Providing a Creative Space for Communication Innovation

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, announced that in July 2024, it opened a new facility called SANGO, which encompasses training functions, a venue for internal and external communication, and simulator training facilities for onboard operations, in the Toranomon Hills Station Tower, just a few minutes’ walk from the company’s Head Office. Following the renovation of the employee cafeteria this fiscal year, MOL expects SANGO to become a place that inspires innovation and value creation by deepening communication through the gathering, relaxation, and mutual empowerment of the group’s executives and employees. MOL aims to maximize the potential of each and every employee to drive sustainable growth and innovation by accelerating its investment in human capital.

* Background of opening the MOL Group Toranomon Empowerment Center “SANGO”

In addition to serving as an alternative to its current training facilities and Backup Control Plan (BCP) office, MOL has established SANGO in the hope that it will become a starting point where group employees can drop by anytime, connect, create new value, and find inspiration for the group’s future progress and success.
The “B to C” business, such as cruises and ferries, on which the MOL Group has been making further efforts in recent years, is expected to increase opportunities to introduce new services and events in the future, and SANGO is also envisioned as an ideal venue to offer such information.
The name “SANGO” is derived from the fact that sango or coral supports the diversity of marine life and also supports people’s lives from the sea as a resource for fishing and tourism. In this way, the term embodies the MOL Group Corporate Mission “From the blue oceans, we sustain people’s lives and ensure a prosperous future” while cherishing the preciousness of the sea and the global environment and reflecting the facility concept “A place where MOL Group executives and staff can stop by anytime and take a leap forward.”

* Features of the facility

1. Communication promotion area
The open space in the center of the facility can be used not only for work, but also for socializing, taking a break, parties, get-togethers, and so on, thus meeting a wide range of needs. A lively color scheme was adopted to represent the gathering of various people and demonstrate their diversity. There is also a café with a barista on staff, serving coffee, smoothies, and pastries, as well as alcoholic drinks after working hours. MOL expects SANGO to serve as a place to promote communication among people passing through the facility.

Open spaces for employee interaction, taking a break, parties, and get-togethers

2. Simulator training facilities
Three simulators are installed: an LNG carrier cargo handling simulator, a crude oil tanker cargo handling simulator, and an engine simulator. Employees can take training to hone various response skills for cargo handling and engine operation by reproducing the actual work environment.
The engine simulator is designed to provide training on dual-fuel LNG/fuel oil engines and LNG bunkering operation, which has never been done before. LNG, which emits less greenhouse gases than fuel oil, is increasingly in demand as a marine fuel. With the trend toward increasing the number of LNG-fueled vessels, within and outside the MOL Group, this simulator will also be able to accommodate training for seafarers serving aboard these vessels.
The simulator room was designed to be brighter and more open, taking into account the participants’ motivation, in addition to a glass wall installed to make it visible training facilities from the outside, fostering an MOL Group safety culture.

Engine simulator

3. Versatile multi-functional conference rooms
Two conference rooms can accommodate about 50 people, and can be connected to serve as a large conference room for about 100 people. The rooms are equipped with a four-sided multi-screen, projector, and webcam with switchable viewpoints, making it ideal for hybrid meetings/training sessions that bring together in-person and online participants.
Other features include a conference room with sound-absorbing walls to record videos for distribution inside and outside the company, and a brainstorming space with wide windows, greenery, and a green carpet to promote a feeling of refreshment.