Toshinori Arita (pictured), the former head of Japan-based car maker Honda’s corporate venturing unit has reemerged at local printer company Ricoh’s new business development centre.
Arita since August has been working as general manager of a service to link printers to other devices and for the past year has been in the company’s strategic planning team responsible for venture invesments and external partnership for generating new business pipeline.
Ricoh has also recently added Masato Hisatake from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Investment (Meti) to help with its strategic planning. The company has also moved Hideki Segawa to deputy general manager of its corporate technology development group after nearly 18 years as general manager for corporate venturing in Silicon Valley, California, as well as incubating new business in Japan and the US.
Arita had spent nearly a decade as head of strategic venturing at Honda’s Silicon Valley office and the move last September came as the car maker shifted from equity investments towards setting up an incubator.
Nick (Naoki) Sugimoto, is manager of Honda’s Silicon Valley Lab after six years working with Arita on strategic venturing, while Dani Essindi Behrendt looks after innovation and strategic alliances.
In June, US car maker Ford also opened a Silicon Valley Lab.