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技術賞 - Technology Award
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日立造船株式会社 - Hitachi Zosen Corporation
Hitachi Zosen Corporation is a plant manufacturer that currently produces environmental equipment, factory equipment, industrial machinery, power generation equipment, etc. Although meaning of the company name is "shipbuilding/zosen", but presently it completely withdraw from the shipbuilding business.
In the past, because it was one of the companies belong to the Hitachi Group. But due to the dismantling of the conglomerate after World War II, this company left Hitachi Group. As a countermeasure against the recession in shipbuilding industry, they have been conducting business diversification. Even they conducted a beverage business and an internet accommodation reservation business that are not completely related to their shipbuilding business.
On April 1, 1881Hitachi Zosen was established in Osaka, by British entrepreneur Edward Hazlett Hunter to develop Japan's steelmaking and shipbuilding industry. "Tora Maru(虎丸)", Japan's first tanker, was fabricated in 1908 by this company whose has facilities for building ships that have a displacement of more than 1,000 tons.
By 1934, Hitachi Zosen was placed under the control of Hitachi Conglomerate/日立財閥, and the name of company name was changed to New Osaka Iron Works Ltd./新)大阪鉄工所. At this time, they manufactured a large number of small military ships and even built a transport aircraft carrier in 1945. Due to the dismantling of the conglomerate after World War II, this company became independent from the Hitachi Group.
After the end of the war, this company quickly resumed operations as a fishing ship manufacturer, and in 1955 became one of the largest shipbuilders in Japan. In 1957, they developed the world's largest diesel engine through the technical cooperation with "B & W Diesel" in Denmark. As for the business diversification, they built a chemical fertilizer plant in India in 1964. And they also purchased "Maizuru Works/舞鶴重工業" in 1971, and operated the Ariake Works in Kyushu in 1973.
However, the Oil shock of 1973 drastically reduced the demand for ships worldwide, and critically damaged shipbuilding of Hitachi Zosen who depended on the shipbuilding business for more than 50% of its sales. They tried to improve the situation through opening a new businesses such as oil rigs, oil storage facilities, steel structures, pipes, bridges, etc., but material costs and losses due to fixed price contracts increased, so they were forced to conduct restructure on them. As a result, the number of employees has been significantly reduced from 24,660 in 1978 to 5,596 in 1988.
After that, due to the pursuit of companies from South Korean and China, their comparative advantages have been steadily decreasing. Eventually, in 2002, they made a joint venture with JFE Engineering Corporation/JFEエンジニアリング and decided to separate and integrate the shipbuilding divisions of both companies. So Universal Shipbuilding Corporation/ユニバーサル造船 was formed by andHitachi Zosen withdraw completely from the shipbuilding business exception of the marine diesel engine business. Current core business of Hitachi Zosen is, full-scale operation of the industrial and municipal waste treatment business.
In the past, because it was one of the companies belong to the Hitachi Group. But due to the dismantling of the conglomerate after World War II, this company left Hitachi Group. As a countermeasure against the recession in shipbuilding industry, they have been conducting business diversification. Even they conducted a beverage business and an internet accommodation reservation business that are not completely related to their shipbuilding business.
On April 1, 1881Hitachi Zosen was established in Osaka, by British entrepreneur Edward Hazlett Hunter to develop Japan's steelmaking and shipbuilding industry. "Tora Maru(虎丸)", Japan's first tanker, was fabricated in 1908 by this company whose has facilities for building ships that have a displacement of more than 1,000 tons.
By 1934, Hitachi Zosen was placed under the control of Hitachi Conglomerate/日立財閥, and the name of company name was changed to New Osaka Iron Works Ltd./新)大阪鉄工所. At this time, they manufactured a large number of small military ships and even built a transport aircraft carrier in 1945. Due to the dismantling of the conglomerate after World War II, this company became independent from the Hitachi Group.
After the end of the war, this company quickly resumed operations as a fishing ship manufacturer, and in 1955 became one of the largest shipbuilders in Japan. In 1957, they developed the world's largest diesel engine through the technical cooperation with "B & W Diesel" in Denmark. As for the business diversification, they built a chemical fertilizer plant in India in 1964. And they also purchased "Maizuru Works/舞鶴重工業" in 1971, and operated the Ariake Works in Kyushu in 1973.
However, the Oil shock of 1973 drastically reduced the demand for ships worldwide, and critically damaged shipbuilding of Hitachi Zosen who depended on the shipbuilding business for more than 50% of its sales. They tried to improve the situation through opening a new businesses such as oil rigs, oil storage facilities, steel structures, pipes, bridges, etc., but material costs and losses due to fixed price contracts increased, so they were forced to conduct restructure on them. As a result, the number of employees has been significantly reduced from 24,660 in 1978 to 5,596 in 1988.
After that, due to the pursuit of companies from South Korean and China, their comparative advantages have been steadily decreasing. Eventually, in 2002, they made a joint venture with JFE Engineering Corporation/JFEエンジニアリング and decided to separate and integrate the shipbuilding divisions of both companies. So Universal Shipbuilding Corporation/ユニバーサル造船 was formed by andHitachi Zosen withdraw completely from the shipbuilding business exception of the marine diesel engine business. Current core business of Hitachi Zosen is, full-scale operation of the industrial and municipal waste treatment business.