Stakeholder Dialogue
Communication with Stakeholders
Customers, Suppliers and Other Trade Partners, Employees, Local Communities, Global Environment
Komaki City Partnership Dialogue on Living in Harmony with Nature 2025
The Sumitomo Riko Group believes that stakeholder dialogue is essential to advancing sustainability management. Because our business activities depend on natural resources such as natural rubber, air, water, and minerals, we are committed through the Sumitomo Riko Long-Term Environmental Vision 2050 to preserving these resources and the natural environment for future generations while contributing to a nature-positive society.
As part of these efforts, we held the third Komaki City Partnership Dialogue on Living in Harmony with Nature in 2025 in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture. The dialogue brought together businesses, government agencies, civic organizations, universities, and junior high schools to strengthen collaboration and promote nature-positive initiatives in the local community.
As part of these efforts, we held the third Komaki City Partnership Dialogue on Living in Harmony with Nature in 2025 in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture. The dialogue brought together businesses, government agencies, civic organizations, universities, and junior high schools to strengthen collaboration and promote nature-positive initiatives in the local community.
Related information
Dialogue Theme: Growing Together, Expanding Connections, and Passing Komaki’s Nature on to Future Generations
Komaki City is home to a rich natural environment, including Mount Komaki, Chigo no Mori Forest, and the Okusa Mamenashi Habitat. The city is promoting initiatives to conserve and restore these natural environments and recover local ecosystems. Under the theme, "Growing Together, Expanding Connections, and Passing Komaki's Nature on to Future Generations," Sumitomo Riko held the third Dialogue at Komaki City Hall. Participants included representatives from Aichi Prefecture, Komaki City, civic organizations and companies, along with academics from local universities and a teacher from a local junior high school. Seating was also provided for members of the public who wished to observe the event.
A new addition to this year's program was a keynote lecture by Professor Michiko Masuda of Nagoya Institute of Technology, titled "For the Conservation of Biodiversity. " The lecture was followed by activity reports from each sector and a dialogue session that encouraged interactive discussion among participants. Topics discussed during the dialogue included how to encourage greater corporate involvement in nature-positive initiatives, ensure the long-term continuity of activities, strengthen environmental education for children, improve public outreach and awareness, communicate the value of nature-positive activities, create opportunities for people of all generations to participate, and further develop the dialogue through regional collaboration. By sharing their perspectives, ideas, strengths, and challenges, participants gained new insights and learned from one another, while also reaffirming the value of nature-positive activities.
A new addition to this year's program was a keynote lecture by Professor Michiko Masuda of Nagoya Institute of Technology, titled "For the Conservation of Biodiversity. " The lecture was followed by activity reports from each sector and a dialogue session that encouraged interactive discussion among participants. Topics discussed during the dialogue included how to encourage greater corporate involvement in nature-positive initiatives, ensure the long-term continuity of activities, strengthen environmental education for children, improve public outreach and awareness, communicate the value of nature-positive activities, create opportunities for people of all generations to participate, and further develop the dialogue through regional collaboration. By sharing their perspectives, ideas, strengths, and challenges, participants gained new insights and learned from one another, while also reaffirming the value of nature-positive activities.
Participants
[Keynote Speaker and Dialogue Facilitator]
Michiko Masuda, Professor, Department of Social Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology
[Facilitator]
Toshiki Hatano, Advisor, Komaki Citizen Activities Network (Specified Nonprofit Corporation)
[Stakeholders]
Hiroki Saigo, Assistant Manager, Biodiversity Conservation Group, Natural Environment Division, Aichi Prefectural Government
Taichi Iida, Senior Staff Member, Biodiversity Conservation Group, Natural Environment Division, Aichi Prefectural Government
Tomonari Umemura, Manager, Environmental Policy Division, Komaki City
Mamoru Odaira, Section Chief, Environmental Policy Division, Komaki City
Mari Kohri, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Nagoya University of Economics
Michio Kozawa, Chairperson, Oyamagawa River Conservation Association
Yoko Baba, Treasurer, Chigo no Mori Activity Group
Ikuo Torii, Representative, Airinkai
Shiho Mizuno, Teacher, Hikarigaoka Junior High School, Komaki City
Akira Miyata, General Manager, Sustainability Promotion Department, CKD Corporation
Junichi Yamada, General Manager, General Affairs Department, CKD Corporation
[Sumitomo Riko]
Shinji Fujikado, General Manager, Komaki Plant
Takayuki Noguchi, Environmental Promotion Department
Michiko Masuda, Professor, Department of Social Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology
[Facilitator]
Toshiki Hatano, Advisor, Komaki Citizen Activities Network (Specified Nonprofit Corporation)
[Stakeholders]
Hiroki Saigo, Assistant Manager, Biodiversity Conservation Group, Natural Environment Division, Aichi Prefectural Government
Taichi Iida, Senior Staff Member, Biodiversity Conservation Group, Natural Environment Division, Aichi Prefectural Government
Tomonari Umemura, Manager, Environmental Policy Division, Komaki City
Mamoru Odaira, Section Chief, Environmental Policy Division, Komaki City
Mari Kohri, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business Administration, Nagoya University of Economics
Michio Kozawa, Chairperson, Oyamagawa River Conservation Association
Yoko Baba, Treasurer, Chigo no Mori Activity Group
Ikuo Torii, Representative, Airinkai
Shiho Mizuno, Teacher, Hikarigaoka Junior High School, Komaki City
Akira Miyata, General Manager, Sustainability Promotion Department, CKD Corporation
Junichi Yamada, General Manager, General Affairs Department, CKD Corporation
[Sumitomo Riko]
Shinji Fujikado, General Manager, Komaki Plant
Takayuki Noguchi, Environmental Promotion Department
The 1st Sustainable Manufacturing Tech Award by Sumitomo Riko
Since 2014, our company has been organizing the “SDGs Student Essay Award” for the past 10 years.
This award program was launched with the aim of incorporating students’ fresh perspectives into our business operations to help build a sustainable society, while also contributing to the development of the young people who will shape the future.
Building on these efforts, starting in fiscal year 2025, we launched the “Sustainable Manufacturing Tech Award by Sumitomo Riko,” a new initiative designed to solicit more specific technologies, innovations, and ideas aimed at solving social issues.
For this award, we solicited technological and product design ideas that leverage the unique perspectives of students, with a focus on solving social issues such as those addressed by the SDGs. We invited Mr. Takashi Yamaguchi (Special Advisor to the President, Nagaoka University of Technology) and Mr. Tokutaro Hiramoto (Director of the SDGs Promotion Center/Professor at the Department of Management Systems, college of Information Design, Kanazawa Institute of Technology) to serve as expert judges, and conducted a rigorous selection process.
The Grand Prize was awarded to Aoi Kai (Department of Science III, Faculty of Liberal Arts, University of Tokyo) for her project “Visualizing Fluctuations in Female Hormones at Home,” and five other projects received Encouragement Awards. All of the proposals were recognized for accurately identifying social issues and presenting concrete, highly feasible ideas from a product development perspective. For the winning ideas that show particularly high potential, we plan to explore the possibility of conducting joint research and technical validation with our company.
In our long-term management vision, “Sumitomo Riko Group Vision 2029 (2029V),” our Group has identified “Developing People and Peers who Pioneer the Future” as one of our key strategic directions. To achieve this, we will continue to promote initiatives that contribute to the development of young talent and the solution of social issues by incorporating students’ flexible thinking and fresh perspectives into our business activities and through co-creation with the next generation of talent.
This award program was launched with the aim of incorporating students’ fresh perspectives into our business operations to help build a sustainable society, while also contributing to the development of the young people who will shape the future.
Building on these efforts, starting in fiscal year 2025, we launched the “Sustainable Manufacturing Tech Award by Sumitomo Riko,” a new initiative designed to solicit more specific technologies, innovations, and ideas aimed at solving social issues.
For this award, we solicited technological and product design ideas that leverage the unique perspectives of students, with a focus on solving social issues such as those addressed by the SDGs. We invited Mr. Takashi Yamaguchi (Special Advisor to the President, Nagaoka University of Technology) and Mr. Tokutaro Hiramoto (Director of the SDGs Promotion Center/Professor at the Department of Management Systems, college of Information Design, Kanazawa Institute of Technology) to serve as expert judges, and conducted a rigorous selection process.
The Grand Prize was awarded to Aoi Kai (Department of Science III, Faculty of Liberal Arts, University of Tokyo) for her project “Visualizing Fluctuations in Female Hormones at Home,” and five other projects received Encouragement Awards. All of the proposals were recognized for accurately identifying social issues and presenting concrete, highly feasible ideas from a product development perspective. For the winning ideas that show particularly high potential, we plan to explore the possibility of conducting joint research and technical validation with our company.
In our long-term management vision, “Sumitomo Riko Group Vision 2029 (2029V),” our Group has identified “Developing People and Peers who Pioneer the Future” as one of our key strategic directions. To achieve this, we will continue to promote initiatives that contribute to the development of young talent and the solution of social issues by incorporating students’ flexible thinking and fresh perspectives into our business activities and through co-creation with the next generation of talent.
