Previously Fuji had no central management and the individual operations were controlled by regional management teams.

We need to be more proactive to grow the volume and value of our business by taking a chance on digitisation and globalisation, said Nobuyuki Hayashi, general manager, Information Products Marketing Division.

The division will be responsible for distribution and marketing.

FGS is also expanding production and strengthening its R&D.

The firms European plate line at Tilburg in Holland is being upgraded to make visible light photopolymer plates from February 2005.

For the Drupa show in May, Fuji is launching its first Print On Demand (POD) RIP to drive the Xerox DocuColor range, which will see the company take on established players EFI and Creo.

Fujis POD RIP can drive two DocuColors at once and supports RGB workflows, spot colour substitutions, pre-flighting, automatic imposition and Fujis grey calibration quality stabilisation technology.