Social Preneur

Social Preneur

Shaping The Future Through Product Innovation

With its forward-thinking vision, Kenya is one of the world’s most dynamic markets for technology
innovation, offering industry players exceptional growth opportunities. In this highly competitive
landscape, companies must continuously come up with bold solutions to evolve their offerings if they want
to maintain market leadership.
Innovation isn’t just about adding features; it’s about creating new experiences, addressing unmet needs,
and redefining what’s possible. It’s the driving force behind progress, shaping industries, redefining
possibilities, and improving lives. Technology evolves at a rapid pace, so innovation is vital for companies
to stay relevant, competitive, and impactful. At Epson, everything we do is with our mission in mind – to
enrich lives and help create a better world through efficient, compact and precise innovation. This
dedication is exemplified in our pioneering advancements, such as the 3-chip LCD [3LCD] projectors that
offer vivid, natural colours that are gentle on the eyes, energy-efficient, and feature unmatched reliability
for years of consistent performance.
And in 2010, we revolutionised the printing industry with EcoTank printers, a game-changing, cartridge-
free solution featuring refillable ink tanks. This innovation reduces plastic waste by eliminating the need
for disposable ink cartridges and offers significant cost savings – up to ninety percent on ink cost – while
providing enough ink for up to three years from the start. This prevents millions of pounds of plastic from
reaching landfills, making it a more sustainable choice for customers both environmentally and
economically.
Market competition, rapid technological advancements, and shifting consumer expectations are all key
drivers of product innovation. To stay ahead of the curve, companies must embrace emerging
technologies, such as AI, and stay close to their customers. They also need to invest in research and
development (R&D) and foster a culture of innovation across their organisations.
However, businesses often face certain common challenges when trying to innovate, such as resource
constraints, risk aversion, and market resistance to change. These obstacles can be overcome with a
strong innovation strategy, leadership buy-in, and a willingness to take calculated risks.
At Epson META-CWA, our mission is to deliver creative technology products that better serve our
customers, making innovation a top priority. Our commitment to creativity and challenge fuels our desire
to exceed expectations. Globally, Epson invests around €1.14 million into R&D daily and over €770 million
to further sustainable innovation and become carbon-negative and underground resource-free by 2050.
The results speak for themselves. This year, Epson has been honoured with multiple awards at the 2024
Red Dot Design Awards, including a prestigious Best of the Best Awards in the Product Design Category
for designs that enrich people’s lives and society.
Our focus on innovation is essential for reaching our long-term goals, not only for our customers but also
for our planet. Our Japanese roots are grounded in a strong tradition of making exceptional products from
finite resources by adhering to our joint philosophies of Sho-Sho-Sei (compact, precise, and efficient) and
Monozukuri (the art and science of manufacturing). We have embraced sustainability as the cornerstone
of our product innovation strategy, overcoming challenges related to environmental impact and meeting
consumer demand for eco-conscious technology solutions.
Epson’s Heat-Free inkjet printers, powered by our MicroPiezo technology, reduce energy consumption
and CO₂ emissions by up to 83% compared to laser technology. By eliminating heat from the ink injection
process, this innovation cuts energy use, enhances reliability, and accelerates print speeds. Heat-Free

technology also minimises waste and enables high-quality printing on diverse materials, setting new
standards for sustainable and efficient printing in homes and businesses.
Overall, our products are designed to meet the needs of all our customers – individuals and businesses
alike – while helping them align with their sustainability objectives.
Recently, we received a Platinum rating for sustainability from EcoVadis, placing us among the top 1% of
companies in our industry worldwide. We are proud that our customers share our commitment to building
a healthier environment.
We also actively pursue open innovation, collaborating with other companies and research organisations
to accelerate new value creation. We firmly believe in the power of innovation to enrich people’s lives and
help create a better world; that’s why we are constantly reimagining what technology can do for
consumers, businesses, and the planet.
To remain competitive, companies must adopt a forward-thinking mindset that treats innovation as an
ongoing process, driven by customer needs and technological advances. Only those that prioritise
product innovation will lead the way in shaping the future.

Suat Ozsoy is the Vice President for Commercial Operations at Epson META-CW Asia.

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