Kioxia Group’s Contribution to Addressing Social Issues through Its Business Activities

Accompanying the globalization of recent years, technological advances in fields such as AI and IoT are expected to accelerate, with disruptive innovation in various fields bringing about changes in occupational structures and the way people live and work.

Additionally, these technological innovations promise to pave the way for solutions that help address various social issues (including global warming, energy issues, the concentration of populations in large cities, food and water shortages, and medical and health issues).

As a leader in flash memory and SSDs, Kioxia Group has created various technologies that are the first of their kind in the world. With the expansion of AI and the spread of 5G high-speed wireless communications, the amount of data being generated, stored and used has increased exponentially. Kioxia Group is focusing on developing state-of-the-art storage technology to respond to the rapidly increasing need for high-capacity, high-performance storage, and high-speed data processing systems. In addition to storage technology, we are also pursuing new areas of research and development, perceiving future social issues as business opportunities.

Currently, approximately 55% of the world’s population resides in urban areas, and this figure is projected to reach nearly 70% by 2050.¹

Under these circumstances, there is a need to create resilient cities that have a low environmental impact and allow people to safely maintain a high quality of life. In addition, the concentration of populations in urban areas has led to the depopulation of surrounding rural areas and led to lifestyle differences between the two. Furthermore, there is a need to create cities that can counteract threats such as pandemics and respond to new changes in the social environment.

By supplying flash memory and SSD products, we have contributed to the widespread use of internet-connected devices, the development of data centers, and access to high-quality telecommunications. This has enabled internet access that is available anytime and anywhere, changing the lifestyles of people all over the world.

Today, flash memory and SSDs have become indispensable products in people’s lives. By developing various cutting-edge technologies to increase their capacity and performance, Kioxia Group will help more people lead more convenient and comfortable lives.

The world’s population is projected to increase to 9.7 billion by 2050² and it is said that we will need more resources to maintain our current lifestyles. Companies are required to efficiently manage natural resources, produce products with low environmental impact, and reduce waste and chemical substance emissions. At the same time, companies are required to regularly disclose information about their sustainability efforts to stakeholders.

In order to use resources effectively, Kioxia Group has set targets for the amount of water it intakes and waste it generates, striving to ensure efficient production.

Specifically, we obtain information on chemical substances used during production and contained in products to ensure greater use of those with minimal environmental impact. In addition, we are actively working to recycle chemical substances discharged after production, either at our workplaces or those of our subcontractors. Furthermore, wastewater discharged during manufacturing is recycled at dedicated facilities within each plant and reused. Our environmental activities are disclosed in our reports to the CDP, one of the world’s largest environmental information evaluation organizations, our Sustainability Report, and other reports.

The global effects of climate change, such as abnormal weather and rising sea levels, are becoming more apparent. Climate change affects not only the weather, but a whole range of areas, including the supply of food and drinking water, ecosystems, and infrastructure.

Kioxia Group is working to reduce the emission of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.