NGK gives itself a new name

NGK gives itself a new name

Since its founding in 1936, the NGK company has been synonymous with spark plugs and today enjoys the position of world market leader in this field. However, the internal combustion engine business is only one part of NGK Spark Plug, as the company has also achieved great success in areas such as sensors and technical ceramics. Against the background of the ongoing change in the automotive industry, NGK Spark Plug has shown the company's future path with the long-term management plan "Nittoku BX", presented in 2020, which focuses on the successful conversion of the portfolio to ecologically sustainable business areas. These are mobility, medicine, environment & energy and communication.

Given the company's sustainable business goals and the predicted move away from ICE powertrains, the name "NGK Spark Plug" no longer accurately describes the company's overall future direction. Particularly in Europe and the US, the current name is strongly associated with the combustion engine business segment, which can give the impression that the positive contribution the company makes to the environment is being overlooked - particularly with its various sensor ranges, its technical ceramics business and its many new areas of activity. “Niterra”, the group’s new English company name, is a neologism made up of the Latin words “niteo”, meaning “gloss”, and “terra/earth”. It expresses the group's desire to be a company that not only contributes to a sustainable society, but also makes the earth shine: a goal formulated in the company's Vision 2040. While "Niterra" will become the overall name of the group, the well-known brands - NGK and NTK - will continue to exist for the company's respective business areas.

“Niterra is an important milestone in the transformation we are going through,” says Damien Germès, President & CEO of NGK Spark Plug Europe GmbH, Regional President EMEA and Corporate Officer of the global headquarters in Japan. "In the coming generations, it will be necessary to think even more about sustainability and what is good for the earth. With our new name, we have taken another step on our path to becoming a company that is not only successful, but also creates new value for the world."