About Daikin Industries, Ltd. Technology Innovation Center
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The Technology and Innovation Center (TIC) was established in 2015 with the aim of "collaborating" to create new value in an open environment by fusing internal and external knowledge through collaboration with companies, universities, and research institutions from different industries and fields. TIC's mission is to build the world's best technological capabilities through collaboration, expand business through highly differentiated products, create new value and develop businesses through innovative and cutting-edge technologies, and contribute to the sustainable growth and development of the Daikin Group.
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Name and affiliation of the person interviewed
- Yuko Shioya, Section Manager, Technology and Innovation Center, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
- Akari Fujimatsu, Technology and Innovation Center, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
- Yuna Ino, Technology and Innovation Center, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
- Marika Narita, Technology and Innovation Center, Daikin Industries, Ltd.
From left: Ino, Narita, Fujimatsu, and Shioya
When I got home and lay down, I wondered what would happen if I didn't go to pick up my child from daycare.
Surprisingly, male managers strongly sympathized with this honest story.
Change in an organization begins with listening to the real voices of employees. In 2025, Daikin Industries, Ltd.'s Technology and Innovation Center (hereinafter referred to as Daikin TIC) held a "Work-Childcare Balancing Seminar" sponsored by BeLiebe Inc. (hereinafter referred to as BeLiebe) as part of its DE&I promotion (see here for a look at the seminar). This marked a new step towards creating an environment where diverse employees can demonstrate their abilities regardless of their life stage.
We spoke with Shiotani Yuko, Fujimatsu Akari, Ino Yuna, and Narita Marika, who are in charge of labor management and human resource development for the center's approximately 900 engineers and are working hard to create an organization where all employees can find fulfillment in their work, including through DE&I.
The idea behind the program, which reached employees with no childcare experience
Daikin TIC has held regular events for employees returning from childcare leave. However, they have received feedback from employees who are not currently raising children and managers with subordinates who are raising children, such as "I don't know how to support them" and "I'm worried about whether I'll be able to balance work and family life in the future."
Mr. Narita explains the background to the seminar:
"I don't have any experience raising children yet, but I have felt anxious that one day I might find myself in that position and have to give up my career. I empathize with those worries and wanted to hold a seminar that would raise awareness among people other than those directly involved ."
Changing work styles and creating a space where people can speak their true feelings
Daikin maintains a culture that values face-to-face interaction and that relies primarily on employees coming to the office, but has also adopted a flexible work-from-home system since the COVID-19 pandemic . For employees with children up to elementary school age and employees caring for family members in need of care, the system allows employees to work from home for up to half of the month, creating a comfortable working environment even for employees with time constraints.
In addition to systems, we also place importance on building relationships where people can speak their true feelings .
Here are some of the most memorable realizations I had at the seminar:
"It was a big step for the team members to learn that a manager who, when he was younger, worked hard, asking questions like 'Can you work 24 hours a day?' felt that in today's world, where more and more employees, both male and female, are balancing work and family life, the way he worked when he was younger is no longer acceptable. I think it made the team members feel that it was okay to speak up about it."
Changes brought about by dialogue and the positive impact of continuing
The seminar was attended by over 150 people , exceeding expectations. What was particularly impressive was the diverse range of employees, both male and female, who participated .
In the participant survey, comments included, "I felt like sharing my personal worries," and "I felt relieved to hear what managers really thought."
The personal anecdotes that Shioya shared also received a great response.
"When my children were still small, I was so busy just getting by that I would sometimes come home before picking them up from daycare and lie down exhausted, wondering what would happen if I didn't pick them up. When I told my manager about this, he empathized with my feelings and how difficult it was for him to raise a child in a working family. I feel like my values are slowly changing ."
After the seminar, they apparently received inquiries such as, "I hope you will do this kind of initiative again," and "How should we respond in this situation?"
From systems to culture: everyday relationships drive change
While Daikin TIC has adopted a free address system, Shiotani and his team have deliberately set up "fixed seats" to make it easier for TIC members to seek advice. They maintain their presence as a contact point and also focus on "creating an atmosphere where people feel comfortable talking to them."
Fujimatsu has this to say about building relationships with employees:
" Every day, I try to respond in a way that makes people feel grateful and grateful for my help. If you don't know the background to a problem, you can't provide essential support. That's why I think it's important to build relationships where people can speak their true feelings on a daily basis ."
Do what you can to create your own career
Going forward, the company is also considering holding small group discussions for employees who may soon be involved in childcare or nursing care, with the hope of using the feedback received through the seminars as a starting point for deeper dialogue.
"I want to use this opportunity to encourage employees to think about how they want to shape their lives. I feel that today's employees need to think about their careers not just within the company, but throughout their lives. I would like to think together with them about how far the company can support them in this regard, while also learning from examples from other companies."
Daikin TIC's goal is not to simply have a system in place, but to ensure that the thoughts behind it are communicated among employees.
We will continue to move forward step by step, striving to create a workplace where each individual can work in their own way and achieve results .