declining
working-age population and the advancement of AI andother technologies, we are striving to secure humanresources that will contribute to creating value in theGroup. Since FY2016, we have been implementing ourworkstyle, principally the development of our personnel
systems. From FY2022, we are working on work
satisfaction reforms that make us feel like working for
Mitsui Kinzoku precisely because it is Mitsui Kinzoku,
aiming to create a workplace where we can work lively
and energetically.
In view of people’s work styles increasingly diversifying
in the future, we are promoting more flexible work
practices by offering various options to support
employees continuing to work while fulfilling parenting
and family care responsibilities or receiving medical
treatment, thus helping them pursue their careers for along time. We are also working on reducing overtime
work hours.

[Systems to allow flexibility at work]
・ Flexible work times with no core hours
・ Annual leave that can be taken in half-day increments
・ Telework
・ Special leave of absence system for spouse transfers
・ Comeback system (reemployment of employees who werecompelled by personal circumstances to resign)

・ Shorter work hours
・ Staggered work shifts
・ Exemption from overtime work
[Initiatives for reducing overtime work hours]
・Labor-management discussion on measures at
Occupational Health and Safety Committee
・ Providing time management training
・ Visualizing overtime hours with automatic aggregationof PC log-in and log-off times, grasping actual work
hours of managers[Initiative for work satisfaction reform]
Implementation of an action plan to improve
employee’s liveliness by utilizing engagement
measurement

Active involvement of female employees
We are in an era of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty,
complexity, ambiguity), and in order to overcome
challenges characterized by these conditions, it is vitally
important to adopt a diverse range of views and values
and develop a broad perspective for making decisions
and managing organizations, and build a strongorganization to be able to deal with complicated issues in
the future. As the major initial step towards the above
objective, we are focusing on the career development offemale employees, particularly developing female
personnel and increasing mid-career recruitment of
women to assign to managerial positions. We follow the
principle of performance-based appointment andpromotion for selecting and developing candidates for
management positions, in order to provide a fair
opportunity to all applicants, including those temporarily
absent from work for reasons related to life events orother unavoidable circumstances. As part of efforts toincrease female candidates for executive and managerial
roles, we provide a management strategy course for theformer and a candidate training course for the latter.

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33

Promotion of diversity & inclusion
In a bid to enhance and accelerate our efforts to promote
diversity & inclusion, we established the Diversity, Equity,and Inclusion Office in October 2021. The Office isstaffed by full-time members to engage in preparationand implementation of plans directed at achieving aworkplace where all employees with different values
respect each other and thrive together. In pursuit of an
attractive diversity-oriented workplace, specific plans areon the table for two key approaches: increasing job
satisfaction, a priority issue defined in the Mid-termManagement Plan; and supporting women’s careerdevelopment, the first step towards achieving a diversitydriven productive workplace. In April 2022, we set up theDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee chaired by the
President. The Committee meets on a regular basis to
discuss policies and strategies, make decisions, andmonitor the progress of activities. And issues andactivities of the Committee are reported to the Board of
Directors to confirm that initiatives are being implemented
on an ongoing fashion and in alignment withmanagement policies and implementations arethoroughgoing and effective.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee has two
subcommittees: the Women’s Success Promotion
Subcommittee and the Work Satisfaction Reform
Subcommittee.
Both are moving forward with specific plans with speed,
taking advantage of the position directly under the
President.

What the work satisfaction reform aims to achieve
While the goals and organizational challenges differ frombusiness to business, we have held many discussions
with members from each business division to solve
problems in order to realize a workplace where everyone
can work comfortably and lively.
The basic common goal is to create a workplace where
all employees in the same workplace respect each otherand work with a psychologically safety.
For this purpose, we plan to start by visualizing thepresent situation of the organization, and then put into
practice actions suited to each organization.

[Regular information dissemination]

We create a psychologically safe workplace foreveryone to work, by respecting each other.

［Management System］

Board of Directors
Periodic reportSupervision

President

We create a workplace for everyone to work ina self-directed manner and to grow personallyand professionally through trial and error.

Executive Council
Periodic reportSupervision

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Chairperson

What the promotion of women’s success in theircareers aims to achieve
Promoting women's success in Mitsui Kinzoku Group does
not simply mean encouraging only women. We believe thatthrough this initiative, we can get closer to a company where
various values and work styles can be respected andeveryone can work more comfortably and motivated.

Vice-chairperson
Secretariat
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office

Subcommittee on active
involvement of female employees

Chairperson

We respect the individuality of each otherregardless of position and attributes.

Externally:
・ Publication of President’s message on our website
・ Publication of messages from an Outside Director andGeneral Manager of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officeon recruitment page of our website
・ Publication of “what company we would like to be” onrecruitment page of our website
・ Presentation of human resources strategy at ESG
briefing
Internally:
・ Posting President’s message and talk between President
and HR General Manager on intranet and in internal PR
magazine, introducing President’s message and diversity &inclusion initiatives through training programs[Training programs]
・ Unconscious Bias Training (for non-managers)
・ Diversity Management Training (for managers)
・ Diversity & Inclusion Promotion Workshop (Parental
leave of male employees version)・ Social events for female employees

Subcommittee on job
satisfaction reform

We improve productivity and contribute to the creation oforganizations where innovations can be generated, through work
satisfaction reform and personnel systems that enable diverse
human resources to fulfill their potential.
And we aim to accelerate innovations, attracting more people
to become our fans, by disseminating our Group’s efforts in the
promotion of diversity to gain empathy.
These are the missions of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Office.

TASHIRO Misato
General Manager
Diversity Equity and Inclusion Office
Human Resource Department

New human resources system
In April 2022, we reformed our human resources system,
upholding the basic principle of appointing the rightpeople to the right positions based on their performance,
regardless of seniority, under the job/role-based system.
At the same time, we enhanced initiatives for supporting
career development that helps individual employees
develop their career according to their own intentions andvalues.
Through career education, interviews, and othermeasures, we will consider both employees’ wishes andthe company’s expectations to continue initiatives forsupporting the growth of individuals to achieve theircareer vision. We will also improve the existing internal
public recruitment system and consider measures that
respect employees’ right to choose their careers.

NOU Takeshi
President
and Representative Director

Vice-chairperson

For realization of diversity & inclusion
The Group employs a global total of more than 13,000
people at present. With this workforce, we aim to create atruly diverse and inclusive organization, where employeeswith different values respect each other and utilize
different ways of thinking and experiences when working
together, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion,
belief, culture, place of birth, disabilities, gender, sexual
orientation, gender identity, and other background andattribute factors.
In order to achieve innovations in response to constantchanges and trends towards increasing diversification in
the global society, it is vitally important that each
employee have the above-described frame of mind andact accordingly taking advantage of differences from eachother in values and experience. Aiming for a corporategroup that promotes diversity, inspiring each individual to
become more motivated and productive, Mitsui Kinzoku
Group will enhance and accelerate its efforts towardsustainability.

KIBE Hisakazu

Through promoting women’s success, we aim
for an organization that thrives with employees
having more different attributes.

Representative Director Senior Managing Director,
Senior General Manager of Corporate Planning& Control Sector

YAMASHITA Masashi
Senior Executive Officer,
Deputy Senior General Manager ofCorporate Planning & Control Sector

We aim for an organization that embraces
flexibility in work practices and takes on
new challenges.
Unconscious Bias Training

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35

Development of human resources
who will achieve value creation
Mitsui Kinzoku Group develops “Employees who havetheir own ‘will’ ” responsible for realizing value creation of
the Group by both OJT training and Off-JT training
programs.
We are promoting the development andimplementation of training programs to enable employees
to be self-motivated and learn autonomously, improvetheir abilities and skills, and demonstrate their strengths,
and to support each employee's continuous efforts tobuild a lifelong career.
We timely update OFF-JT programs. For example,
while selecting OJT instructors and providing training to
the instructors, we also collect information on training
issues such as communication methods between
instructors and subordinates. Then, we use theinformation to prepare new training programs for young
employees.
Also, in order to practice the integrated thinking-based
management, we are focusing on developing humanresources capable of creating businesses based on
environmental/social issues.

In addition, considering changes in the external
environment, we are working to expand and strengthen
training programs for SDGs, ESG and CSR.
In FY2022, in conjunction with the reform of the humanresources system, we reformed the education system toallow individual self-directed career development andintroduced a DX tool, the Mitsui-Kinzoku Learning
Platform (MLP), to support it. The new education system
offers further reinforced free-choice capacity development
programs and a cafeteria-style training system, which
provides significantly enhanced learning programs that
employees can take freely in addition to rank-based
mandatory training programs to develop the capacity
required for each rank. We also offer contents alignedwith global trends, namely, leadership, anger
management, diversity management, and other contents
that help managers improve their management skills;
learning contents related to workstyle reform, such as DX,
AI, and other technologies and psychological safety; andlearning contents on sustainability.

Overview of the Off-JT training programs
We renewed our training system in FY2022, supporting employees' autonomous career development through programs
centered on cafeteria-type skills development programs. We have also introduced MLP (Mitsui-Kinzoku Learning
Platform) as a learning platform, providing an autonomous learning environment for the employees. As one of the new
curricula in the training programs, we have introduced ICT training, Mitsui Kinzoku Total Digital Human Resource
Development, in order to further improve IT literacy of all employees. Through the continuous implementation of thisinitiative, we aim to develop human resources capable of creating new business models based on DX.

“Value creation process”
for continuously generating new businesses
For exploring new business opportunities suitablefor contributing to solving social issues in asustainable way and developing appropriate
projects into commercial businesses, Mitsui
Kinzoku Group pursues research and development,
the key function to underpin its sustainable growthand competitive advantages.
As a measure to increase the exploration
capacity, we hold cross-divisional brainstorming
sessions to work out new business concepts. Fromthe earliest stage of the brainstorming process,many ideas are subject to vigorous discussions andrigorous verifications made from the multiple
viewpoints of different divisions, so as to expedite
the procedure for creating target themes. Then,
new target themes undergo the stage gate process
to be evaluated by a number of criteria such as
market attractiveness, our competitive advantage,
and the commercialization potential, at each of thestages ranging from opportunity exploration,
research and development, and commercialization
study to market launch.
While pursuing this phased approach, we arealso seeking the possibility of forming partnerships(with customers, suppliers, etc.) for creating new
business projects. By promoting the above
approach, we are building a robust value creation
platform to create new businesses in succession
and for the long term.

【Stage Gate Process】
Propose business opportunities
contributing to humanity and thenatural environment in response
to global challenges

Recognize and discontinue unpromising
themes as early as possible. Concentrate
management resources (human resources
and budget) on the remaining themes

Exploration
Continuous
dialogue withthe markets

Gate（Assessment）

Research

Continuous
dialogue withthe markets

Gate（Assessment）

Development

Continuous
dialogue withthe markets

Gate（Assessment）

Consideration forCommercialization“Commercialization”＊ Each of the following training program is offered through MLP.

＜Purpose＞＜Outline＞● Basic Skill(Mandatory programs)

Acquire the necessary knowledge
and skills for each career stage

・ Programs to develop the necessary competencies at each job rank, including
management, diversity, IT security, sustainability, finance, intellectual property,
quality control, and mental health．

●

Skill Up
(Recommended programs)

Acquire knowledge and skills
useful for each employee's job●

Self Development

Improve one's own abilities and＜Type of training＞●(Programs for self-development) skills according to one's own will

・ Correspondence courses including e-learning.
・ Trainee can choose and take training programs such as business skills
and languages.

Organization-specifictraining

Strengthen each employee’s expertise・ Provide specialized knowledge necessary for job groups and business lines.

Training for
selected employees･ Special training for corporate
manager candidates･ Interaction with externalorganizations

・ External training program for candidates of next-generation managers selectedfrom executive officers and managers.
・ Training program for next-generation and next-next-generation corporate manager
candidates selected within the corporate group.
・ Dispatch for rank-based training held by Mitsui Inter-business Research Institute.

Training programs for young
employees/ mid-career hired
employees

Introduction training for new
employees

・ New employee training, follow-up training, first/second/third-year follow-up
training.
・ Introduction/ follow-up training for mid-career hired employees.

Career training

Support for self-sustaining careerdevelopment

・ Training by age group (20s/30s/40s/50s) in order that each employee willdevelop career vision.

● Cafeteria-type skills development programs

36

・ Programs helpful for each employee's job widely ranging from business skills
to expertise.
・ Selected by each employee based on the work and one's own abilities orrecommended by their supervisor.

MITSUI KINZOKU Integrated Report 2023

Business Creation Sector R&D Center

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37

Intellectual Property Management
Recognizing intellectual property as an importantmanagement resource, Mitsui Kinzoku Group has set out
a basic policy of properly protecting rights, securing
advantage in business and using it for new businesscreation, minimizing risks associated with intellectual
property, developing human resources to support
implementation of the intellectual property strategy, andestablishing respect for intellectual property as part of thecorporate culture.
Based on the basic policy, we will implement the
intellectual property strategy to maximize our corporate
value.

New organization for
integrated thinking-based management

Reinforcing dissemination of IP/intangible
asset information
Response to the new missions
To respond to the requirements of the revised Corporate
Governance Code of 2021, the Intellectual Property
Department enhances its cooperation with different sectors
across the company to provide intellectual property andintangible asset information internally and externally.
It also strives to further strength an initiative of stepping
up its activity for improving the value of intellectual property
and intangible assets, through dialogues with the Board of
Directors.

・ Trend in the number of the group patent applications from
FY2018 to FY2022 is shown on page 142.

Reorganization of the IP management structure
The Intellectual Property Department was reorganized as
the new management plan, the 22 Mid-term Plan, started
last fiscal year. In addition, the Intellectual Property
Department was placed directly under the Technology
Sector, which was newly established in April 2023 (seethe figure below). The reorganization aims to createsynergies for the realization of integrated thinking-based
management, by collaboration of four technical divisions;
Production Engineering Department, Quality Assurance
Department, Environment & Safety Department, andIntellectual Property Department.
Through the reorganization, we strive to improve thetechnology infrastructure and develop relevant personnel
for maximizing the effect of promoting GX and DX
initiatives, while continuing to provide various services
including sophisticated analysis of intellectual property
data using IP landscapes*.

・ Number of patents of the group registered by country as ofthe end of March 2023 is shown on page 142.

Development of a compliance system
The Group promotes its quality compliance system inaccordance with the Mitsui Kinzoku Group Quality
Assurance Guidelines (QAGL).
In FY2022, we implemented self-inspection to ensure
conformity to the guidelines at all sites in Japan. We also
conducted quality compliance audits by internal third
parties just as we did in FY2021 and inspected the status
of development of quality compliance systems in 14 sites
in Japan as scheduled.
In order to better ensure quality compliance, we arebuilding a system to restrict human intervention inhandling processes of inspection data and continuing todemonstrate the system at model plants.
In addition, we strive to introduce the quality
compliance systems to our overseas sites in order topromote the development of QAGL-based quality
compliance system across the globe. We will continue toinspect and improve our quality assurance system forfurther level up.

＊ IP landscapes stands for Intellectual Property Landscape,a method used to survey and analyze intellectual properties
belonging to the company and others and combine outcomeswith information in the market, etc. for use as part of thecompany’s management strategy.

New organization of the Intellectual Property Department（April 2023－）
As part of principal business, our dedicated staff
members provide diverse, highly specialized
services and information. In addition, these staff
members conduct IP activities that are closely
related to the business operations of thesector/workplace.

Corporate Planning Dept.

Intellectual Property staff

Concurrent

Production Engineering Dept.
【Newly established】

Quality Assurance Dept.

Technology Sector
Environment & Safety Dept.

Board of Directors

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MITSUI KINZOKU Integrated Report 2023

Revision of Fundamental Quality Policy
Mitsui Kinzoku Group revised its Fundamental Quality
Policy in 2022, which states that “each employee will
understand and practice the Fundamental Quality Policy
so that our products and services will satisfy all ourcustomers.”
The revised policy is comprised of five items, whichcontain previous provisions regarding several issues,
including voice of customer (VOC), quality work,
teamwork, and speed at work, while explicitly setting forth
a number of new issues, such as social contribution
through building new businesses, ensuring compliance,
and appropriate information disclosure about quality andsafety.

PresidentIntellectual Property Dept.

Raising the awareness of quality assurance /quality compliance
As a group-wide initiative on quality, we conduct
educational activities for all employees during the quality
assurance month (every November), such as conveying
messages from top management, promoting complianceconsultation, and conducting quality complianceawareness surveys.
We also have various training programs throughout
the year, in line with the Quality Compliance Education
System, in order to make the compliance culture in theGroup stronger.

Fundamental Quality Policy
At the Mitsui Kinzoku Group, each employee will
understand and practice the Fundamental Quality
Policy so that our products and services will satisfy all
our customers.
1. We consider opinions from markets and customers
as an asset, which enables us to anticipate futureneeds and promote efforts for optimal quality andcustomer satisfaction.
2. We endeavor to invent, develop and provide
innovative products and services by leveraging ourMaterial Intelligence, while aiming to contribute tosociety.
3. Viewing the quality of work as essential to good
product quality, we pursue quality improvements
through enhancing teamwork and speed at work.
4. We will ensure compliance with rules andstandards related to our products and services.
5. We will give first priority to ensuring safety andsecurity for all our business processes, including
those related to supply chains, and disclose accurate
information, as appropriate, related to quality andsafety.
Revised in April 2022

Principal businessBusiness Creation Sector

Intellectual Property staff

Concurrent

Engineered Materials Sector

Intellectual Property staff

Concurrent

Metals Sector

Intellectual Property staff

Concurrent

Mobility Sector

Intellectual Property staff

Concurrent

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