by Shun Otsuki
President & Editor in Chief KINSAN FASTENER NEWS
The Fastener Institute of Japan (FIJ, Chairman: Yoshinori Sato, Sato Rashi Corporation) and The Japan Research Institute for Screw Threads and Fasteners (JFRI, Chairman: Toshiyuki Sawa, Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima University) jointly held a New Year's Greeting Party on January 19 at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Minato-ku, Tokyo, the first such event in three years. Nearly 200 members from both parties attended.
Citing the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as a difficult situation, Mr. Sato said, "Screws are among the products subject to CBAM, and exporting screws to Europe will incur a tax. He also expressed his concern about the taxation of screws exported to Europe, and revealed that he had conducted a survey of members in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Regarding the next fiscal year, which will begin in April, he said, "We will create an organizational structure with functions that will enable members to exchange information on management capabilities and manufacturing technologies"
To this end, he called for cooperation from supporting members in the areas of materials, molds, machinery, heat treatment, plating, and secondary processing in the exchange of technology.
He also spoke of the Screw Manufacturing Proficiency Test, which is now in operation, and said, "I hope that many companies will take the test"
Chairman Sawa mentioned that the mission of the JFRI is to be named an "academic research organization in cooperation with the Science Council of Japan" and said, "We will contribute to society through our research. To obtain the title, we need more than 100 individual members. We have 70 members now," he said, calling for broad participation from industrial associations as well.
He also enthusiastically stated, "We will produce research results and compile a collection of papers," which is also a condition for earning the title. Regarding the development of human resources, he said, "We have many young people in our association. We will create highly skilled human resources who can compete on the world's frontlines. Regarding the development of the industry, he said, "Although our role is different from that of an industrial association, we would like to develop the industry as two wheels of a cart. We would also like to expand our global competition in cooperation with related government agencies and the media."
