Making Sustainability Transformation a reality: Our key message behind the Fujitsu Technology and Service Vision 2023

FT&SV is an evolving story, exploring the kind of future we’d like to create

―The 2023 edition of FT&SV (hereinafter, “FT&SV 2023”) has now been released. What were your thoughts in formulating the FT&SV 2023?

Nishikawa: Simply put, FT&SV is Fujitsu’s vision for the future of technology and services. Looking back at the world over the past few years, we have witnessed many dramatic events, such as the effects of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy shortages and price hikes, and many other issues. These have highlighted systemic issues that are complex and interrelated and affect the whole world.

We need to find answers now by looking into the future, 10 and 20 years from now. From this perspective, we have collected our thoughts in the FT&SV on what kind of future Fujitsu wants to bring about together with our customers and partners, how technology can empower people to realize that future, and what specific actions we need to take to make it happen.

Based on future projections, we weave a story that leads from the present into the future, with the FT&SV demonstrating how Fujitsu can contribute to society. It is an evolving story, exploring the future we’d like to create.

FT&SV 2023 shows specific actions toward a regenerative society

―It has already been a decade since the publication of the first FT&SV in 2013, and it has been updated annually ever since. Can you tell us why you have continued to update it annually instead of every few years?

Nishikawa: There are two main reasons. One is that we want to disseminate the FT&SV annually so that it will work its way across society.

The other reason is that the world is changing so rapidly that the contents of the FT&SV quickly become outdated, and new contents have to be added to keep up with new challenges and technologies. We must keep our vision up-to-date to reflect the current state of the world.

Some people may get the impression that we change everything when they hear that we update it every year, but in fact some aspects of the FT&SV have remained the same since the first edition was released. As I explained earlier, this is an evolving story. This means that there are parts that remain the same and parts that are updated. It is important to make sure the FT&SV continues evolving, while maintaining its core values.

The contents that remain unchanged are the three elements that underpin the FT&SV, namely:

Human-centric: Empowering people through technology
Data-driven: Utilizing data to create intelligence
Connected: Building new ecosystems to solve social issues

Through the FT&SV, Fujitsu has been continuously proposing business and social transformations based on these three elements, and in 2022, we set the theme of “Driving Sustainability Transformation (SX) through Digital Innovation” as the most important focus for the next 10 years.

Following this, FT&SV 2023 proposes specific actions to bring about a regenerative society through SX. This point is the key to understanding the message of FT&SV 2023.

Five technology megatrends presented in FT&SV 2023

―The time has come to take specific actions to harness Sustainability Transformation for a regenerative society. Is such a message contained in FT&SV 2023?

Nishikawa: Yes, it is. FT&SV 2023 is composed of three modules. The theme of Module 1 is Sustainability = Business. This describes how sustainability can be integrated into business models. Module 2 introduces our Technology Vision. This module presents Fujitsu’s vision for the future led by technology evolution, showing the five technology megatrends. Module 3 is about Business Transformation toward a regenerative society, which explains how Fujitsu as a business partner contributes to bringing about a regenerative society.

While a major theme in FT&SV 2022 was to convey the importance of realizing Sustainability Transformation, Module 1 of FT&SV 2023 describes how sustainability leaders have started to achieve Sustainability Transformation in five areas. These five areas include automation, experience, innovation, resilience, and trust.

Module 2 introduces the five technology megatrends for realizing Sustainability Transformation in these five areas with the aim of bringing about a regenerative society.

Fujitsu is driving specific initiatives to create a regenerative society through Sustainability Transformation, and the key to achieving this goal involves the following technology megatrends.

Five areas: Technology megatrends
・Automation: Amplifying creativity
・Experience: Being connected and inclusive
・Innovation: Developing at quantum speed
・Resilience: Redesigning the future
・Trust: Evolving Web

Fujitsu's Focus on Five Key Technologies

―What specific initiatives is Fujitsu taking in light of the elements outlined in the technology megatrends?

Nishikawa: To achieve the technology vision outlined in FT&SV 2023, Fujitsu is focusing its resources on research and development in five key technologies. At the same time, we actively collaborate with a wide range of partners. The five key technologies are computing, network, artificial intelligence (AI), data & security, and converging technologies.

For example, in the area of AI, we are focusing on research and development of semantic AI and explainable AI. We believe that these technologies will enable people to share knowledge with AI, collaborate creatively, and dramatically improve performance. This R&D is in line with the megatrend of amplifying creativity.

Among the five key technologies, AI technology is now advancing at a rapid pace. AI is also being used in a wide range of areas and is becoming increasingly important.

Therefore, Fujitsu will strengthen the integration of other focus technologies with AI and accelerate research and development to realize the technology vision outlined in FT&SV 2023.

For example, integrating AI with Network, 6G, and other next-generation high-speed network technologies will enable the construction of a borderless world, in which there are no boundaries between the virtual world, the mirrored world, and the physical world. In today’s society, there are constraints in human rights and employment conditions based on place of birth, gender, physical characteristics, and other factors. However, in a borderless world, people around the world will be able to collaborate through AR, VR, remote control, and 3D holograms, removing various constraints. This R&D initiative is in line with the megatrend of being connected and inclusive.

The FT&SV is open and continues to evolve by incorporating the feedback of many people

―There are many companies that have excellent expertise in individual technologies such as computing, AI, and networking. Are there any goals or unique values that can be realized because of Fujitsu?

Nishikawa: Certainly, there are numerous vendors with high expertise in each technology. However, Fujitsu’s strength is that it covers all of these technology areas. That is why we are able to set out our stories and visions for the future as our FT&SV.

Another key point is that Fujitsu not only sets out stories and visions, but also has the know-how and technology to achieve them.

For example, we can propose and deliver new value and new ways of using AI by combining multiple technologies such as computing and networking, instead of simply providing an API for AI.

I believe it is important for Fujitsu to show what it can do in response to the visions and stories stated in the FT&SV. It is necessary for Fujitsu to show what we can specifically deliver and work on in the five technology megatrends as milestones towards 2030.

―The FT&SV will continue to be updated annually. What do you hope to achieve through the continuous evolution of the FT&SV?

Nishikawa: We have been updating the FT&SV every year for 10 years to address social issues. From 2023, we will move into the phase of taking specific actions to bring about Sustainability Transformation and utilize Fujitsu’s key technologies in various fields. We will continue to work on disseminating the FT&SV and its conclusions.

To this end, we would like to ask for feedback, both positive and negative, from as many people as possible. I believe that the essence of the FT&SV is that it is an openly created vision by all of Fujitsu, not a closed project with just a few people involved in its creation.

We would like to receive ideas from all Fujitsu Group employees and customers as well, and everyone is encouraged to share and discuss their opinions and ideas. In the future, we will democratize the various technologies in which Fujitsu is engaged in research and development and make them available to everyone to help solve various societal issues. It would be ideal if FT&SV could contribute to these efforts.