Intellectual Capital Management

Basic concept

We conduct a wide range of R&D, primarily at Goldwin Tech Lab, in service of our corporate mission to “realize a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle through sports.” Our wide-ranging intellectual capital consists of many elements that comprise our corporate value, including trademark and licensing rights to high added-value sports brands, outstanding creativity to deliver brand value, planning and development capabilities, manufacturing know-how, systems that uphold high quality, store design communicating brand value to customers and sales expertise. Using this intellectual capital, we will continue striving to improve the global environment through unbound imagination and breakthrough innovations that are beneficial to the world, in order to not only develop products in the short term but also to increase our corporate value in the mid- to long term.

Framework for intellectual capital activities in our business

Development Committee

Our Development Committee meets six times a year in pursuit of developing high value-added products specifically with our original technologies and functions. The meetings comprise members selected from across our company and are held for the purpose of maximizing use of our human capital, intellectual capital and other internal resources. The committee also reviews product commercialization, marketing strategy and sales promotions to bring higher-level insights and efficiencies to product planning, and shares know-how across organizations. KODENSHI®, which was developed in the committee, was used in products worn by Yuichiro Miura in his ascent of Mt. Everest. KODENSHI® is now being deployed in development, promotions and other areas across our brands.

KODENSHI® fabric offers advanced heat retention performance. It is blended with ultra-fine ceramic particles that absorb far-infrared radiation (body heat) emitted from the skin of the person wearing it and returns the heat to their body.

Patent and Design Subcommittee, Patent and Design Working Group

The Patent and Design Subcommittee meets twice a year to establish our policy and strategy for effectively utilizing our Group’s intellectual property. Under it, the Patent and Design Working Group meets four times a year and holds more detailed discussions. The subcommittee and working group share intellectual property information on patents, designs, utility models, know-how and so on, and deliver our distinctive high added-value to customers through our various brand offerings. Through their discussions, the subcommittee and working group strive to effectively and efficiently obtain exclusive rights and protections on intellectual property by making decisions on applying for patents and other actions. This serves to prevent other companies from obtaining the rights and to curtail the availability of imitations.

SMART SEAM® is an original GOLDWIN technology. Creating flat seams to reduce seams’ stress on the skin

Service invention program

We have created an incentive program for intellectual property encompassing inventions, original works, ideas and know-how created by employees in the course of their work. Employees who have created intellectual property designated in the Patent and Design Subcommittee are given a cash reward corresponding to the evaluation of the intellectual property. The contribution to our business is also regularly assessed, with cash rewards given accordingly. This program greatly contributes to increasing employee motivation to develop high value-added products specifically with our original technologies and functions, not just functions based simply on relevant laws and regulations.

Motorcycle jacket with air intake at the chest. The jacket is constructed with two layers of zippers at the chest to deliver waterproof performance in the rain as well as ventilation when it’s not raining. The jacket brings in a larger volume of air than before to reduce perspiration under clothing.

List of our brands

In addition to our original brands, we also operate a multi-brand business that includes brands whose trademark rights we have acquired and licensed and distributor brands. We have formed strategic partnerships with the global parent companies of these brands and operate our business to create brand value on a global scale and further increase this value.