Sharp Corporation

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Sharp Corporation シャープ株式会社

Type	Corporation (TYO: 6753, LuxSE: SRP)
Founded	Tokyo, Japan (1912)
Headquarters	Osaka, Japan
Key people	Toshihiko Fujimoto, President
Industry	Electronics
Products	Audio-Visual and communication equipments, Home appliances, Information equipments, ICs, LCDs, Other electronic components
Revenue	2.8 trillion Yen (24.38 billion USD) (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2006)
Employees	47,600 (Consolidated, as of August 31, 2005)
Slogan	Be Sharp / From Sharp Minds Come Sharp Products
Website	SHARP World Index

Sharp Corporation (シャープ株式会社, Shāpu Kabushiki-gaisha^?) (TYO: 6753, LuxSE: SRP) is a Japanese electronics manufacturer, founded in 1912. It takes its name from one of its founder's first inventions, the Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil, which was invented by Tokuji Hayakawa (早川徳次) in 1915. Since then it has developed into one of the leading electronics companies in the world. As a semiconductor maker, Sharp is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders and among the Top 100 R&D Spenders in a list published by IEEE Spectrum magazine. It gained public awareness in the United Kingdom when it sponsored Manchester United F.C. from 1983 to 2000, which was a great period of success for the club.

1 Origins
2 Core technologies
3 Humanoid Robot
4 Sales
5 Manchester United
6 Headquarters
7 Associated companies
8 Competitors
9 See also
10 References
11 External links

It takes its name from one of its founder's first inventions, the Ever-Sharp mechanical pencil, which was invented by Tokuji Hayakawa (早川徳次) in 1915.^[1] After the pencil business was destroyed by the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923, the company relocated to Osaka and started designing the first Japanese radio sets. These went on sale in 1925. In 1953 it started production of the first television sets in Japan. Other notable achievements include the world's first all-transistor desktop calculator in 1964 and the first LCD calculator in 1973. LCD technology continues to be a key part of Sharp's product range, in both the component and the consumer-appliance sides of the business.

Core technologies and products include: solar panels, mobile phones, audio-visual entertainment equipment, LCD panels, projectors, photocopiers, microwave ovens, cash registers, CMOS and CCD sensors, and flash memory.

The first commercial camera phone was also made by Sharp for the Japanese market in November 2000. Recent products include the ViewCam, the Ultra-Lite notebook PC, the Zaurus personal digital assistant, Sidekick 3, and the Aquos flat screen television.

In 2006 Sharp said it has developed a humanoid robot that clears dishes from the table and puts them into a dishwasher. The robot (measuring 95x50x45cm) opens the door of the dishwasher, takes hold of teacups, rice bowls and plates, places them in the unit and closes the door ^[2]

Net sales for the year 2003/4 were $16.8 billion. The Corporation employs 46,600 staff, of which around half live outside Japan. It operates from 64 bases in 30 countries and its products are distributed in 164 countries worldwide. Many of its regional subsidiaries trade under the name "Sharp Electronics".

As a semiconductor maker, Sharp is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders and among the Top 100 R&D Spenders in a list published by the IEEE Spectrum magazine.

Sharp sponsored Manchester United Football Club from 1983 until 2000, in one of the lengthiest and most lucrative sponsorship deals in English football. Sharp's logo became iconic between 1983 and 2000 when English football club Manchester United displayed it on their shirts as part of a sponsorship deal. Because much of these 17 years were something of a golden era for the club, with a (coincidental) decline in fortunes happening once Vodafone became the new shirt sponsors in 2000, some fans now term this period—particularly 1993–2000—as The Sharp Years.

Sharp were United's shirt sponsors at the time of the club winning seven Premier League titles, five FA Cups, one Football League Cup, one European Cup Winners' Cup and one European Cup.