Purpose & Mission : Why do we exist
Enabling Leading-Edge Technologies
We will continuously improve ourselves so that we can offer products and services that will satisfy our customers worldwide, and contribute to the development of our society through the development of the most advanced technologies.
Vision : What we want to be
"Be the most trusted and valued test solution company in the semiconductor value chain."
By expanding the value it provides, Advantest aims to become the most trusted and most valued test solution company in the semiconductor value chain for all its stakeholders.
Core Values : What we value most
INTEGRITY
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“Integrity” means honesty and truthfulness.
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When you have integrity, it means being open, honest and respectful at all times with all stakeholders.
The value of Integrity can serve as a common thread uniting people of diverse cultures, religions, and viewpoints, and it is Advantest’s core value globally.
Innovation is our Lifeblood
We challenge the status quo.
We embrace technologies and entrepreneurship to create superior customer value.
Number one is our Aspiration
We earn our leadership position in our business fields every day.
We establish an impeccable standard of excellence.
Trust is our Foundation
We are a trusted, collaborative partner.
We have confidence in each other’s capabilities and intentions.
Empowerment is our Motivation
We are empowered to make decisions with an owner’s mentality.
We own Advantest’s success.
Global is our Reach
We embrace a world of constant change.
We are always ready. Anytime. Anywhere.
Respect is our Heart
We respect different cultures, customs, and laws.
We never compromise on our ethical standards.
Inclusion and Diversity is our Commitment
We are proud of and appreciate the range of different backgrounds that our talents represent.
We believe that strength can come from differences as well as similarities.
Teamwork is our Approach
We work smart and best utilizing our talents across teams and regions to do extraordinary work.
We inspire each other, encourage openness, and recognize team results.
Yes is our Attitude
We deliver on results promised to each other.
We recognize that impossible is an opinion, and with imagination, we can change the world.
Guiding Principle
Quest for the Essence
We will invariably pursue the sources of phenomena and seek their essence, so that we can find the correct solutions.
Sustainability Policy
1. Basic Concept
Our corporate purpose & mission is "Enabling Leading-Edge Technologies". Hitherto, we have consistently contributed to the development of society by constantly striving to improve ourselves in order to provide products and services that satisfy our customers worldwide and by supporting the development of leading-edge electronics technology with our measurement technology.
In fact, almost all of our businesses are related to semiconductors, which are indispensable for the future development of various industries and the realization of a more sustainable future society. Therefore, we believe that developing business activities based on our corporate purpose & mission and contributing to the realization and diffusion of semiconductors with superior performance will continue to be an action that directly contributes to both contributing to a "safe, secure and comfortable" society and realizing our own growth.
Based on these ideas, our medium- to long-term management policy "Grand Design" sets out our vision statement as "Be the most trusted and valued test solution company in the semiconductor value chain". In order to be a company that embodies this vision, we will promote various initiatives that lead to the realization of a sustainable society in the future in an integrated manner, while focusing on solving customer issues. Simultaneously, by appropriately reflecting the expectations and demands of our stakeholders in our business activities, we aim to expand the significance of our raison d'être and the value we provide in a balanced and multifaceted way, both economically and socially.
2. Stakeholders
In view of our management philosophy and the importance on our business in the medium to long term, we have positioned our shareholders and capital markets, employees, customers, suppliers, partners and the global environment as important stakeholders.
3. Value Proposition to Stakeholders
We have analyzed the key value propositions to our stakeholders as follows. We will provide these values to our stakeholders and also work to ensure that events that negatively impact them do not occur so that we strive to earn further trust from our stakeholders.:
4. Stakeholder Engagement
In order to contribute both to the realization of a sustainable society and to its own growth, we are committed to the following for our key stakeholders.
(1) Shareholders and Capital Markets
We constantly strive to increase income, improve profitability, and make efficient use of capital through tireless investment in growth and strengthening of the management base, thereby increasing the shareholder value created over the medium and long term. At the same time, we will strive to provide an appropriate return of profits to shareholders and to create appropriate corporate value through enhanced dialogue with the capital markets and the timely and appropriate disclosure of financial and non-financial information.
(2) Employees
Our company consists of a diverse range of human resources. We respect the individual lifestyles and life stages of our employees and support flexible work styles, while at the same time, by treating them fairly, we create a work environment where employees can lead fulfilling lives in both their private and public lives. We also support the development of our employees by providing an environment and opportunities for them to enhance their individual capabilities. In this way, we aim to realize a high level of employee engagement and, through this, strengthen our foundation for growth.
(3) Customers
We continue to be the company of choice for our customers by providing products and integrated solutions of outstanding performance and quality, based on the measurement technologies and experience we have developed over the years. At the same time, we work quickly to solve our customers' challenges through our worldwide support and consulting network. We also contribute to mitigating our customers' environmental issues by developing products and solutions that are oriented towards higher efficiency in terms of energy consumption and space used.
(4) Suppliers
We would like to develop together with our suppliers by promoting the reduction of risks in our supply chains and the enhancement of supply chain resilience through close collaboration with them. At the same time, we promote initiatives to build sustainable supply chains that take environmental, social and ethical aspects into consideration through comprehensive engagement activities.
(5) Partners
We contribute to the creation of innovation and the development of the electronics industry through communication with our ecosystem/business partners, including industry groups, governments, local authorities, and educational institutions. In local communities, we also contribute to next-generation education, environmental conservation, and humanitarian aid, and help create a society where people can live more prosperous lives.
(6) Global Environment
In addition to initiatives with customers and suppliers, we promote the increased introduction of renewable energy and improved energy efficiency in our own operations, thereby reducing total greenhouse gas emissions in our operations and value chain. We will also work in cooperation with companies in our industry and industry groups to consider resource recycling and the elimination of hazardous substances in product design, and to shift to a circular economy, including the recycling of waste, the effective use of water resources and the conservation of biodiversity in our business activities.
5. Group Governance
We believe that in order to achieve both a contribution to the realization of a sustainable society and its own growth, it is recognized that, in addition to creating stakeholder value through its business activities, it is essential to further strengthen Group governance, which is the foundation for enhancing corporate value. In line with this view, we promote initiatives such as responsible business activities, including thorough legal compliance and corporate ethics, the upgrading of corporate governance and the strengthening of risk management.
Ethical Standards
We support and respect the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact (*1) and internationally recognized human rights and principles, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (*2), and Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs *3). In addition, we commit to fully respect and comply with the following Ethical Standards.
1. Compliance with Laws & Regulations and Good Corporate Citizenship
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(1)We strictly comply with all national laws and regulations and refrain from acting in any way that disrupts society. In addition, we work to establish in-house rules to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, actively collect information on said laws and regulations, and use education and training to ensure complete compliance with the same.
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(2)We contribute to local society by taking an interactive, communicative role.
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(3)We convey our ethical standards to companies with which we do business and work to help them understand our policies and, hopefully, implement similar activities.
2. Respect for Human Rights
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(1)We respect every individual and do not discriminate based on race, gender, age, nationality, religion, social origin, physical disability, medical condition, or sexual orientation.
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(2)We employ only people who meet the legal age standards for labor and we are not involved in forced labor, slave labor or human trafficking.
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(3)We build a strong relationship of trust and collaboration through open communication among employees and management. We respect basic labor rights such as freedom of association, rights to organize or rights to collective bargaining.
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(4)We maintain a comfortable working environment and support health, safety and sound development practices.
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(5)We do not tolerate any behavior that hurts the dignity of the individual, whether through words and actions, violence, sexual harassment, power harassment or mental abuse.
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(6)We respect personal privacy.
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(7)We abide by all ordinances and corporate regulations regarding the handling of personal information and take precautions to prevent the leakage and/or unauthorized use of that information.
3. Global Environmental Protection
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(1)We work to protect the global environment so that we fulfill our responsibility as a company and a contributor to society.
4. Quality and Safety
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(1)We promote quality control throughout the company to provide customers with maximum satisfaction with our products and services.
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(2)We commit to the highest safety standards in our products and services. We work to minimize the likelihood of workplace accidents or customer complaints, investigate the causes of any such incidents and institute measures to prevent reoccurrences.
5. Information Disclosure
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(1)We commit to healthy transparency in our corporate activities, disclosing relevant company information through specified Procedures.
6. Appropriate Accounting and Taxation Processing
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(1)We comply with appropriate accounting and taxation practices according to applicable laws, accounting regulations and company rules.
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(2)We implement internal controls to ensure that we are in compliance with all ordinances regarding our corporate activities, financial reporting and conducts.
7. Opposition to Antisocial Forces and Movements
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(1)We have absolutely no relationships with antisocial forces and movements, such as organized crime groups, group that produces such as terrorism and cyber attacks.
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(2)We adamantly refuse to purchase literature from, make contributions or pay membership fees to or comply with any other demands of antisocial forces and movements.
8. Truthful Publicity
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(1)We provide accurate and truthful publicity activities, including any advertising in brochures and sales promotion kits of our products and services.
9. Fair Trade with Customers
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(1)We comply with the fair-trade laws of Japan and other countries in which we operate.
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(2)We are fair in our pricing and quantity of products and services.
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(3)We do not act unfairly, such as providing false or misleading information regarding products and services from other companies or ourselves.
10. Fair Trade with Suppliers
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(1)We exercise fair and reasonable judgment in selecting suppliers and assessing factors such as pricing, quality and delivery date.
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(2)We treat suppliers fairly by upholding all agreed-upon conditions.
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(3)We do not perform reciprocal trades with suppliers, such as requiring them to purchase our products or services.
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(4)We do not place unfair pressure on suppliers.
11. Gifts, Entertainment and Political Contributions
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(1)We neither accept nor give any business partner an item, cash, entertainment or other gift exceeding generally accepted value.
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(2)We will not take any part in bribery with our customers, our suppliers or any other persons we have dealings with.
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(3)We do not make any donations to politicians or political organizations, apart from those permitted by law.
12. Relationships with Distributors
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(1)We do not attempt to maintain prices for our products and services by treating distributors unfairly.
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(2)We do not place unfair pressure on distributors nor coerce them into unfair transactions.
13. International Trade
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(1)We comply with international trade laws related to importing and exporting.
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(2)We follow legal procedures when importing or exporting all freight and/or service (software, drawings, reference materials, instructions, etc.).
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(3)We maintain in-house import and export control rules and criteria.
14. Protection of Assets and Confidentiality
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(1)We protect and manage Advantest's tangible assets and intellectual property rights (patents, design proposals, designs, trademarks, copyrights, etc.).
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(2)We do not violate the intellectual property rights of any third party.
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(3)We do not disclose our company’s or our business partners’ confidential information.
15. Appropriate Use of Computer Systems
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(1)We maintain the confidentiality, security and availability of our computer systems (e.g., hardware, software, networks, storage media, documentation and manuals) in accordance with the Information Security Basic Policy.
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(2)We comply with users’ agreements and do not violate copyrights by illegal duplication or any other method when using computer software.
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(3)We do not use illegal software.
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(4)We use IT devices and Internet responsibly.
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(5)We do not use the corporate mail system for purposes unrelated to our work.
16. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
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(1)We do not behave in ways that damage the company or our customers for the sake of personal benefit.
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(2)We do not perform insider trading, such as using confidential information in purchasing or selling shares.
17. Consultation and Reporting (Corporate Ethics Helpline)
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(1)In light of this ethical standards, if in the course of our duties we suspect that any violation of laws, regulations, or corporate ethics has occurred, we will consult with our supervisors or the related department(s), or use the Corporate Ethics Helpline to report the incident to and / or discuss it with the Corporate Ethics Consultation Office or External Reporting Desk.
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(2)An External Reporting Desk is established for the use of business partners and other external parties to report violations, and will be appropriately operated.
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(3)The Company shall strictly observe the privacy of any person making a report or consultation as above, and will not treat such persons adversely (e.g. by transferring, demoting, or dismissing them, or suspending transactions with them) for having reported an incident or sought consultation regarding a potential violation.
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*1The United Nations Global Compact is a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to undertake partnerships in support of UN goals.
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*2The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second World War.
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*3UNGPs is an instrument consisting of 31 principles implementing the United Nations 'Protect, Respect and Remedy' framework on this issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.