TOKYO -- SMC, a Japanese manufacturer of pneumatic control systems, will invest 40 billion yen ($265 million) by 2026 to establish a round-the-clock model at its sites, seeking to halve the time needed for product development.
SMC, which has technical development centers in five markets, including China, the U.S. and Europe, will boost the hiring of engineers overseas by 20% to have more than 2,000 by 2026. As a result, those in Japan will account for about 60% of the engineer workforce, down from 70% now.
