- Japanese
- English
The Social Systems Research-Domain considers the next technologies that will be needed by society as well as the projects the Toyota Group should pursue. Many researchers have a tendency to focus on their own field of expertise and pursue research in that vein. However, shouldn’t the fundamental approach involve considering how society will change, determine what projects will be necessary based on that, and then identify the research themes to pursue?
I originally specialized research on core information and communication technologies, and transferred to the Social Systems Research-Domain when it was first formed in 2011. The desire to broaden my own research horizons led me to make a new start in a field significantly different from my original area of expertise.
Since it covers such a broad scope, I was confused about where to start at first. I was drawing on the information processing perspective from my previous research specialty, I looked for a connection to social systems research based on the concept of “linkage of information”. And now, I have reached the stage where a prototype of a system that predicts signs of future breakthrough technologies from the enormous amount of information available in technical papers is being used by Group companies. The system is based on a method I proposed to identify technologies with a high breakthrough potential at the inception stage from the vast amount of information in technical literature around the world.
Initially, it was not uncommon for the various Group companies to ask about what fields of technological development they should tackle next. The Social Systems Research-Domain was established to focus on offering solutions in the belief that answering that question is the mission of Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. and is helpful to the Toyota Group companies.
Moving forward, research subjects will look even further ahead to contribute to technical strategic management aimed at securing the preeminence of Toyota Group competitiveness. We will establish a vision of the new business fields that should be the primary future focus of Group companies and hold discussions to draw up scenarios. We will have to wait five or ten years before we know if the proposals themselves were correct. We will strive to make people at the Group companies feel satisfied that the choice of themes was appropriate.
We are still in the process of firmly defining concepts, and are at the stage of establishing the foundation necessary for the upcoming strategic vision. My own belief is that the first order of business is to organically link researchers and engineers from various fields. We are working to gather people with an understanding that encompasses a broad view of all domains in an effort to create links between diverse people within the Toyota Group.
I have the impression of having a peculiar connection to Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. Just as I was starting my job search, a researcher from Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. visited the laboratory of the university I was attending. It turned out that my professor at the time was the examiner for that researcher’s doctorate thesis. Then, following my professor’s recommendation, I visited Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. At the time, the information and communication field in the automotive industry was essentially limited to considering high to provide the best possible high-vision display inside the vehicle. In fact, I extended my job search to manufacturers outside the automotive industry as well. However, that researcher who gave me an extensive tour of the laboratories told me that we were about to enter an age where vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology would be absolutely essential, and strongly urged me to join because there were no specialists in that field in the company.
It has been ten years since I joined Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. In parallel with my work, I have written papers on the field of communication tasks, asked my former teacher to act as examiner for my doctorate thesis, and acquired that degree. Much in the same way as that senior researcher who had visited the laboratory all those years ago. After acquiring my doctorate, I transferred to the Social Systems Research-Domain because in the belief that it would become important to look beyond information and communication as just one core technology and view it as part of a comprehensive system involving various technologies. I have now been promoted to a management position and am tackling the challenge of rising up a new step. And I can only think that it all came about from that one encounter.
We hold video conferences once a week, during which we and the members of the joint research in Toyota Group inform one another of our outcomes. I started English conversation lessons via Skype, a high point of my time at home after work, to build up conversational skills that will be useful in my research. Enjoying a 30-minute or so conversation with someone from abroad once a day provides a nice change of pace. The allowance for self-improvement activities helps offset the cost.
*Details in the article are those at the time of the interview.
