Human Resources Development and Utilization

Q1. You earned your doctorate from Kyoto University. What made you decide to obtain an advanced degree?

I was interested in acquiring more extensive academic expertise to enhance the quality of the development work I was conducting at the time. Then I took part in an international conference on a specialized field of knowledge that related to my job; I had applied to present a paper at the conference at the encouragement of my supervisor. There, I met someone who knew the professor who would later be my thesis supervisor, and that person recommended me.

Q2. What were the advantages of studying to get a degree? Did you struggle at all?

The biggest advantage was having time to discuss things in depth with academic specialists. While there’s time to ask questions about a paper at a conference, it’s limited. At a university research lab, though, you can engage in debate anytime—and that was a great learning experience.

On the other hand, I had to write a thesis to obtain my doctorate. Academic writing has distinctive turns of phrase and specialized terminology, which I really struggled to master. I would pore over past papers in the same field and repeatedly got my university professors to correct papers I had written.

Q3. How have you applied what you learned earning an advanced degree? How do you plan on applying it going forward?

My field of research was closely related to the development work I was conducting at the time, and what I learned made a difference right away. Writing a thesis also taught me how to organize my thoughts on the page, and presenting papers in settings like academic conferences honed my ability to prepare documentation that would make sense to anyone. These are the kinds of skills that I intend to apply on the job going forward, both in-house and beyond.

Q4. What message do you have for younger engineers following in your footsteps?

If you have the opportunity to pursue an advanced degree while you are still young, you should seize it. Sure, it takes courage to put your name forward. You may wonder what you might do if you fail to complete the degree. But if you have the opportunity, go ahead and seize it. Even if you fall short, you can easily bounce back, especially if you are still young—and you will learn a lot.

Interacting with people from various career backgrounds and walks of life will expand your horizons, too. I would strongly recommend it.

Q1. You spent two years conducting research at the State University of New York. How did you end up applying to study abroad?

I knew that SUMCO had affiliated companies with offices overseas, and I had dreams of working at one of them. But then I discovered that, being with the Advanced Evaluation & Technology Development Department, I had little chance of working at an affiliate. The director of the department at the time then told me about the overseas study program. I was interested, so I ended up applying.

Q2. How has being sent overseas changed you?

At universities in the United States, there are many international students from around the world, including China and India, and they all swap information with each other—regardless of what research lab they are with—as they do their research. That is the impression I got. Seeing that, I realized that America’s technological prowess in semiconductor devices comes in part from the how the diversity of its talent leads to broader perspectives. I had previously believed that the main factor behind America’s position in the field was the sheer difference in the quality and quantity of technologies it develops. So the experience altered my perception.

As for day-to-day life, there were many people around willing to help me out, so I stopped worrying too much when I had problems. I got into the habit of thinking positively, telling myself that things would work out. I suppose I became more flexible in my thinking.

Q3. How have you applied what you learned at the State University of New York?

Part of my research involved evaluating the performance of semiconductor devices. There are not that many opportunities to learn about semiconductor devices in-house, so the knowledge I gained from my research has served me well on the job.

In addition, my time as a researcher improved my language skills. When using English on the job, I now have a better understanding of what people are saying.

Q4. What message do you have for younger engineers who may be thinking of applying to study abroad?

There is a big difference between being told what a foreign country is like and actually seeing it for yourself. Everything you experience studying abroad will be an eye-opener. I imagine there are people out there who are interested in studying abroad but are hesitant to apply because they feel uneasy about living overseas. You don’t need to be overly worried, though. The company is there to support you, and in my case, the local students helped me out. If you think you might want to take the plunge, I would definitely urge you to apply.

Supporting the Development of the Next Generation・Promoting Active Participation of Women

To provide company-employees who raise children with a more comfortable workplace environment and to support their work-life balance, SUMCO and Group companies in Japan are consistently striving to create an environment in which it is easy for women to work by establishing diverse employment support programs such as longer child-care leave period than the statutory leave period, a telework system, and a short working hour system. In 2016, as part of these efforts, the Company has established the SUMCO Nursery School Imari as an on-site day-care facility at our Kyushu Plant in the Imari area, the largest site across the SUMCO Group. We also provide a childcare support allowance for company-employees who are unable to use the SUMCO Nursery School Imari.

Support programs for each life event

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Voice of the User

The K Family, Kyushu Factory

With a view to fostering high-quality human resources, PT.SUMCO Indonesia also offers a scholarship program for the children of its company-employees. We hope that this scholarship will contribute to the future development of Indonesia.

(Photo: Scholarship program event at PT.SUMCO Indonesia)

Number of Employees

(People)

• Number of Employees by Region (Consolidated)

  (People)

  Region	Number of employees (As of Dec. 31, 2025)
  Japan	7,163
  North America	713
  Southeast Asia	317
  East Asia	1,492
  Europe	29
  Total	9,714

• Breakdown of Employees (Consolidated)

  (People)

  	Managers	General employees	Total (As of Dec. 31, 2025)
  Male	881	7,774	8,655
  Female	85	974	1,059
  Total	966	8,748	9,714

Change in resignation rate among permanent employees