On the Occasion of UNIVA's 20th Anniversary
――Toward Co-Creation Capitalism and Peace

Happy New Year.

I founded UNIVA in San Francisco, USA, 20 years ago in 2006. This year marks "UNIVA's 20th Anniversary."

I had believed that with the end of the Cold War, the world would move toward an era of peace starting in the 1990s. However, the 1990s saw the outbreak of the Gulf War in Iraq led by the United States, the Balkan conflicts following the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, and an era marked by the rise of American unipolar dominance, regional conflicts, and ethnic tensions.
Furthermore, while the launch of the WTO accelerated the shift toward a global economy, the rapid liberalization of capital worldwide led to currency crises spreading across Mexico, Southeast Asian nations, South Korea, and Russia.
Advances in telecommunications and IT strengthened global connections across corporate activities, culture, and media, propelling society toward a borderless networked world.
It was in this era, in 1996, that I was assigned to the United States to work at the San Francisco Center of JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization). The fact that UNIVA was born in San Francisco, USA, stems from my having worked in San Francisco ten years prior to UNIVA's founding.

Then came the 21st century.
The September 11 attacks ushered in the era of the "War on Terror," peace receded, and the world shifted into an era of "conflicts between states and non-state actors." The EU expanded, and the growing presence of the emerging BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) signaled a shift away from a unipolar U.S.-dominated system toward multipolarity.
Furthermore, the 21st century, which began with the collapse of the American IT bubble, saw the risks of globalized finance become apparent, culminating in the global financial crisis triggered by the 2008 Lehman Shock.
Then, with the widespread adoption of broadband, information began spreading globally in real time, ushering in a "network society" where economics and information connect the world at unprecedented speeds.

Is humanity becoming happier?
Has the world become more peaceful?

Competition under capitalism is effective for societal development. But has this competition become one that amplifies disparities?
Winners become stronger, while many losers remain left behind as the weak.
Doesn't the resulting social friction born from this sense of inequality push us further away from peace?
Could fostering an altruistic, mutually beneficial economic society—one that recognizes rational profit while also valuing others' interests and pain—be the path toward peace?
This conviction is the founding principle behind UNIVA's vision to realize "Co-Creation Capitalism."

UNIVA＝Unite the Values。

By integrating the unique values each individual possesses, we can collectively create greater value.
This "value" encompasses not only the value held by oneself or one's company, nor is it limited to the value within a group.
It aims to integrate the values held by all stakeholders surrounding the business—including business partners, customers, and everyone else involved.
Each stakeholder has their own perspective and interests.
Therefore, achieving this integration of values requires an altruistic and mutually beneficial mindset within UNIVA's operations—one that pursues rational self-interest while also prioritizing the interests and concerns of others.
We believe that your actions guided by such thinking will ultimately contribute to the realization of a peaceful society.

Now, this year's Chinese zodiac sign is "Bingwu" (Fire Horse).
The "Horse" symbolizes strength, success, and good fortune. The "Bingwu" year, occurring once every 60 years, is said to be a particularly vibrant year.
Let's all make this a year of leaping forward together, like a galloping horse!

We look forward to your continued support this year.

UNIVA Group
Chairman and Group CEO
Shuji Inaba