Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation today announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company has signed an official sponsorship agreement with the Chiba Lotte Marines Co., Ltd. for the Marines-Czech Baseball Bridge Programme. By supporting international cultural exchange between Japan and Czech Republic, where Panasonic's European core site is located, through baseball, the company aims to promote sports and foster a healthy society.
During the World Baseball Classic (WBC) games, an international baseball tournament held in March 2023, everyone talked about Marines manager Masato Yoshii (pitching coach for the WBC Japan national team) and pitcher Roki Sasaki, who pitched for Japan against the Czech team, and the friendship built between Japanese and Czech players after the game. The Marines-Czech Baseball Bridge Programme is designed to enable the Marines to take the initiative to deepen the friendship built through these exchanges between Japan and the Czech Republic. The manager of the Czech national team and two players will visit Japan and participate in the first pitch ceremony for the match against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and other events at ZOZO Marine Stadium on August 1, as well as a youth exchange program on August 5.
We established a plant in Pilsen, Czech Republic in 1996 and began producing eco-friendly air-to-water heat pumps in 2018. The plant now serves as our core base in Europe, promoting local production for local consumption and promptly responding to market needs. In response to strong demand, we have increased the plant's production capacity since last year, aiming for a global production capacity of 1 million units in the mid-term.
With a desire to strengthen ties between Japan and Czech Republic, Panasonic decided to sponsor this international exchange program through baseball.
Panasonic Corporation's Heating & Ventilation A/C Company will collaborate with the Chiba Lotte Marines to foster a healthy society through cultural exchange between Japan and Czech Republic.