According to the new ISO 56001 (Note 2) international standard for innovation management systems (IMS), OKI announces that it has become the first company in Japan to obtain the British Standards Institution (BSI) Kitemark (Note 1) accreditation on July 8, 2025. The Yume Pro innovation management system from OKI, which was introduced in 2017, is the first in Japan to satisfy international criteria.
Additionally, OKI was the first manufacturing company to obtain ISO 56001 certification under the BSI Kitemark within the BSI Group.
The challenges that companies face in global markets and industries, are social issues, climate change, and digitalization-driven business transformation. This has grown more varied and complicated in recent years.
It is anticipated that the push to become certified under ISO 56001 will spread throughout the world, establishing it as a common language among international partners.
Many of these recommendations are mandatory as the ISO 56001 international standard arranges the requirements according to the previous ISO 56002 (Note 3) guiding standard, which is a set of recommendations whose implementation is up to each organization.
Change management (Note 4) and risk management have been reinforced as evaluation criteria, especially for ISO 56001 certification under the BSI Kitemark. This means that organizations must have the practical capacity to generate sustainable value and cultivate an innovative culture across the organization.
OKI received high marks during the review for supporting AI-based innovation projects and implementing a number of initiatives, such as Yume Pro, that were in line with the organizational transformation steps outlined in its Medium-Term Business Plan 2025.
The evaluation also praised OKI’s fundamental strategy of gradually improving innovative activity procedures to boost customer value before moving on to business-scale development as a risk-reduction tactic.
After obtaining this certification, OKI will support global innovation and the development of new companies while bolstering efforts to address social concerns through co-creation with international customers and partner companies utilizing ISO 56001 as a common language.
With a focus on Yume Pro, OKI will keep encouraging the uptake and development of innovation management systems in order to generate a positive feedback loop of company growth and new value generation.
At an Innovation Conference (provisional name) in September 2025, OKI intends to provide an overview of its most recent innovation case studies and to outline the details of the ISO 56001 certification. OKI plans to increase its cooperation with co-creation partners.
Leadership Comments
Shahm Barhom, Global Product Certification Director, BSI Group:
“We are proud to congratulate OKI on becoming one of the first companies in Japan, and the first electronic device manufacturer globally, to achieve Innovation Management Kitemark Certification from BSI. This milestone positions OKI as a pioneer in adopting a structured, strategic approach to innovation, aligned to ISO 56001. Certification at this level signals a deep commitment to future-focused leadership, reinforcing trust with OKI’s partners and stakeholders in Japan and beyond.”
To Know More About OKI’s Yume Pro Innovation Management System, CLICK HERE
