Japanese companies Toshiba Tec Corporation and Ricoh Company, Ltd, have signed an agreement to combine assets for the production of multifunctional office devices. This is reported in a press release
The joint venture, in which 85% of the shares will belong to Ricoh, and 25% to Toshiba, will be formed in 2024.
The design, research and development and manufacturing divisions will be merged into Ricoh Technologies (a subsidiary of Ricoh) to simplify the procurement of parts, materials and the use of production bases.
The companies plan to jointly develop products, purchase components and materials, as well as produce equipment on the same production lines. Unification of the basic components will optimize the cost of production in a shrinking market.
According to the official statement of Ricoh, the merger is a direct response to changes in the market. The deal is aimed at combining the technological advantages of both companies in the development and production of office devices, as well as the introduction of innovations in the field of digital transformation. Supply chain problems caused by the pandemic and geopolitical incidents have damaged production and supply in the industry.
Investors expect an increase in profits as a result of the structural change, as the merger will bring Ricoh and Toshiba to the first place in global supplies (22.4% of the market).
In 2022, Ricoh was second in the segment of A3 laser printing devices only to Canon (17.9%), occupying 15.2% of the global market.
Toshiba is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo (Japan). The diversified portfolio of the company includes the production of equipment and systems in the field of IT and communications, electronic components, electric power systems, consumer electronics, household appliances, office solutions, lighting products, logistics services, etc.
Ricoh is a Japanese company producing multifunctional devices, laser printers, fax machines, digital cameras and video cameras, semiconductors, software and network solutions. The headquarters is located in Tokyo (Japan).
