My battery is smaller and more powerful than yours: TDK's chief is chasing the ultimate power brag

Wearables set to power next growth surge for world's largest maker of smartphone batteries.

- Ravi Velloor

If you came across the name Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo KK, chances are it would mean nothing to you unless you were Japanese, or had a special interest in the country's industry. Say "TDK" though, and your eyes would light up if you are of the right age. In the pre-digital era, TDK dominated the market for recording cassettes.

Odd things happen in the technology world. Ajinomoto was once known for its monosodium glutamate, a taste-enhancing chemical compound better known as MSG. These days, it is applying aminoscience to innovate faster semiconductors with lower environmental impact.

TDK is on a similar track. It still has world-leading magnetic technology - a legacy of the recording cassettes, which used a magnetic coating on a film base. But where once its principal clients were secretaries taking dictation, journalists chronicling comments from sources and the general public storing music, TDK, believe it or not, is today the world's largest maker of batteries for smartphones. It also is a top sensor producer and a significant player in the electric vehicle industry.

In its own way, therefore, the company has come to be as vital to modern manufacturing as American multinational 3M, the maker of Scotch tape and industrial adhesives. In the year to March 31, TDK Corp reported a record operating profit of 173 billion yen (S$1.5 billion) on net sales of 2.1 trillion yen.

I recently had the opportunity to meet Mr Noboru Saito, TDK's president and chief executive officer since 2022 and a law graduate who as a college student applied to join the then cassette maker after watching a commercial starring music legend Stevie Wonder.

With TDK slated to spend 254 billion yen on research and development in its fiscal year 2025, I was curious to hear from the 36-year company veteran about what lay ahead as the firm approached its centenary year.