On September 10, Daifuku announced at its Tokyo headquarters that, as part of its growth strategy in the United States, it will begin operations in October at a new factory building for its intralogistics business in Indiana.
Furthermore, the company revealed plans to establish two research and development centers (in Tokyo and Kyoto) for next-generation technologies such as AI and robotics.
As a comprehensive manufacturer of material handling systems, Daifuku operates six businesses in 24 countries and regions both domestically and internationally, including intralogistics such as automated warehouses, semiconductor production line systems, automobile production line systems, and airport systems.
In its long-term vision, the company aims for sales of 1 trillion yen by 2030, and in its 2027 medium-term management plan to achieve this goal, it has set aside a strategic investment budget of 800 billion yen.
Tomoaki Terai, Representative Director and Executive Vice President (COO), outlined the company's vision, stating, "We will make proactive investments in areas such as developing new markets, M&A, and new businesses." He cited the new factory building in the United States, the new factory in India, and the new factory building at the Shiga plant in Japan as major investment targets.
<Vice President Terai>
At Daifuku, overseas sales account for approximately 70% of its total sales, and the United States is a key market, accounting for 25% of sales in the first half of the fiscal year ending December 2025.
As a manufacturer, the company advocates "local production for local consumption" and states that the impact of reciprocal tariffs is "minor," emphasizing that "our strength lies in providing comprehensive services from consulting to installation and after-sales support." To further expand its market share in the United States, the company will add a new building (25,000 m2) to its existing factory (30,000 m2) in Indiana, increasing its production capacity to approximately double the current level.
<New factory building in Indiana, USA>
"In the United States, immigration policies are progressing, leading to challenges such as labor shortages and rising labor costs. We expect the need for automation in production and logistics to increase due to inflation and the rise of e-commerce," said Vice President Terai.
We anticipate sales in our intralogistics business for fiscal year 2025 to reach 2200 billion yen, of which 700 billion yen will come from the United States and slightly over 50% from Japan.
<President Shimodai>
Regarding the domestic market, President Hiroshi Shimodai said, "The growth of e-commerce has slowed down, including due to the coronavirus, but with the labor shortage as a backdrop, we may not be able to continue the business itself unless we further automate it. How we solve this problem through automation will be one of the key issues going forward."
In its medium-term management plan, Daifuku will establish a cross-departmental headquarters directly under the president to promote the development of new businesses and cutting-edge technologies. To develop cutting-edge technologies that will be growth drivers, the company will establish new research and development bases in Tokyo (January 2026) and Kyoto (November 2025).
<Tokyo Lab Image>
<Kyoto Lab Image>
The two labs plan to hire approximately 50 technical personnel in total, and will accelerate research and development of cutting-edge technologies such as AI, robotics, and image processing. They are also considering personnel exchanges, industry-academia collaborations, and partnerships with external partners.
"We aim to fully robotize our intralogistics by 2030. In particular, we hope to replace human-operated tasks such as picking with humanoids in the future. As a manufacturer, this is a challenge we want to take on, and it's also a dream of ours. We will build a material handling system for a new era," said President Shimodai, outlining his vision.
■ Overview of the new factory building
Address: 6300 Northwind Parkway, Hobart, IN 46342 US
Site area: Approximately 21,300 m17
Building area: Approximately 25,000 m2 (existing factory building: approximately 30,000 m2)
Products: Material handling systems such as conveyors and sorters
Investment amount: US$3500 million (approximately 50 billion yen) *Exchange rate: 1 US dollar = 148 yen
Construction start date: April 2024
Operation start date: October 2025
■Tokyo Lab Overview
Opening: January 2026 (planned)
Address: 19th Floor, Shiodome Building, 1-2-20 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Area: Approximately 1000m2
Number of people: Approximately 50 people (FY2027)
■ Kyoto Lab Overview
Established: June 2025
Address: 31 Shogoin Rengezocho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City
Area: Approximately 900m2
Number of people: Approximately 90 people (FY2027)
