Opportunity knocks for Hitachi

The electronics company is already present on the market through two subsidiaries selling power tools and wants its Warsaw branch, opened in January, to increasingly contribute to its sales outside Japan. Currently Hitachi sells 70 percent of its products at home, but by 2009 the company plans for this share to drop to 55 percent.

Hitachi is also investing in two factories in the Czech Republic, which will join the 13 factories the company already possesses in Europe. The firm's strategy for Poland includes cooperation with local R&D centers and setting up an efficient chain.

"We are also about to close an interesting deal in two to four months, and we don't exclude some further investments," said Piotr Zawadzki, Hitachi's market development leader in Poland. "Hitachi is happy to hear that in 2012 there are going to be fast trains in Poland. [We have] some significant experience in this area," says Stephen Gomersall, Hitachi's executive director in Europe. The company is going to participate in the tender for the subway trains needed for Warsaw's second line, but it also hopes to work with Polish banks on security improvements. In Japan, 75 percent of banks use biometrics for their ATM machines and Hitachi wants to popularize this in Poland.