News

The fiscal year ending March 2026 marks the final year of Phase 1 of our Medium-term Management Strategy FY2031.
I would like to begin by explaining our efforts to expand resource recycling, an important element of the Medium-term Management Strategy FY2031, launched in the fiscal year ended March 2024 with the aim of "circulating resources for a sustainable future."
In order to expand the scope of resource recycling, on December 17, 2024, we completed the acquisition of shares of H.C. Starck, a Germany-based company, bringing it under the Mitsubishi Materials Group umbrella, thus establishing the framework necessary to promote the expansion of tungsten recycling.
As part of our resource recycling regional development strategy, we also established Mitsubishi Materials Europe B.V. in the Netherlands in September 2024, which has commenced operations. We are working closely with stakeholders in the region to promote the formulation and implementation of resource recycling strategies across Europe. They are also responsible for the expansion of the recycling and collection site (MM Metal Recycling) in the Netherlands, which is closely connected to the increase in E-Scrap processing at the Naoshima Smelter & Refinery.
At the same time, in Japan, we are formulating a plan to increase the processing capacity of copper concentrate and E-Scrap at the Naoshima Smelter & Refinery, with the aim of completing construction in 2027. At the Onahama Smelter & Refinery, another domestic smelting base in Japan, we are moving ahead with the introduction of a pretreatment furnace with the aim of starting operations in 2029.

On December 11, 2024, we announced our new management structure, including the change of CEO from April 2025. As this will be my last New Year's message as CEO, I would like to deliver the message that I gave as my motto when I assumed the office of CEO.
As my motto, I mentioned the words "(1) Luck is in heaven, armor is in the chest, (2) credit is in the feet. (3) Always fight with the enemy under your control. (4) Fight to the death and you shall live, fight to stay alive and you shall die. (5) It is wrong to think that luck is not constant and depends on time. If you are a samurai (Japanese warrior), the only path is to determine your own fate."
The first part (1) means "Luck is determined by the heavens and cannot be determined by you, but you can protect yourself by honing your abilities, mental state and daily preparation, just like wearing armor on your chest." This is the very message I am always communicating about safety, that only you can protect yourself.
The second part (2) means "Credit is not given by heaven, but it can be won." In other words, it means that we should not look to place blame on others, but look at ourselves.
(3) means "You cannot win by leaving anything to chance. To win you must gather information on the enemy and battle them on your own ground." In terms of business, it means that we must analyze our competitors and compete in our own areas of expertise.
(4) is thought-provoking. If we fight to the death, we survive, and if we only try to survive, we die. In other words, it states that we must have the spirit to take on new challenges, and not take a defensive approach.
The last part, (5), means, "It is a mistake to think that destiny is determined by fate and only comes around in cycles. If you are a Japanese warrior (samurai), you should determine your own path and take responsibility for your actions." From our perspective, this means that we must decide and carry out what we need to do on our own, regardless of changes in the external environment, and we must work to improve our ability to solve problems autonomously.
These are important messages in light of our current situation. I would like everyone to take a fresh look at the meaning of these words considering their own experiences.

In August 2024, we reviewed our Group values (Our Values) for the first time in 7 years. Approximately 16,000 people, or more than 83% of all employees around the world, participated in the process of formulating these new Our Values by voting or providing feedback on them. These new Our Values are to be positioned as guidelines for actions to realize Our Commitment. I would like to conclude my message by telling you what actions I intend to take in light of these new Our Values.
The new Our Values are "We challenge, change and grow together. We express praise and appreciation to encourage growth, for a better tomorrow."
In order to take on new challenges, I would like to demonstrate that I am ready to take on new challenges and express words to those around me to encourage them to do the same. In doing so, I will remove the fear of failure and show my determination to take responsibility.
In order to bring about change, I will seek more than 50% change, not 10% or 20% change, so that I can bring about change with groundbreaking ideas.
In order to encourage mutual growth, I recognize that there are barriers between organizations, and will overcome them to unite us. I will also commit to achieving goals and results, and I will work to inspire others.
In order to encourage that growth, I will have an eye for actions worthy of praise and gratitude, and I will express my praise and gratitude in words.
Through these actions, I hope that today will be better than yesterday, and tomorrow will be better than today.
I hope that you will identify your own actions based on the new Our Values, and move toward the realization of Our Commitment.

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