GLOBAL SUZUKI

With Local Communities

Cleanup activities

Participation in and cooperation with the Lake Hamana Environmental Network

As part of environment education for employees and their family, since establishing the Lake Hamana Environmental Network in 2005, Suzuki is actively participating in and cooperating with the network.
The Lake Hamana Environmental Network receives entrustment from the Environmental Protection Bureau of Shizuoka Prefecture, and conducts constant and aggressive activities including an education program in relation to environmental conservation of Lake Hamana, reuse project of eelgrass and sea lettuce, and transmission of local environment information. As of March 2017, 72 groups and bodies such as local civic groups, schools, NPO corporations, and various trade associations and companies are registered in this Network, which is the "place for gathering" for environmental conservation of Lake Hamana.
In FY2017, Suzuki's employees and their family members (98 persons in total) participated in activities such as "Lake Hamana Enviromental College" which is a kind of environmental learning for a wide range of persons from children to adults and "Vegetables Making Experience" using natural eelgrass compost.
Through lectures and experiential learning such as observation, cleaning of waterside and farming, Suzuki will continue to encourage people to recognise the bountiful nature of the brackish water lake, Lake Hamana by participating in and cooperating with environment education and preservation activities.

●Lake Hamana Enviromental College 2017 Bentenjima (5 August 2017)

The following activity was held at the Ikari Shoal.
●Observation of creatures and eelgrass in shallow water

●Bamboo Friendly Experience in Iinoya (20 August 2017)

The following activities were held at a bamboo forest of Shosen Temple in Iinoya, Kita-ku, Hamamatsu.
●Bamboo lecture ●Bamboo craft experience ●Bamboo forest trimming operation

●Growing vegetables raised with compost made from eelgrass (25 September 2017)

Field-making and seed-planting of vegetables at NPO Murachanet’s field in Murakushi-cho

●Growing vegetables raised with compost made from eelgrass (23 December 2017)

Harvesting of radishes at NPO Murachanet’s field in Murakushi-cho

●Lake Hamana Activity in Kosai (21 October 2017)

Following activities were held at the Ochibanosato water park
●Observation of forest and river creatures
●Cooking using fallen trees
●Water quality check of Ima River

Supporting activities to the local society

The Suzuki Group made the following supports to the local society in FY2017.

Japan Suzuki Aid for flood relief in Northern Kyushu region Donated a total of two million yen through the Japanese Red Cross Society as a support to the affected Fukuoka and Oita prefectures
Support for earthquake measures by the local governments Donated a total of 40 million yen to the local governments (Cities of Iwata, Makinohara, Kakegawa, and Fukuroi in Shizuoka) to their earthquake measures (accumulated total of 810 million yen)
India Maruti Suzuki Maintenance of water supply
Public sanitation		 Established waterers at 10 locations, water line for over 1,000m, toilets for 1,200 households, sewerage for over 16km, etc. as a self-sustainable project
Maintenance of infrastructure at governmental schools Established male/female separated toilets, set up new classrooms and water tanks, provided scholoarships, etc.
Support for local region Established community halls, fixed crematorium, constructed paved roads for over 10km, established solar-powered road lights at 250 locations, etc.
Pakistan Pak Suzuki Establishment of library Established a school library by donating books, racks, chairs and tables
Installation of road signs Installed 43 different traffic safety sign boards including speed limit, wearing helmet, seat belt, etc. at different locations of Multan City where the company's regional office is located

Support for local region by Maruti Suzuki

Support for local region by Maruti Suzuki

Educational supports

Introduction of Suzuki’s Monozukuri (production) to local students

For the purposes of cultivation of human resources and activation of researches, we give “Suzuki Endowment Lectures” at a local university by sending lecturers from Suzuki. Also, we hold “Suzuki Lectures” to inform students on what are happening in the industrial world.

●Suzuki Endowment Lectures

Aimed to nurture researchers and contribute to academic promotion and society, Suzuki has been giving endowment lectures on efforts for various researches of element technologies of automobiles to the Shizuoka University (Faculty of Engineering).
Under the lecture titled "Advanced vehicle energy engineering”, the Company is making efforts in research aimed to realise advanced vehicle with high environmental performance.
The study is conducted at the laboratory by integrating production, experiment, and analysis.
At the lecture of automotive engineering for students in the third year of mechanical departments, we are offering unique education which only a company can present; for example, we introduce functions, materials, manufacturing methods, and latest technologies of automobile parts while looking at actual parts.

∙Lecture course : "Advanced vehicle energy engineering" presented by Suzuki
∙Study theme :
  • ① Study of improving performance of lean NOx catalyser
  • ② Study on temperture estimation of magnet used in motor
∙Lecturer : Two employees are sent from Suzuki as specifically-appointed lecturers
∙Term : 18 years from April 2003 to end of March 2021

●Suzuki Lectures

We hold lectures that introduce current industrial status and activities for problems at two universities; Shizuoka Sangyo University (Iwata Campus) and Tokoha University (Hamamatsu campus).

∙FY2017 theme : Suzuki’s initiatives in realising Team Suzuki and Strengthening of Manufacturing for management based toward the next 100 years
∙Lecturer : Employees from each department, depending upon the theme
∙Term : One lecture – 90〜100 minutes, 14〜15 times per year

Student Formula Japan

“The 15th Student Formula Japan” sponsored by Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan was held at Shizuoka Prefecture Ogasayama Nature and Sports Park (ECOPA) from 5 to 9 September 2017.
This competition is held every year to develop human resources that may contribute to promotion of automotive technologies and industries through cooperation of government, industrial, academic and private sectors, and teams of students compete with each other for their total abilities of manufacturing using vehicles that they design and manufacture.
As a member of the Society, Suzuki cooperates in operation of this competition and supports participating teams. At the tournament held in 2017, 98 teams including 74 domestic and 24 overseas teams participated, and Kyoto Institute of Technology that we supported won the overall first prize in the petrol engine car class (ICV) for the seccond consecutive year.

Kids Engineer

“Kids Engineer” sponsored by Society of Automotive　Engineers of Japan was held on 4 and 5 August 2017.
Suzuki provided the activity to learn the engine by actually disassembling and assembling the engine of the scooter Choi Nori for kids from 1st to 6th grades to get to know the fun of manufacturing.

“Monozukuri” Workshop

We provide “Monozukuri Workshop on Transportation Devices” for universities in Japan and other countries and local corporate through Suzuki Plaza and plant tour. Workshops were held in 2017 as listed on the right.

7/13 Nagoya University Summer Program (NUSIP)

6/6 Core Human Resource Development Workshop
(Suzuki Plaza tour)

Date University, workshop name No. of
participants
2017 7 April Tokyo City University 150
19 April Company visit by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Sakura Science High School Program 100
26 May JENESYS2016 (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths), a program by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for promotoing understanding of Japan 8
31 May
6 June		 Hamamatsu Agency for Innnovation Core Human Resource Development Workshop 30
13 July Nagoya University Summer Program (NUSIP) 45
26 July Hamamatsu Agency for Innnovation Core Human Resource Development Workshop 30
29-30 August National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies 17
7 September University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada 9
21 September Waseda University 56
28-29 September Shizuoka University Asia Bridge Program company experience 9
29 September Shizuoka University Career Design Training
Shizuoka University Faculty of Engineering plant tour		 45
45
21 November Shizuoka University and Kasetsart University (Thailand) 25
29 November Hamamatsu Chubu Gakuen company experience 6
2018 16 and 19 January Shizuoka University Asia Bridge Program special workshop 29
26 January Company visit by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Sakura Science 10
16 February Shizuoka University of Arts and Culture Global Career Design Workshop 17
27 March Shizuoka University Dream-Finding Support Project for Science-Major Female Students in Shizuoka 10
Total 641

Track and field training program

Aiming to train athletes who can compete in international competitions such as the Olympics and the World Championships, the Suzuki Hamamatsu Athlete Club has been producing Japanese national athletes for the past four consecutive Olympics from 2004 (Athens) to 2016 (Rio de Janeiro).
The top-level athletes including the Olympians such as Akihiko Nakamura (for Decathlon in Rio de Janeiro) and Ryohei Arai (for Javelin Throw in Rio de Janeiro) who are active inside and outside of Japan cooperate in track and field training program and lectures held in various regions. Based on their own experience, they contribute to the popularisation and development of the track and field in Japan, as well as enhancement of children’s physical strength.
The Suzuki Hamamatsu Athlete Club will continue the activities to awaken children's interests in track and field, as well as emotions and dreams gained through sports.

Suzuki Plaza (https://www.suzuki-rekishikan.jp/)

Since Suzuki started its business in 1909 and was organised as a corporate in 1920 as a loom manufacturer, we have been devoted ourselves to customer-oriented “Monozukuri” based on the word “valuable products for customers”. Our enthusiasm for “Monozukuri” does not change even today that we manufacture and sell products all over the world.
The Suzuki Plaza is an exhibition facility opened in April 2009 to introduce Suzuki's history and manufacturing spirit to the public. Visitors can see a lot of our products since our foundation including looms, motorcycles, and automobiles that had been developed with the times, and the current automobile manufacturing process from development to production.
Approximatrly 600,000 persons have visited since it opened in 2009.

Suzuki Plaza

Trends in number of visitors

Introduction to Suzuki Plaza

Suzuki’s history floor

You can see Suzuki’s history which started with looms in 1909 and vehicles in old times such as the motorcycle launched in 1952 “Power Free”, the first mass-production minicar in Japan launched in 1955 “Suzulight”, the first Jimny (LJ10) launched in 1970, and the first Alto launched with the price of 470,000 yen in 1979, by elaborate presentation.

Loom from the time of foundation

Power Free

Suzulight

Suzuki’s Monozukuri floor

Based on the current manufacture of automobiles as the theme, the process from planning and development to production and sales of a new model is displayed in order.
You can see how Suzuki’s automobiles are manufactured at the plant in the powerful 3D theater “Factory Adventure”. In addition, there is a full-size assembly line and you can experience the simulated manufacturing site of automobiles.
There are various tricks including robots utilised at the plant, movie “World Adventure” that introduces manufacturing by Suzuki in foreign countries, sections that introduce the local Enshu area, etc., and not only car lovers but children who just start to get interested in automobiles can enjoy this facility.

Design room

Assembly line

Enshu Corner

Field study

The Suzuki Plaza is utilised by a number of local elementary schools as a good place for field study on the automobile industry. By experiencing the "plant tour" where they can see Suzuki's manufacturing site and by also visiting the Suzuki Plaza that introduces the development phase before manufacturing automobiles, they can learn the manufacturing process of automobiles in details.

Trends in field study

Field study

Manufacturing event

We hold events for children as an opportunity to enhance our relationship with the local community and to have them interested in "manufacturing". Those events are related to the history and manufacturing spirit of Suzuki, allowing children to enjoy learning through experiencing in a different way from textbook-oriented study.

Manufacturing event

The Suzuki Plaza will continue to hold such events to stimulate children's interest in "manufacturing". We hope that we can help children deepen their knowledge of the automobile industry by accepting field trips of many elementary schools. And, we will continue to do our best to become the institution that makes local people happy.