Finland’s spring has warmed up to a hotter-than-usual summer up here in the North. Likewise, our fiscal year is proving to be warmer than anticipated. Thanks to several significant orders, we are heading toward a good year.

Our fiscal year is not the calendar year. Instead, it runs from March 1 through the end of February, as is typical for many Japanese companies. The Japanese new year starts with the blossoming of cherry trees. Similarly, our business has been flourishing, too. Our revenue has grown and our profitability improved during the past fiscal year.

As the calendar year comes to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on what the year has brought our way.

When I visited China Wind Power 2018 a few weeks ago, I was pleased to see how the offshore wind business was taking off. Products are being developed in China for upcoming 8 to 10 MW turbines, and the technology of choice seems to be either direct-drive or medium-speed permanent magnet generators.