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Compliance
Promotion of compliance
Takara Bio has established its own Compliance Committee, with the President as the Chairperson in order to enhance the system for promoting compliance for the Group as a whole. In addition, Takara Holdings Group has established its own Guiding Principles for Compliance Conduct. Each of the Group companies suitably abides by the law and social ethics and undertakes risk management, enabling the Takara Group as a whole to fulfill its corporate social responsibility and to improve its corporate value.
Takara Group Guiding Principles for Compliance Conduct
Basic Policy
With the aim of realizing our corporate philosophy, which is “Contributing to the creation of a vital society and a healthy lifestyle through our fermentation technology and biotechnology in a way that achieves harmony with nature,” the Takara Group will always conduct trustworthy and fair corporate activities in accordance with our code of conduct, “what makes consumers full of life makes me full of life.”
- We will comply with laws and regulations in Japan and overseas, fully recognize social ethics, and act with common sense and responsibility as a member of society.
- We will work to lower environmental burdens, and contribute to the development of life science that values the dignity of life.
- We will conduct sustainable business activities that are widely useful to society by pursuing profit through fair competition rather than pursuing profit in a manner contrary to these Action Guidelines.
- We will comply with employment regulations, and will not engage in any unfair or dishonest practices in violation of employment regulations.
- We will always draw a line between public and private matters, and will not pursue personal gain by using corporate assets, information, business authority, or position.
Compliance education
In order to enhance employees’ compliance awareness, the Takara Group issues compliance newsletters that deal with compliance-related subjects familiar to its employees and offers an e-learning course every month. As stratified training, we also provide risk compliance seminars for top management led by guest specialists, annual group training for risk compliance seminars for top management led by guest specialists, annual group training for risk compliance leaders who promote workplace compliance education for each job level, and well as training sessions for new managers, and new hire training.
Appropriate operation of the whistleblowing system
We have two Takara Group helplines in place inside and outside the Company (i.e., third-party organizations), as contacts for whistleblowers in the event that they have noticed any legal infringements or unfair practices. We operate these helplines in accordance with Japan’s Whistleblower Protection Act and the Helpline Rules in order to ensure that whistleblowers do not receive disadvantageous treatment due to the reports they have made. The Company gives full consideration to maintaining confidentiality when investigating reports and takes appropriate action based on confirmed facts. Our Group companies in overseas locations also have their local whistleblowing hotlines and have established and operate processes that allow their local employees to directly contact the helpline in Japan for reporting and consultation through a third-party organization.
Risk Management
The Group carries out regular workplace inspections in normal times in order to understand and strategize for risks, and the results of those inspections are discussed at the Compliance Committee. We are also proactive in risk management, such as our revision of strategies for business continuity planning (BCP) that takes into account events such as large-scale disasters and systems that allow for executive and employee safety confirmation.
Bioethics Committee Established
Engaged in R&D business and contract business such as gene testing using human-derived tissue, cells, clinical materials, genome, gene, etc. and supply business of human tissue and cell products, Takara Bio is committed to the relevant regulation and convenes a bioethics committee to review on ethics and safety under supervisory oversight.
Bioethics and safety stipulation is available only in Japanese here.
Implementation of Animal Testing with Consideration of Animal Walfare
Takara Bio has formulated internal Guidelines on Animal Testing and the Regulations for Implementation of Animal Testing in line with laws, ordinances, and guidelines established by relevant organizations, and make efforts to engage in strict and fair animal testing. Our animal testing facilities have been recognized for their performance of proper animal testing with scientific perspective, under voluntary control efforts and with consideration of animal welfare. The facilities have been accredited by the Japan Health Sciences Foundation’s Center for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care and Use.※
※The Human Sciences Foundation was dissolved on March 31, 2021, and the above-mentioned animal experiment facility certification project was transferred to the Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center (2-12-15, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo). This certification will continue to be effective until March 13, 2023.
Handling of Biosafety
In the area of biosafety, we strive to comply with laws and regulations such as the Act on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity through Regulations on the Use of Living Modified Organisms (Cartagena Protocol). We have established Genetic Modification Safety Regulations and a Genetic Modification Committee within Takara Bio to strictly review the experiments we conduct in order to preserve biodiversity and ensure safety and health.