New Business & Construction Peripheral Business
Characteristics and Strengths of the Business
The New Business & Construction Peripheral Business is working to create new businesses with the aims of "creating new revenue sources" and "contributing to a sustainable society." In the renewable energy business, we are expanding our floating solar power generation business utilizing our own floating solar power system as a strength. As other businesses, in bio-toilet manufacturing and sales and tree maintenance support, we are undertaking business utilizing the sales network and technologies accumulated in our Building Construction Business. Additionally, as an initiative for creating business ideas, from fiscal 2023 we have been implementing the Plus One Challenge, a business idea submission system.
Mid- to Long-term Polic
With the aim of "providing new value to society and contributing to the Company's sustainable growth through the compensation we receive in return," we are implementing a policy of promoting the New Business & Construction Peripheral Business for addressing social issues by undertaking business centering on three main fields. The first is clean energy, where we will promote commercialization centered on expanding the floating solar power generation business, as well as commercialization of small hydroelectric power generation and biogas power generation. The second is infrastructure maintenance/disaster prevention and mitigation. In this field, we will expand our disaster prevention and mitigation business centered on our bio-toilet manufacturing and sales business. We also intend to develop broader infrastructure maintenance and management businesses, including tree maintenance support. The third is solving industry issues. Here we aim to realize solutions businesses for issues such as labor shortages that face the construction industry, which includes Sumitomo Mitsui Construction.
Major Initiatives for FY2024
"Plus One Challenge" Business Idea Submission System
In fiscal 2024 this was implemented for the second time under the solicitation theme "New business ideas in peripheral areas of our business." A total of 67 business ideas were submitted from across the Company. After an interim selection process in October, two ideas, including those arising from everyday work, were selected at the final selection meeting held in February. These business ideas are currently undergoing detailed commercialization considerations at the Business Promotion Department.
SMilet® Bio-Toilet Manufacturing and Sales Business
Our water circulation bio-toilet SMilet® that contributes to improving toilet environments in times of disasters underwent an operational check with prototypes. After testing, we built a manufacturing and sales system and commenced general sales in December 2024. Achievements in FY2024 included receiving an order for six units as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's disaster prevention container toilet deployment program.
tree AI™: Tree Maintenance Support Business
To eradicate the recent increasing number of fallen trees on streets and other tree accidents, we are working to commercialize tree maintenance support. Our AI-based diagnostic system, currently under development, is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of tree diagnosis and enable early diagnosis of more trees. We are currently working toward partial commercialization starting in fiscal 2026.
Renewable Energy Business
As an initiative in renewable energy, we are focusing on floating solar power generation, which has a low environmental impact, and smallscale hydroelectric power generation using rivers and existing dams. In fiscal 2024, our first Feed-in Premium (FIP)-based Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) floating solar power plant (1.6MW) at Hiraike Pond and Shinike Pond (agricultural reservoirs) in Kato City, Hyogo prefecture was completed and began operation on March 31.
Plus One Challenge
FY2024 Plus One Challenge Final Selection
Five teams with ideas selected from 67 submitted ideas presented their business ideas honed up to the present. Following a stringent evaluation by a selection committee consisting of President Shibata, executive officers, and division heads, two teams passed the final selection and are currently considering specific business commercialization at the Business Creation Division.