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 consumption, the concentration of populations in large cities, food and water-related issues, and medical and health-related issues).

As a leader in flash memory and SSDs, the Kioxia Group has created various technologies that are the first of their kind in the world. With the expansion of AI and the advent of the 5G high-speed wireless communications era, the amount of data being generated, stored and used has increased exponentially. The 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.

Since 2007, more than half the world’s population has been living in cities, and that share is projected to rise to approximately 60% by 2030¹. 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 fresh 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 given rise to 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 the capacity and performance of these, the Kioxia Group will help more people lead more convenient and comfortable lives.

It is said that the world’s population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050 (roughly a 30% increase over current levels)², and that we will need three planets’ worth of 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. Accordingly, companies are required to regularly disclose information about their sustainability efforts to stakeholders.

In order to use resources effectively, the 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 the appropriate use of chemical substances with minimal environmental impact. In addition, we are actively working to recycle chemical substances discharged after production, either at our workplaces or through outsourcing. Furthermore, wastewater discharged during manufacturing is recycled and reused at dedicated plants within our operations. Our environmental activities are disclosed in our reports to the CDP, the world's largest environmental information evaluation organization, 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 usage and emission of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.