Date of the discussion: September 2, 2025
Masaharu Shibao, Representative Director, President & CEO
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Makoto Muranaka, Senior Expert, Element R&D Section, Fundamental Technology Department, R&D; Joined Nifco in 2010
Aiko Inaba, Expert, Intellectual Property Section, R&D; Joined Nifco in 2004
Yasunari Ishikawa, Expert, ADAS Product R&D Unit Section (1), R&D; Joined Nifco in 2012
How can Nifco “shape ideas into reality” to deliver values unique to Nifco to the society?
Under its long-term vision to become “a company that shapes ideas into reality,” Nifco strives to develop products that help solve social issues while also aiming for sustainable corporate growth. The source of this is its creative technologies and the engineers that develop them. What kind of mindset do Nifco's engineers have as they try to work to “shape ideas into reality”? Three members from Element Development, Intellectual Property, and Product Design sections gathered and discussed this question with President Shibao.
When I was in college, I happened to have the opportunity to come into contact with Nifco's resin products, fell in love with their uniqueness and decided to join the company.
To start, please tell us about your careers at Nifco.
Inaba When I joined the company, I was first assigned to the Advanced Development Division. There, I gained experience for several years, mainly working on the advanced development of dampers and other products. I was then transferred to the development division for mass-production dampers, and then to the Product Design Division where I was in charge of automotive parts. In 2019, my 16th year at the company, I was transferred to my current position in the Intellectual Property Section, where I am involved in patent applications for developed products.
Muranaka I joined Nifco mid-career, but like Ms. Inaba, I was initially involved in the Advanced Development Division and the development of mass-production dampers. After that, I returned to the Advanced Development Division, and in 2021, my 11th year at Nifco, I was transferred to my current position in the Fundamental Technology Department, where I work on element development such as functional materials. So in my case, my career has been almost entirely focused in the development divisions.
Inaba I requested the transfer myself. When I was a product design engineer, I sometimes worked with the Intellectual Property Section on patent applications and other matters, but it felt like the collaboration wasn’t going that well. So I thought it might be good to make use of my own experience to build a new kind of relationship. I also wanted to change perspectives as an engineer.
Muranaka During my student years, I was engaged in research in chemistry and remained at university through the doctoral program. When I started considering employment, I felt that joining a unique company like Nifco, would offer me many more opportunities to make an impact and lead my life to be more enjoyable than working for a chemical manufacturer. How about you, Ms. Inaba
Inaba It was so long ago that my memory is a bit fuzzy (laughs). It all started when a senior from my university lab happened to be working at Nifco. That said, my major was mechanical engineering, so it may have been rather uncommon at the time.
Ishikawa I also majored in mechanical engineering, but yes, we rarely deal with resins in the lab. In my case, I happened to come across some of Nifco’s resin products and was really taken with their uniqueness. When I looked into the company further, I found that it was financially solid and came across as a somewhat under-the-radar top-tier company.
I myself joined Nifco as an engineer.
Looking back, I feel that I have had a happy career.
Mr. Shibao, you also started your career as an engineer, didn't you?
Shibao Yes. For the first 15 years after joining the company, I was involved in product design for automobile manufacturers. At the time, the roles of each division weren’t as clearly defined as they are now, so there were a lot of down-to-earth work, but it was fun. However, after being involved in product design for so long, I began to feel the desire to take on new challenges and seek change. That was when I was assigned to Spain, and from there I became involved in management. After that, I returned to Japan for a short period, and then went to the U.S., where I became President of Nifco America. During that time back in Japan, I actually worked with Ms. Inaba.
Inaba Yes, Mr. Shibao was the General Manager of the Technology Development Division at the time. He was always positive and an encouraging boss who motivated the engineers. By the way, Mr. Shibao, what made you decide to join Nifco?
Shibao Hmm, the reason I joined Nifco? (laughs) I also studied precision mechanics at university, so resins weren’t in my field at all. But by chance, a university recruiter introduced me to Nifco, and when I got to touch Nifco’s flexible and elastic resin products, I fell in love with them, just like Mr. Ishikawa did. Many of my university classmates went on to work for big-name companies in the metals or machinery industries. But if I may say so myself, I feel that I am having the happiest career of them all.
Many of the engineers at Nifco have strong convictions.
You can feel their passion for “creating excellent products.”
If you had to name a one-of-a-kind strength that makes you think, “This is Nifco!”, what would it be?
Inaba I would say Nifco’s technological capability. But ultimately, I believe Nifco’s strength lies in the “people” who support that. Many of the engineers at Nifco have strong convictions. You can really feel their passion to “definitely create excellent products,” and not “we’re fine as long we can make something.”
Muranaka Because engineers here have a lot of discretion, I get the impression that Nifco has many unique engineers who are extremely particular about their areas of expertise. There are many engineers in the company who excel in their specialized fields, such as “when it comes to dampers, it’s XX” or “for concept drawings, it’s YY.” Of course, all of this is based on the fundamental premise of staying close with our customers.
Inaba Even when we are having meetings about patent applications, everyone talks passionately about technology. They bring incredible energy, even on areas that aren’t directly related to patents (laughs).
Ishikawa This commitment also shows in Nifco’s ability to make proposals and solve problems for customers. Rather than simply making what is requested, we strive to make something even better and add new added value. Therefore, even when responding to the same request, the product designed may differ depending on the engineer.
Shibao And that is both Nifco’s strength and its weakness (laughs).
Ishikawa I feel the same way about that (laughs).
Why would that be a weakness?
Shibao Everyone here is creative, but at the same time, they dislike being a “copycat.” Because of that, in a way, it can be difficult to establish standard technologies. Even when outstanding technologies are developed, there are often times not enough engineers to carry them forward, allowing other companies to catch up.
Inaba Yes, there is a strong desire here to create something that is one of a kind.
Shibao But as I said, that is also Nifco’s strength. We often receive feedback that comments, “This is the kind of proposal we have been waiting for,” and there are many die-hard Nifco fans among our customers who look forward to that.
Inaba In terms of weakness, another one that can be mentioned is that we are not so good at information sharing...
Muranaka It does tend to become what you might call a “one-person shop.” If we could work together and turn it into something more like a “Nifco shopping street,” I think we can demonstrate our strengths more effectively.
Ishikawa What about efficiency? It’s true that operational efficiency is important, but if we focus too much on it, we end up taking safe approaches and less often take on new challenges. I’ve recently moved into more of a managerial role, so I often struggle with finding the right balance.
Shibao Being creative and willing to take on challenges is like part of Nifco’s corporate culture. As long as those are moving in a positive direction, I think it’s fine to prioritize challenge over efficiency. It may not be the most textbook advice coming from a business leader, however (laughs).
Ishikawa I was expecting you to say something like, “Both efficiency and taking on challenges are important.”
Maximizing the properties of resin to materialize unique functions.
That is where Nifco's creativity comes to life.
When you hear the phrase “Nifco-like,” what kind of product comes to mind?
Ishikawa If I had to pick one, it would be the resin products for automobiles that incorporate proprietary NV (Noise & Vibration) reduction technology. I think issues such as NV, aerodynamics, and even the environment are universal themes for automobiles. And Nifco takes on the challenge of resolving these issues, without incurring costs, by leveraging creative technology and the properties of resin. These products are truly Nifco-like. I look forward to seeing similar products emerge in other fields, and at the same time, they inspire me to also push myself harder.
Inaba The aerodynamics that Mr. Ishikawa mentioned is also a technology that affects the environmental performance of automobiles, and Nifco has obtained many unique patents in this field. I feel that the challenge going forward will be how to utilize these to differentiate Nifco from other companies.
Muranaka Whether it’s NV or aerodynamics, visualizing needs and performance is important for designing cutting-edge products. It’s about uncovering the mechanisms. That’s where we, as engineers in elemental development, play a key role. We want to continue improving our environment so that we can quickly take on product development challenges in response to societal demands.
Is there any particular product that has caught your attention, Mr. Shibao?
It would be exciting if today’s discussion serves as a catalyst for bringing a new wave within Nifco.
Since this is a great opportunity, is there any topic you would like to discuss with everyone?
Muranaka Then let me suggest one. I think it would be interesting to create a framework where different divisions, like intellectual property, design, and elemental development, as represented by the members here today, can collaborate more closely and take on new challenges together. What do you think?
Inaba That is a very appealing idea. In terms of intellectual property, we do interact relatively often with design, but collaboration with divisions like elemental development or materials and procurement is limited at this point. If we could build a framework that allows multiple divisions to communicate and share information directly around intellectual property, I believe we could pursue a much more effective intellectual property strategy.
Ishikawa If we could have open discussions where people share thoughts like “from an intellectual property perspective…” together with members from design and elemental development, it would surely foster a new kind of creativity.
Shibao As the three of you are saying now, it would be interesting to create a place where engineers can discuss ideas more casually across divisional boundaries. If that could serve as a starting point for broader collaboration, it might even give rise to a new corporate culture for Nifco. I hope today’s discussion triggers that in motion.
No matter how much the times change, I want Nifco to remain a company that continues to deliver universal value to society.
Is there anything you would like to ask Mr. Shibao?
Ishikawa Yes. As a business leader, what kind of mindset do you think Nifco’s engineers should embrace?
Shibao This is something I say whenever I get the chance, but I want them to never to lose sight of the perspectives of our customers and of society. While it is important to delve deeply into technology, I want everyone to always keep in mind that there are customers beyond that. Otherwise, no matter how great a technology you develop, it will end up as mere self-satisfaction. Conversely, I believe that the joy of working as an engineer at Nifco is being able to be close to our customers.
Muranaka I also have a question: What moment gave you the greatest sense of motivation in your “life at Nifco,” Mr. Shibao?
Shibao Hmm, that is a tough question. First, I would say there are three key moments as an engineer. The first is when you finally complete a design drawing after much struggling. The second is when the prototype is finished and that drawing takes shape as a “thing.” And the third is when that product eventually goes into mass production, and you get to see it piled up at the customer’s factory.
Lastly, Mr. Shibao, could you share a message for all Nifco employees?
Shibao This is something I have been saying often lately, but a company cannot function by the power of one person alone. Only when everyone’s strengths come together can we achieve sustainable growth, and each individual employee can grow. So I would like everyone to not only focus on their own work, but also to view from a higher perspective and look around you. If you do that, I believe the kind of collaboration among engineers we talked about earlier will naturally emerge. I hope you will take that extra step forward while enjoying your work to the fullest.