Volume 70 Number 4 Research & Development for Global Value CreationAchieving Sustainable Growth through Research & Development Initiatives
The new normal has transformed people’s sense of value and ways of living and working. More than ever, companies are required to be responsible for the environment. Hitachi operates its Social Innovation Business aiming at sustainable societies through innovation. This issue describes global efforts to achieve innovation, presenting examples of advanced co-creation together with the latest R&D.
Cover Story
Hitachi’s Research and Development Creating New Value
Transforming for Global Innovation
With various challenges and changes facing the world, Hitachi's Research & Development (R&D) Group is promoting cutting-edge technology development and global co-creation activities to resolve societal issues. Norihiro Suzuki, Hitachi Executive Officer, CTO, and General Manager of R&D Group, talks about the Group's initiatives and future prospects.
Innovation in the New Normal
How to Go about Exploitation and Exploration in Uncertain Times
The advance of technology is effecting rapid changes to society and industry. The new normal is emphasizing different values. How must business management adapt if it is to deliver innovation and achieve sustainable growth? Dr. Norihiro Suzuki, CTO at Hitachi, has a conversation with Professor Charles A. O’Reilly of Stanford University.
AI and Design Thinking for Transforming Industry and Society
Fostering of Digital Talent by Lumada Data Science Laboratory
What is needed for the successful accomplishment of business reform and structural change by means of DX? In what areas can there be expected to be seen new values arise out of the use of digital technology? Minoru Aoshima, a Fellow of Nomura Research Institute, and Tatsuhiko Kagehiro, head of Lumada Data Science Laboratory discuss these questions.
A Conversation on the Future of American Mobility Infrastructure
Aiming for a Fair and Sustainable Mobility Infrastructure System
What does the future of US mobility look like amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the looming threat of climate change? Robyn Boerstling, Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources with the National Association of Manufacturers, discusses those prospects with industry experts from Hitachi.
Toward Realizing Energy Systems to Support Society 5.0Creating Value by Developing Energy Systems and Sociotechnical Scenarios for Carbon Neutrality in 2050
Awareness of climate change is accelerating efforts toward achieving carbon neutrality. Hitachi-UTokyo Laboratory has been engaged in a project exploring future sustainable electricity and energy systems. The third forum presented activity reports on electricity and energy systems. It also hosted a debate in which a variety of experts participated.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Progress of Global Collaborative Creation and Social Innovation
With the expansion of COVID-19, the environment surrounding our daily lives and business, as well as our sense of values themselves, are rapidly changing. This section presents examples of co-creation activities at a global level and Hitachi’s development technologies aimed at creating new value, highlighting initiatives for safe and secure urban development together with sustainable and resilient societies and industries.
- NEXPERIENCE Methodology for Creating New Solutions and Businesses
- Digital Smart City Developments in Southeast Asia and Australia
- Delivering Super Secure Society through Data Driven Smart Spaces
- Value Chain Coordination Service for Manufacturing and Distribution in the New Normal
- Creating New Energy Solution in a Changing Era
Collaborative Creation with Customers in the US Energy Market
Accelerating Technological Innovation
To solve increasingly complex and diverse social issues and create new value, Hitachi is promoting the next stage of growth by leveraging its platform of OT, IT, and products. This section looks at Lumada core technologies and solutions, such as AI, trust, and Beyond 5G/6G and introduces innovation creation through digital transformation.
- Social Deployment of AI for Digital Transformation and Enhanced QoL
- Edge Analytics Utilizing Operational Technology Data for Productivity Improvements
- Research and Development of DX Solutions for Social Infrastructure Using 5G/6G and AR/VR
- Trusted and Secure Service System for Society 5.0
- Electrification Research and Development for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050
- Field Robotics Bringing Innovation to Digital Solutions for Field Work
- Mobility Control Technology for Safe, Comfortable, and Efficient Mobility and Transportation
- Digital Measurement Technique for Immune Cells Intended for Use in Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy
Development of Disruptive Technologies for Pioneering Next Generation
Innovation driven by disruptive technologies is the key to resolving societal challenges. Articles in this section cover topics such as quantum computers capable of solving largescale problems and a hydrogen trading platform with an important part to play in achieving a carbon-neutral society. Also included are reports and columns by key people describing advanced technologies and Hitachi's initiatives.
- Research and Development of Annealing- and Gate-based Quantum Computers
- Enriching Society through Discovery Introduction to the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory
- Sustainable Hydrogen Value Chain for a Decarbonized Society
- Energy Management Research at Kyōsō-no-Mori
- Coexistence Community Development for Sustainable Local Communities
Initiatives by Hitachi Hokkaido University Laboratory - Society 5.0: The Future of Hokkaido
Second Forum of Hokkaido University and Hitachi Hokkaido University Laboratory
An R&D Strategy for DFFT
Free flow of data across nations around the world will surely bring about huge benefits to humankind. But there are concerns that it can infringe on an individual’s human rights, take economic advantages away from those having more data, or can endanger national or regional security. To challenge these issues, Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT) was proposed by the prime minister of Japan at the G20 summit meeting in 2019. It emphasizes the concept of trust in data communication. We first consider the difference between trust and security. Then we make a scientific model of DFFT where trust is defined in the context of data flow. Using this model, we list the set of core technological problems for realizing DFFT and introduce the R&D strategy of Hitachi in approaching them.
