We developed the Assist Wheel^® (AW) to help ease the physical burden of caretakers of wheelchair-bound people in moving their chargers from place to place. The AW is an electric wheelchair equipped with a sensor that automatically switches on the motor and brake and delivers superior performance, especially on both ascending and descending slopes, irregular ground and other places where moving ordinary wheelchairs is difficult.

Since FY2008 we have been donating AW wheelchairs to local governments in areas in which the Nabtesco Group has bases or where many of its employees reside, aiming to contribute to interaction with the local community and encourage employee’s challenging spirit for solving social issues. We also began donating the AW wheelchairs to areas afflicted by the Great East Japan Earthquake in FY2011 and the Kumamoto Earthquake in FY2017, where the superior performance of the wheelchairs on irregular ground is particularly useful. In FY2019, looking ahead to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, we donated 15 AW wheelchairs to five parks where an increase in use by elderly and disabled people is expected, through the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association, aiming to realize barrier-free parks.

In addition to the AW wheelchairs, we have also donated the CONPAL. The CONPAL is a caster walker that automatically decelerates only at times of rapid acceleration, to prevent falls. This new and reliable walker is available for those who walk with instability, or who have difficulty walking down slopes or applying a hand brake.

So far, We have donated 348 AW wheelchairs and CONPAL in total. We aim to be able to contribute to improving the lives of even more people through the provision of the AW wheelchairs and COMPAL.

The grip sensor detects the force being used to operate the wheelchair, and the electric motor assists the caregiver on slopes and pebbled paths. The electric wheelchair thus reduces the burden imposed on caregivers.

The acceleration control brake is built into the rear wheel. The brake of the walker does not operate at usual walking speed but only at quick acceleration to prevent turnover.

Nabtesco has been supporting Environmental Education Program hosted by Asahi Shimbun Company, the newspaper company, since FY2014. The Program is held to help children learn about the Earth in a pleasant manner, and encourage them to voluntarily take actions for the planet.

Under the Program, educational materials created by Asahi Shimbun with the support of four companies including Nabtesco were distributed free-of-charge to approximately 260,000 children in about 2,900 elementary schools across Japan (FY2019). Moreover, an environmental event was held in September, special classes were provided at two elementary schools in November and December, and participatory events were held for the children, who were asked to write a newspaper and accept essays. Nabtesco will continue to provide opportunities for students to think about the Earth’s environment while learning in a fun way.

The Nikkei Education Challenge is an education program in which career professionals provide classes for high school students based on the concept of conveying the pleasure of working and their enthusiasm for their jobs. Since FY2015, we have sponsored this program, which is hosted by Nikkei Inc., the newspaper company.

On the day, approximately 300 high school students from all over the nation took part in the program. The lecturer conveyed his pleasure of working, the sense of achievement he gets from his job, and examples of challenges he overcame, providing a "lively class" that conveyed a real working site. We will continue to provide opportunities for high school students to imagine their future careers.

The Nabtesco Group has been supporting schools which have participated in the International Rocketry Challenge (IRC) as a Japanese national team since FY2016. In this event, national teams consisting of junior high and high school students from the US, the UK, France and Japan participate as teams to design, build and launch a model rocket, competing for higher altitude, longer flying duration and others. Events have been held during the Farnborough International Airshow (in even-numbered years) and the International Paris Airshow (in odd-numbered years) at the respective sites. The Nabtesco Group provides some of the travel expenses for the Team Japan students to participate in the competition. The Group will continue to support national team schools as an initiative to develop next-generation human capital in the field of aerospace engineering, with which Nabtesco is involved in its business.

Since FY2017, the Nabtesco Group, in partnership with DyDo DRINCO, INC., the beverage manufacturer, has hosted a soccer championship in Mie Prefecture Japan, where both companies have operational bases. Given the decreasing numbers of children joining soccer teams and the widening gaps in performance levels among teams, this championship was created to provide many children with an opportunity for exchange. It aims to encourage children to learn a spirit of fair play and sportsmanship through participation in the championship and consequently improving the level of competition and enabling more children to enjoy soccer in Mie. With approximately 700 children participating, the fourth championship, held in February 2020, was a great success.