Kyocera Corporation, the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of electronic devices, industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, solar power generating systems, printers, copiers and mobile phones. During the year ended March 31, 2018, the company’s consolidated net sales totaled 1.58 trillion yen (approx. 14.9 billion USD). Kyocera appears on the "Top 100 Global Innovators" list by Clarivate Analytics and is ranked #612 on Forbes magazine's 2018 "Global 2000" list of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.