Homes for the Future with the Unique Strength
Hidemitsu Hori, President and
Representative Director, YKK AP Inc.
A Japanese architectural products firm has spent more than 65 years in the business of making people safe and warm inside homes and buildings. Now, Tokyo-based YKK AP is taking this mission right into the future by developing smart doors and windows to protect vulnerable residents from severe weather and disasters. Change and evolution have been integral to the company’s success and longevity. With an international reach and a global outlook allied to high Japanese quality standards, YKK AP is a forward-facing business and has embraced IoT (the Internet of things) to meet changing customer needs.
President Hidemitsu Hori said such systems are streamlining sales and operations, while real-world applications could revolutionize the customer experience and with sustainability in mind. The firm is also working on improving thermal-insulation technology. “With the IoT, we would like to make products that are not only fun and easy to use but truly useful for the elderly and people with disabilities. Enabling people to go about their lives in comfort is an important issue,” he said. “Keyless entry will be important for this, as are automated shutters and blinds. With the increase in the frequency of natural disasters, we are also considering the development of a system that will detect adverse weather and automatically close shutters,” Hori added.
Central to this drive for improvement and excellence is producing components in-house, and while YKK AP has affiliates in nations like the United States, China and Indonesia, Japan is very much the headquarters. “Almost all of the technological development is carried out in Japan, while local subsidiaries handle the management and operation of their businesses,” Hori said.
– Time Asia (February 27 – March 6, 2023 Issue) Interview.
