VISITING JAPAN governments and key customers throughout the region .
A key part of his task now is to help internationalise and localise the operations of the firm ’ s major businesses , as well as to secure engineering and financial support from Japan . This allows the enterprises to grow faster and make significant acquisitions .
Success in those endeavours saw him appointed the first non-Japanese board director of the parent firm , while still focusing on Europe .
Hitachi manufactures locally in all five of its main sectors and Sir Stephen identified the firm ’ s strength in both engineering and information technology as its outstanding capability .
“ With this we can provide reliable systems for the control of large-scale infrastructure , such as energy grids or traffic-control systems , building on experience we have developed in Japan ”, he explained .
In the UK , one of the most high-profile achievements has been the launch of the fleet of Javelin high-speed trains , which have quickly established a reputation for reliability . They are opening doors to more railway projects .
“ In the Intercity Express Programme , we will provide and maintain fast , lightweight trains for the trunk routes to the west and south-west , and on the east coast ”, he said .
“ With our factory in Newton Aycliffe , we will also be bidding to build Crossrail trains for the new London suburban line .
“ At the same time , we are developing our presence in the signalling and rail traffic management sector , which will enable more intensive and economic use of the UK rail network ”, he added .
Reliable high-speed trains are opening doors to more railway projects .
Hitachi is synonymous with huge mining projects .
“ Japanese manufacturers and operators will also have a lot of knowledge and technology to contribute to the UK ’ s High Speed 2 project in due course ”.
Beyond the transport sector , the area of energy management is growing in importance , be it at the national grid level or in terms of individual buildings and homes .
Hitachi is engaged in a number of trial projects with local partners to provide and develop new technologies .
In addition , attention is being focused on the management of big data . Governments , professionals and enterprises are being helped to make good decisions , as well as use and keep secure the vast amounts of data generated by automated processes .
Hitachi has nearly 11,000 employees across Europe , where it reports annual revenues of around € 7bn . Outside the UK , its manufacturing-related operations include a data storage facility in France , the manufacture of construction machinery in the Netherlands , an air-conditioning factory in Spain , and a thermal power engineering firm in Germany .
The firm is also moving into fastergrowing areas of Europe , including Poland , Romania and Turkey , as markets for procurement as well as sales . Sir Stephen believes that the firm is comfortable headquartered in the UK . “ In addition to the ease of communication , the UK offers a relatively transparent and trustworthy environment , so while there are still many challenges in investing here for the long term , Japanese feel more confident in the UK than in more volatile or less wellknown markets ”, he said .
The downside is the ongoing economic uncertainty and the possible impact on jobs and production were the UK ’ s relations with the EU to deteriorate .
“ Most Japanese companies invested in the UK as a platform to operate across the EU and we are no exception ”, he pointed out .
However , Sir Stephen is optimistic that the firm has a bright future in the UK and on the Continent .
“ Hitachi will always be a company of dedicated engineers . That is in the company ’ s DNA ”, he explained . “ But as we shift increasingly to foreign markets , we are acquiring new talent in , for example , the areas of finance , project management , design and commercial negotiation to make us a more rounded and locally agile player ”.
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