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Delivering Long-Term Value for Customers in the Age of AI
Six months into leading Panasonic Connect Europe, it's clear that customers increasingly need integrated solutions that combine hardware, software, services and operational support. This allows us to be a technology partner that helps them tackle real-world challenges with confidence.
Written by Kentaro Ikeda, CEO & Managing Director of Panasonic Connect Europe
In a demanding business environment, Panasonic Connect Europe continues to build strong and lasting relationships with customers and partners. These relationships are underpinned by the dedication and expertise of our people, and strengthened by the trust and confidence in our brand.
One of our greatest strengths is the diversity of our team. Across Europe, I am constantly impressed by the wide range of backgrounds, experience, and perspectives that our people bring to the business. This diversity, combined with a shared commitment to customers, is a powerful catalyst for innovation and growth.
It's this progress that reinforces my belief in what we're capable of achieving in the years ahead.
Solving Real Customer Challenges
Across Europe, organisations are navigating many of the same challenges, including labour shortages, rising costs, increasing operational complexity and pressure to improve productivity. At the same time, they are exploring ways to accelerate digital transformation and unlock greater value from their data.
Customers don't simply want products; they want partners that can help them achieve meaningful business outcomes. That's the driving force behind my vision for Panasonic Connect Europe as a technology solutions provider. Our focus is not on AI for its own sake. We see the greatest value in connecting AI with real operational environments, combining data, technology and human expertise to make operations smarter, safer and more productive.
This isn't about reinventing the business. It's about building on our strengths by bringing together hardware, software, services, and long-term operational support to solve real customer challenges.
Close Customer Collaboration to Unlock Opportunities
We see significant growth opportunities in areas such as public safety and critical infrastructure, manufacturing and industrial operations, and supply chain, logistics, and retail operations.
To seize these opportunities, we are expanding our solutions and managed services business. This will enable us to build stronger, long-term customer relationships, where we can continuously deliver value. It will also allow us to strengthen our software capabilities, and deepen our understanding of customers’ operations and long-term priorities.
Through closer collaboration with customers and partners, and by leveraging the full breadth of Panasonic Connect Europe’s technologies, expertise and services, we can unlock new value, accelerate innovation, solve complex customer challenges, and help them to achieve their long-term growth aspirations.
Delivering Long-Term value
We’re already seeing strong examples of how a solution-led approach can deliver tangible value for customers. For example, our TOUGHBOOK Mobile-IT As-a-Service offering gives organisations access to devices, software and managed service through a flexible subscription model. This reduces upfront investments, delivers predictable costs and simplifies the entire device lifecycle.
In Factory Solutions, our new Budapest Technical Centre is strengthening our support capabilities in Central and Eastern Europe. By providing services such as training, maintenance, repair, we are helping manufacturers improve productivity, maximise equipment performance and reduce downtime.
These are evidence of how we're moving beyond products to deliver long-term value and measurable outcomes for our customers.
Combining Technology, Expertise, and People
The most successful transformations happen when technology, expertise and people come together to solve real-world challenges and deliver meaningful long-term value for customers and end users.
It’s been an exciting, yet busy, start to my tenure as Managing Director of Panasonic Connect Europe. I can’t wait for what the future holds as we continue to build momentum – and deliver solutions that empower our customers to lead and grow their own businesses.

Kentaro Ikeda
CEO & Managing Director
Panasonic Connect Europe
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