Intellectual Property
The LOGISTEED Group regards "intellectual property" as more than just a matter of protecting rights; it is an important management resource. By systematically managing and utilizing our unique technologies and knowledge as intellectual property, we establish a competitive advantage and achieve sustainable growth.
Governance of Intellectual Property and Intangible Assets
Basic principle and response policy
The LOGISTEED Group recognizes that logistics is an important form of infrastructure in society. In order to fulfill its role as a platform underpinning socio-economic activities, the LOGISTEED Group actively takes on the challenge of introducing groundbreaking technologies to address various issues and promote innovation. In this context, the LOGISTEED Group considers intellectual property to be a source of business competitiveness, and aims to achieve sustainable growth and maintain competitiveness through the acquisition, protection, and management of intellectual property rights. Based on this response policy, the LOGISTEED Group is working to improve data-driven decision-making and efficiency, overall business management, and internal control performance, while providing our customers with advanced, high-quality logistics services.
Structure for promoting intellectual property management
The LOGISTEED Group, recognizing intellectual property as a crucial management resource, has established the Intellectual Property Management Committee as the decision-making body for intellectual property strategy and management, and is actively involved in intellectual property initiatives.
In response to the development of new services and business models, we actively pursue the acquisition and protection of industrial property rights such as patents. In addition, we view the data and operational know-how accumulated through Gemba sites as critical intangible assets. By leveraging these assets effectively, we aim to further improve productivity and added value across our operations. Regarding third-party intellectual property, in accordance with the LOGISTEED Group Code of Conduct, we provide employees with specialized training for each business as well as regular compliance training to ensure that they always act honestly and
fairly, based on the proper handling and protection of intellectual property in accordance with laws, regulations, and contracts.
* CTO：Chief Technology Officer
Strengthening of intellectual capital/intellectual property rights strategy
Through many years of experience in the 3PL business, we have developed a strong foundation of proprietary and comprehensive capabilities. The high-quality data, experience, knowledge, and know-how, as well as the trusted relationships we have cultivated with our customers, represent key intellectual property and intangible assets of the LOGISTEED Group. We analyze data in alignment with customer business domains, operating environments, and medium- to long-term management plans. Through this, we provide solutions to their business challenges and contribute to the successful execution of their management goals. Our advanced data science capabilities are underpinned by proprietary expertise developed through years of experience as a pioneer in the 3PL industry. This domain is further expanding through the deepening of our DX efforts and reinforcement of our strategies surrounding intellectual capital and intellectual property rights. For technological achievements arising from the introduction of innovative technologies and development projects, we develop tailored intellectual property strategies for each business unit, either by safeguarding proprietary know-how through confidentiality measures or securing rights via patent applications. Operational improvements and developments are a continuous process that extends beyond initial trials, involving iterative optimization post-implementation. Although certain phases may not yield immediately quantifiable results, the LOGISTEED Group views every success, failure, and remedial action as valuable experience. Leveraging accumulated insights and data, we rigorously test them to inform decision-making, thereby driving superior productivity across our operations. The LOGISTEED Group's notable approach to patent filing and registration represents a critical process that makes technological achievements in our business visible. The number of patents acquired (registered patents) and those held serve as key quantitative indicators (KPIs) of our innovation outcomes.
Intellectual Capital KPIs
| FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 （Target） |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of registered patents | 24 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
| No. of patents held | 108 | 138 | 171 | 201 |
| No. of inventors submitting patent application |
34 | 23 | 29 | 30 |
| No. of specialized training/compliance trainings sessions held |
4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Cycle of adding value to intellectual property and intangible assets
The LOGISTEED Group continues to develop high value-added services and expand its lineup by leveraging data generated through our WＭS and our strengths in data science. Each of our DX services, as illustrated below, is supported by patent filings and registrations, positioning them as unique, one-of-a-kind offerings. In addition to comprehensive supply chain data covering everything from procurement to sales, we also utilize output data generated from each service. These data assets also represent important intangible assets, forming the foundation for enhancing the sophistication of our logistics consulting services.
Achievements made through intellectual capital/intellectual property rights processes
The LOGISTEED Group's intellectual property strategy serves to differentiate us from competitors and make our strengths visible, while also aligning organizational efforts to strengthen our foundation and create shared value. In the process of strategy formulation, discussions and evaluations focus on solutions that maximize contributions to customers and society, as well as the value delivered. Through comprehensive, medium to long-term analysis and insights of our customers' business models and market environments, we facilitate alignment among stakeholders regarding hidden issues, operational bottlenecks, and emerging risks. Based on this, discussions are held to determine the types of patent portfolios our company needs to develop. The process of sharing customer and societal challenges fosters the growth mindset and spirit of challenge among next-generation logistics talent, supporting the cultivation of talent essential to driving our company's ongoing innovation. Additionally, formalizing innovations through precise documentation and articulation is indispensable for transforming know-how into explicit, shareable knowledge and patents applications. This approach excels in transforming the tacit knowledge and expertise traditionally held solely by skilled artisans into explicit, shareable knowledge, thereby enhancing internal information exchange and driving productivity gains.
The LOGISTEED Group actively pursues the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and operational improvements beyond conventional practices. Through the development of bespoke software grounded in Gemba site perspectives and leveraging our expertise in digitalization, we enable enhanced visibility and holistic optimization of our customers' logistics. Further, we are committed to fostering growth together with our customers by providing advanced, value-enhancing services powered by data science.
