The founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita, early recognized his responsibilities as an industrialist and based his management on 7 founding principles.

Panasonic was founded in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita as Matsushita Electric Housewares and Manufacturing Works, a producer of lightbulb sockets. Since 1920 Matsushita has been launching new innovative products on a regular basis. The ideas may have appeared small, but the products provided a new dimension of comfort and opportunities in daily lives. Since Panasonic’s launch over 100 years ago, the company has evolved to become one of the largest Japanese corporations worldwide.

Timeline

1927 A line of bicycle lamps was produced and the first to be marketed with the national brand name.

1929 Founder Konosuke Matsushita established the basic management objectives that have been shaping the company until today.

1932 Konosuke Matsushita announced the corporate mission and presented the Seven Core Principles of Panasonic.
These principles comprise the management philosophy of the company founder. With his powerful and humanistic ideals, Matsushita emphasized the importance of life-long learning, experience and faith that one can learn from both success and failure in order to achieve success. “In a changing environment, life-long learning maybe more related to great success or unusual achievements than IQ, parental socio-economic status, charisma, and formal education… Life-long learning is closely associated with humility, an open mind, a willingness to take risks, a capacity to listen, and honest self-reflection,” Matsushita said. This company philosophy of Konosuke Matsushita is still firmly grounded in the company today.

1935 Foundation of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Works Ltd.

1937 Launch of Automotive storage battery

1947 Foundation of Sanyo Electric Works

1962 Matsushita Electronic Hamburg established
Cooperation with SDS Relays
Konosuke Matsushitas story was covered globally by Time magazine

1963 Launch of world’s longest lasting dry cell battery

1964 Konosuke Matsushitas story was covered globally by Life magazine

1980 Sanyo first worldwide commercial solar cell manufacturer

1981 50 years corporate mission anniversary

1985 Promotion by the Establishment of Japan Prize Foundation

1988 Foundation of Panasonic Europe
Start of the worldwide Olympic Partnership
Launch of camcorder with optical image stabilization

1989 Konosuke Matsushita passed away
Acquisition of SDS-Elektro GmbH

1991 Establishment of basic environmental management policy – Matsushita Environmental Chapter

1994 Development of Lithium-ion batteries

1998 Foundation of Panasonic Industrial Europe

2003 Unification under the global brand Panasonic

2005 Name change to Panasonic Electric Works

2007 Declaration of Eco-Ideas

2008 Company name change from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. to Panasonic Corporation and corporate brand unified worldwide as Panasonic

2010 Partnership with Tesla motors

2011 Acquisition of 100% ownership of Panasonic Electric Works and Sanyo Electric

2012 Incorporation of Panasonic Electric Works and Panasonic Electronic Devices into Panasonic Corporation

2014 Grand opening of Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town SST

2004 Comprehensive partnership start with Matsushita Electric Works

2016 New slogan: A Better Life, A better World

2017 Panasonic Industry Europe founded

2018 100th Anniversary

2019 Launch of seven company system (Appliances, Automotive, Connected Solutions, Industrial Solutions, Life Solutions, China & Northeast Asia, USA)

2020 Opening of Panasonic Campus Munich (Read more)

2022 Panasonic transitions to a Holding Company System

2022 Panasonic Industry Europe GmbH and Panasonic Electric Works Europe AG have successfully merged as of 1st October 2022 (Read more)

2024 End of the worldwide Olympic Partnership

Panasonic Electric Works Europe AG Downloads

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