Proposal-Based Support and Solutions for Corporate Customers

「当行グループは、新会社を通じて道内企業・自治体の AI 活用を直接支援し、道内企業の生産性向上と北海道経済の活性化、地域課題の解決に取り組んでまいります。」

「Centered on cooperation with our subsidiary 北海道共創パートナーズ, we provide broad and sophisticated consulting and solutions through hands-on support delivered jointly by branches, headquarters, group companies and external specialists. This includes recruitment to help address labour shortages, startup support through fund investments, business succession and business revitalisation support, assistance with introducing DX/AI services and tools, and the provision of finance, deposit products and visualisation tools to support decarbonisation.」

「By pooling the full strength of the group, including by strengthening cooperation with 北海道共創パートナーズ, which handles the group's corporate consulting operations as a whole, we provide broad and sophisticated consulting aimed at resolving customers' management challenges.」

「Our group believes it has a mission, as a leading bank, to actively provide loans and investments in growth areas such as GX, including renewable energy, and the entry of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing bases.」

「Under 「SDGs Consulting」, which we began offering in April 2022, we support the preparation of business plans that identify material issues and compile targets and KPIs and planned initiatives, based on the relationship between customers' management philosophies, visions and businesses and the SDGs. We also support the formulation of a 「Sustainability Management Policy」 as an external commitment.」

「We are addressing customers' needs and challenges through initiatives including smooth financial support for customers affected by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic; recruitment, M&A support and equity support through a business succession fund in cooperation with the bank's corporate consulting subsidiary, 北海道共創パートナーズ株式会社; and support for business restructuring, including expansion into new fields, changes in business format and changes of industry.」

「The banking segment's operating performance was affected mainly by a decrease in fee and commission income resulting from restrictions on face-to-face transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a decline in interest and dividend income on securities due to lower yields caused by redemptions of yen-denominated bonds and other factors. Although interest on loans was maintained at approximately the previous year's level through active COVID-19-related lending support, recurring revenue declined by ¥2 billion year on year to ¥52.9 billion for the six months ended September 2020.」

「Following the additional acquisition of shares in 北海道共創パートナーズ株式会社 and its conversion into a wholly owned subsidiary on 1 April 2020, it has been included in the scope of consolidation from the first quarter of the current fiscal year.」

「Our affiliated consulting company, 北海道共創パートナーズ株式会社, is strengthening its support structure for customers, including by establishing a business succession fund and bringing together M&A specialists.」

「For business succession and M&A, we are strengthening our support structure by increasing the number of dedicated personnel and providing services that also include recruitment through our affiliated consulting company, 北海道共創パートナーズ株式会社.」

「In November 2017, we acquired a stake in 北海道共創パートナーズ株式会社, a subsidiary of 株式会社日本人材機構, and began providing hands-on support services including recruitment. We have also actively used various funds to support agriculture, startups and new businesses. In August 2017, we established a new fund targeting the life sciences sector, including medical technologies, drug discovery and medical devices, where significant growth is expected in Hokkaido.」

「We became the first financial institution in Hokkaido to undertake lending based on customers' intellectual property rights, including patents. We also issued standby letters of credit in the United States, Vietnam and Singapore for Hokkaido companies expanding overseas.」

「We provided active support primarily in fields such as healthcare, agriculture and food, while also preparing a range of solutions to facilitate the smooth resolution of management challenges and conducting proposal-based relationship management.」