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A New Chapter in Asahi’s Innovation: Group Chief R&D Officer’s Vision for the Future
In April, Asahi Group revitalized its management structure to strengthen group governance and maximize corporate value. A key element of this transformation, and the focus of this article, is the introduction of the Group Chief R&D Officer (Group CR&DO).This is a new role designed to lead our research and development efforts to drive innovation that focuses on the future.
We spoke to Manabu Sami, the first to assume this position, about his vision for Asahi Group’s innovations that make the world shine brighter.
Since stepping into this role, my focus has been to unlock the full potential of our R&D function, which plays a critical part in Asahi's growth. Our innovations from our research do more than drive business growth – it addresses social changes by bringing positive impacts.
Innovation, to us, is not just about responding to today’s consumer needs. It’s also about anticipating future trends and developing products to meet them, as well as solving social issues, and advancing our sustainability agenda.
To achieve these goals, we pursue three types of innovation simultaneously to continue evolving our technologies.
- Incremental innovation: Improving and launching new products each year to bolster and expand our existing businesses.
- New innovation: Exploring ideas to promote and nurture new businesses that are one step ahead of the times to geographically expand businesses and internationally extend brands.
- Disruptive innovation: Conducting cutting-edge research that plants the seeds for future businesses.
Our innovations are led by Asahi Quality & Innovations, Ltd. (AQI), the hub of advanced research for the Asahi Group. The Group’s key R&D domains are Alcohol, Health & Wellness, Sustainability, and New Businesses. AQI drives R&D initiatives to develop products and technologies that generate new value, within and overlapping areas to these domains.
- Alcohol: Creating new values to cater to changing consumer values, such as preference for low- & non- alcohol beverages
- Health & Wellness: Developing products and services that promote physical and mental well-being
- Sustainability: Creating technologies to mitigate environmental and climate change risks, such as reducing CO2 emissions and promoting the use of sustainable technologies
- New Businesses: Nurturing innovative concepts and seeds that can evolve into new businesses
The process of R&D takes time. Therefore, we employ a back-casting approach to determine research themes. This approach predicts what the world may look like ten years from now based on our internal and external environmental analyses. Then, we define the Group’s future ideal state and identify what we need to research today to align with that future.
Therefore, such long-term perspective is vital in setting research themes.
- Sustainable Alcohol Removal Technology in Production: We developed a more sustainable dealcoholizing technology than conventional methods. This is now implemented in the production of our non-alcohol beer "Kozel 0,0%" that are available in Europe and other regions.
- Innovative Feminine Care Supplement Product: In January 2024, we launched Watashi Prologue* a product that contains our proprietary lactic acid bacteria, CP2305 Lactobacillusc. Studies suggest that for women with a normal menstrual cycle, the bacteria can help alleviate feelings of short-term melancholy, mental fatigue, and sleepiness prior to menstruation.
- Reducing Single-Use Containers with Novel Drink Servers: In preparation for a future with fewer disposable containers, we developed strong carbonated drinks servers "EXTRA BURST" that eliminate the need for cans, glass bottles and PET bottles. This is now available from Asahi Soft Drinks in Japan as a new service.
The journey to bring innovation to market isn’t without obstacles. Each country & region and product present comes with unique challenges, including the market-specific nuances and the product-specific characteristics and regulations.
To bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization, we established the Prototype Development Department in Asahi Group Holdings, our global headquarters. This function develops prototypes of new technologies and engages in a broad range of required activities for smooth commercialization.
Additionally, we set up the Intellectual Properties Department that develops IP strategy to facilitate the global roll out of innovations. These two functions work alongside the also new CR&DO Office which takes an agile approach to shape R&D strategies that respond to the rapidly changing business environments.
In today’s rapidly changing world, it is no easy task to anticipate the future needs of our consumers with certainty. Therefore, the ability to predict the future needs and manage uncertainties is what gives us the competitive advantage.
After five years of trial and error, we see the future we envisioned steadily unfolding. Our dedication to progress and innovation has been stable and we are well-positioned to meet emerging needs. We have a strong team driving the growth of our business delivering innovation and adapting to change. And all of us remain committed to offering new technologies, products, and services that create values that make the world shine brighter.
Please look forward to more exciting new products and services from Asahi!
If you're eager to know more about the mind behind these innovations, Manabu Sami, along with his professional approach and vision, explore our blog on our official LinkedIn here.