Company History

 

Founded in 1875, Shimadzu looks back on a long history and tradition of know-how, research and service. Meanwhile Shimadzu has a worldwide network of subsidiaries in 76 countries. 

A more detailed listing of Shimadzu’s history can be found at our Global Site.  

2016: 60 years of making gas chromatographs 

2016: Shimadzu’s history in IR spans many technological eras

Shimadzu Visionary

An introduction to Shimadzu´s History, based on the technologies and events marking each era, chronicled by date.

Shimadzu Visionary (website)

Shimadzu Foundation Memorial Hall

Located at the northern end of the Takase River, the Kiyamachi-Nijo district (Japan) is the birthplace of Shimadzu Corporation and the location where Shimadzu provides a space where visitors can experience the atmosphere and history of Shimadzu's early years through story and theme-based exhibits. 

Read more about the Foundation Memorial Hall (website)

Shimadzu Schweiz GmbH - an integral part of the Shimadzu European organization - has been founded in 1999 and is responsible for sales and support for the analytical and Biotech products in Switzerland.

Quality at Heart - Innovation in Mind

Consumer, product and environmental safety are the most important issues for manufacturing companies all over the world, no matter whether in industrial, emerging or developing countries. These challenges contribute to the bigger picture of preserving the basis of life for mankind, flora and fauna as well as living in harmony with nature and the environment.

Each manufacturing company hosts a laboratory for ingredients, materials and product analysis as well as quality control. These labs are equipped with high-tech analytical instrumentation systems for detection of residues, components and substances.

Shimadzu covers the whole bandwidth of analytical instrumentation consisting of chromatography (HPLC, GC), mass spectrometry (LC-MS, GC-MS, MALDI-TOF MS), spectroscopy (UV/VIS, FTIR, AAS, ICP) and sum parameters (TOC). These product lines are complemented by weighing technologies, testing machines and the biotechnology business division. Shimadzu’s analytical instruments are used in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology laboratories, in the food and semiconductor industry, in research and development as well as in process and quality control.

The product portfolio has grown organically, links many disciplines and has its roots in the company’s innovativeness based on the creative talent of its scientists and engineers, such as Genzo Shimadzu Jr. who was awarded as one of Japan’s ten greatest ever inventors, and Koichi Tanaka, the 2002 Laureate of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Our tradition: Future-oriented quality solutions

Constant commitment to innovation and high-quality technologies has, from the early days, been the key to European customers – and this still applies today. What began with a team of five colleagues in 1968 in Düsseldorf, Germany, has developed into a large European network with offices and trade partners in 64 cities in 34 countries – unified by one central approach: to provide top class solutions.

Innovation goes hand in hand with comprehensive service packages and holistic applications, as reflected in Shimadzu’s consulting and application solutions. Shimadzu produces globally according to acknowledged quality standards and enables its customers to work according to GLP, GMP, FDA and standard methods described in various pharmacopoeia.

Numerous world premieres and awards substantiate Shimadzu’s claim to continuously exceed existing limits of technology and provide better and better instruments.

In each decade of its history, the company has come up with technological breakthroughs, and in recent years has achieved an even higher clockrate of innovations based on scientific know-how and progress achieved by academics and industry. What’s next? Shimadzu’s R&D is driven by scientific curiosity, and designs tomorrow’s solutions - today.

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