• Sustainability
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• Intellectual Property

• Corporate Governance
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• Compliance
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• Information Security
• Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property

• Promotion Structure

• Achievements of “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi”

• Various Initiatives Concerning Intellectual Property

The first item of Suzuki's Mission Statement is to "Develop products of superior value by focusing on the customer," and our basic policy is to encourage the creation and utilization of intellectual property in the process of providing what customers really need in a way that is unique to Suzuki.

The core of these intellectual property strategies lies in “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi (Smaller, Fewer, Lighter, Shorter, Beauty),” which is the root of Suzuki’s philosophy and culture and also contributes to carbon neutrality. Based on the Philosophy of Conduct “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi (Smaller, Fewer, Lighter, Shorter, Beauty),” each and every employee will respond to the diversifying needs of customers and society with wisdom and ingenuity. They will design and develop products with original ideas that are unique to Suzuki, inspiring amazement, and will continue to create intellectual property.

Promotion Structure

Intellectual Property Promotion Committee

Review of system for creating intellectual property

Under the Mid-Term Management Plan "By Your Side" announced in February 2025, intellectual property department members will be involved in development work carried out by the design and development departments to minimize energy consumption, and will turn the inspiration and ideas of the design and development departments into competitive patent rights.

In particular, starting in FY2024, approximately 80 managers (supervisory level) from each department were tasked with driving invention creation in the design and development departments, and the design and development departments and the intellectual property departments will work more closely together to discover inventions. Additionally, at the beginning of each fiscal year, the heads of the design and development departments and the intellectual property departments hold interviews to formulate and implement intellectual property strategies for each development area.

Enhancing incentives to create intellectual property through a reward system

In April 2023, Suzuki revised the reward system for intellectual property to make individual employees who create intellectual property feel “praised,” “recognized” and “highly commended.” Incentives for creating intellectual property were also strengthened in such ways as, in particular, having the inventors of patents chosen by general managers for embodying Suzuki’s unique “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi (Smaller, Fewer, Lighter, Shorter, Beauty),” being presented with awards directly by the President at Company-wide events, holding roundtable talks among the inventors, the President and officers, and disclosing scenes of such events on the Company intranet.

The focus of this fiscal year’s presidential award are the nine patents described in the next section, “Achievements of ‘Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi.’”

In addition to the above, our reward system also supports the creation of intellectual property through a wide variety of programs, such as confidential invention rewards and naming rewards.

Confidential invention rewards are for know-how that is not suitable for disclosure. Certain inventions, such as those related to product technology in factories, generally need to be kept as in-house know-how without a patent application being filed, as the nature of these inventions makes infringement by other companies difficult to detect. This system allows such inventions to still be eligible for rewards.

Furthermore, while intellectual property rewards are generally given to engineers, we have established naming rewards for outstanding product names, and are soliciting ideas from all employees.

(A roundtable discussion between inventors, the President, and officers)

Achievements of “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi”

Vehicle battery pack structure

<Patent key point>

Placing a battery guard below the front of the battery pack improves durability against impacts from protrusions in the road, while also achieving a smaller and lighter body.

<Unique to Suzuki>

Smaller: Space-saving
Lighter: Avoids an increase in weight

Cable routing structure for electric vehicles

<Patent key point>

By routing low-voltage cables in the narrow spaces located behind the junction boxes of BEVs, it is possible to protect low-voltage cables with minimal protectors in the event of frontal collisions.

<Unique to Suzuki>

Smaller: Space-saving
Fewer: Limits the increase in the number of components
Lighter: Avoids an increase in weight

Connector protection structure

<Patent key point>

A simple, high-strength pipe-shaped protector provides reliable connector protection to prevent contact between electrical equipment connectors installed in BEVs and surrounding parts.

<Unique to Suzuki>

Smaller: Space-saving
Fewer: Limits the increase in the number of components
Lighter: Avoids an increase in weight

Front fender

External device support structure for straddle-type vehicles

<Patent key point>

Improves cable stability by supporting the middle of cables connecting the mobile terminal device mounted above the meter of a saddle-type vehicle on the vehicle body side.

<Unique to Suzuki>

Smaller: Space-saving
Beauty (Bi): Improved aesthetic appearance

Side cowl

Vehicle front structure

<Patent key point>

The bottom of a BEV coolant reserve tank has a sloped surface that rises to the rear. When the reserve tank moves backwards during a frontal collision, the high-voltage cable located at the rear allows the reserve tank to escape upwards, protecting the high-voltage cable without the need for additional parts.

<Unique to Suzuki>

Fewer (Sho): Prevents increases to the number of components
Lighter: Avoids an increase in weight

Shift device

Automotive displays

Various Initiatives Concerning Intellectual Property

Enhancing patent applications in India

Suzuki has been enhancing patent applications in India, which is one of Suzuki’s primary markets. We have acquired and currently maintain over 1,800 patents, second only to Japan, where we have acquired the most patents (approximately 4,400).

Periodic provision of the latest patent-related information

As one benchmark, we promote viewing technological information by providing^* the latest patent-related information about business inside and outside the Company in an easy-to-view format, and support manufacturing and the realization of customers’ desires.

*Once a week as a rule

Conducting systematic intellectual property training

Suzuki also concentrates on intellectual property training by rank, implements stratified training with a focus on patent law^*1 and copyright law^*2, and promotes the importance of preserving and utilizing intellectual property throughout the entire company.

• *1 Training conducted for a total of more than 3,900 people by FY2024, primarily junior engineers in their second to third year with the Company. The program is ongoing.
• *2 E-learning will be provided to a total of approximately 15,000 employees (by FY2024).
  Conducted group training for new employees beginning in 2019 (more than 2,900 by FY2024).
  Conducted on-demand training for newly appointed managers beginning in 2020 (approximately 1,700 by FY2024).