Debating the Future: Solving social issues through collaboration - Fujitsu and 16 universities team up to discuss the way forward at 2nd Fujitsu Small Research Labs Conference

Fujitsu / February 14, 2025

Global Responsible Business AI Technology Outlook Public Sector

In today's increasingly complex society, creating innovative technologies and nurturing the talent to develop them are essential for solving challenges. Fujitsu has always recognized that it cannot achieve these goals alone and this was the objective behind launching the Fujitsu Small Research Labs (SRL) initiative back in April 2022. This exciting industry-academia collaboration involves Fujitsu researchers residing or staying long-term at universities, working closely with them to develop technologies that contribute to solving social issues, as well as helping to foster the next generation of talent.

This initiative is growing steadily and as of October 2024, 17 SRL have been established at universities in Japan and overseas. To further enhance innovation through the "collective intelligence" generated from collaboration across the SRL network, while strengthening individual university partnerships, Fujitsu established an annual "Fujitsu Small Research Labs Conference", with the first conference welcoming 13 universities from within Japan. With our second conference, we have now expanded its reach to include 16 universities, including three from overseas, providing an opportunity for global intellectual exchange across research fields and national borders.

-Overview of the 2nd Fujitsu Small Research Labs Conference-
Our 2-day conference program, from October 17th to 18th, provided an important opportunity for in-depth discussions regarding technological innovation and human resource development across various research fields. Day 1 involved a side event: a tour of the supercomputer Fugaku, jointly developed by RIKEN and Fujitsu. The second day began with an opening session featuring Vice President and CTO Vivek Mahajan, followed by oral presentations, a poster session, and a networking reception – giving everyone a great chance to interact and explore new ideas.

Joining forces with a strong commitment to solve social issues through innovation
Nurturing future innovators through a supportive culture
Conclusion

Joining forces with a strong commitment to solve social issues through innovation

During the opening session, Ken Toyoda, Head of Technology Business Management Unit and the operational lead of SRL Program, highlighted achievements such as the development of a disinformation countermeasure system (Keio University SRL) and technology to expand dramatically the computational scale of quantum computers (Osaka University SRL). He emphasized the vital importance of Fujitsu and universities working together with a shared passion to achieve breakthroughs in research aimed at solving social issues.

Based on this common goal, the conference served as a platform to reaffirm the significance and potential of SRL, fostering lively discussions across research fields and national borders, encompassing challenges and difficulties encountered along the way.

Aligning vectors by sharing research visions, and fostering new integrations

Kohta Nakashima, Head of the Fujitsu Research Computing Laboratory, commented, "I've been constantly considering a larger framework that integrates multiple labs in the field of computing technology. This conference provided an opportunity to share and discuss a broad vision with professors from participating universities, and I can already see signs of its realization." He expressed his anticipation for the innovations that can arise from this alignment of vectors.

Professor Tim Taminiau of Delft University of Technology shared his enthusiasm, saying, "I truly enjoyed it. The scale was much larger than I imagined, and I learned about many activities I wasn't aware of. The topics were very diverse, yet I see many links to my own work on quantum computing. I expect that connecting through the SRL, with its intersection of diverse fields, will provide opportunities for collaborations and to solve these challenging problems." He recognized the unique potential of SRL to promote synergy through interdisciplinary fusion.

Other participants shared their experiences, including one who noted, "We worked hard to launch a research theme, but it didn't go well, and we couldn't achieve satisfactory results for either the university or the company. Afterwards, we grappled with the issue together, revisited Fujitsu's Materiality to discuss what we should be doing, and established the axis of our SRL research." This comment offered a glimpse into the daily activities of the research sites, involving both sides working together, even amidst difficulties, with the university team equally mindful of Fujitsu's corporate goals.

With SRL as a strong foundation for industry-academia collaboration, we aim to align our vectors with a shared passion and work together with universities boldly to tackle significant challenges.

Professor Tim discussing Fujitsu's collaborative efforts in the Netherlands

Discussion in the poster session (1)

Pursuing research with passion and aiming high

Setsuo Arikawa, Professor Emeritus and Former President of Kyushu University, and Advisor to Fujitsu Research (Professor Arikawa), observed the enthusiastic research discussions during the oral and poster sessions and commented, "The research development and collaboration are progressing far beyond my expectations. A new form of industry-academia collaboration is taking root. I even felt that SRL might bring about a transformation in Japan."

In addition, Seishi Okamoto, Head of Fujitsu Research, offered some encouraging words in his overall evaluation: "The fact that AI researchers won this year's Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry is a major turning point for both the academic community and Fujitsu. This suggests that the digital technologies we are working on, centered around AI, have the potential to transform the very way in which research is conducted and change the world. I urge you all to take on challenges with ambitious goals and passionate enthusiasm."

Discussion in the poster session (2)

Nurturing future innovators through a supportive culture

SRLs also serve as platforms for human resource development through industry-academia collaboration. This conference saw the participation of many professors, who are passionate about nurturing talent, as well as students themselves. Here are some of the comments we received during the conference.

Cultivating a culture of human resource development centered on SRL and the WISE Doctoral System for Mature Students!

Professor Arikawa actively promotes a better society driven by technological innovation, with a strong focus on realizing a technologically advanced nation and fostering young researchers. In addition to SRL, Professor Arikawa also supports and resonates with Fujitsu's WISE (World-leading Innovative & Smart Education) Doctoral System for Mature Students*.

*Fujitsu partners with universities, recruiting promising master's students who, upon mutual agreement after interviews and other discussions with Fujitsu, become Fujitsu employees (working professionals) while pursuing their doctoral studies. This allows them to receive a salary while remaining at the university and simultaneously engaging in research for their doctoral program and work-related research at Fujitsu.

During the opening session, Professor Arikawa expressed his high expectations for SRL and the WISE Doctoral System for Mature Students, from both economic and interpersonal exchange perspectives. He emphasized the importance of "cultivating a culture of human resource development” that goes beyond simply establishing systems.

Professor Ali's passion for human research talent development, rooted in a Fujitsu internship a quarter-century ago

Professor Ali of the University of Toronto shared how his internship at Fujitsu Research in 1998 became the starting point of his research career and sparked his understanding of the significance of industry-academia collaboration developing research talent. Professor Ali and Fujitsu have cultivated a strong partnership in various forms over the past quarter-century. The University of Toronto SRL, established in 2018 and built upon Fujitsu's existing research base at the university, is one example of this collaboration.

Professor Ali spoke passionately about how the University of Toronto SRL has nurtured and produced many talented individuals, and how they continue to take on challenges in creating new innovations and fostering young researchers. He actively engaged with students during the networking reception.

Witnessing his enthusiasm, we felt that Professor Ali's dedication to developing research talent embodies the value he places on nurturing the next generation of researchers, something deeply rooted in his internship experience at Fujitsu Research 25 years ago. Through SRL, we aim to expand these inspirational endeavors globally, like Professor Ali's, and cultivate a culture of nurturing future researchers.

Professor Ali enthusiastically speaking with students at the networking reception

An inspiring opportunity for students

Ten students participated in this year's conference, some of whom presented their research in the poster session. The conference also seemed to provide a valuable opportunity for participating students to deepen their understanding of the significance of industry-academia collaboration.

One student commented, "I had assumed that corporate research was conducted solely from a business perspective, but I was impressed by how SRLs collaborate with the greater goal of solving social issues, not necessarily limited to business considerations."

Another student remarked, "I used to think that academia and industry were separate and didn't intersect, but I now understand the significance of industry-academia collaboration and how it can lead to major innovations that can only be achieved when both work together. I want to consider this as one of the ways to apply what I've learned at university."

Comments like these highlight how the conference helped students understand the significance of research involving industry and provided insights for their future career paths.

We also received comments suggesting that the conference provided inspiration and encouragement for new challenges:

"I felt a pervasive and proactive sense of shared purpose, where diverse expertise intersects to create something new. I experienced a level of enjoyment I haven't felt at regular academic conferences, which typically gather researchers from the same field."

"The SRL initiatives are something entirely new to me. I was surprised to discover such a world. This experience has motivated me not only to delve deeper into my own research theme but also actively to explore new worlds."

A student discussing research with a Fujitsu researcher

Conclusion

This conference, attended by researchers, students, and open innovation leaders from Japan and overseas, provided a valuable opportunity to share the achievements and various initiatives of each SRL and engage in in-depth discussions.

With SRL activities now well underway and the operational framework established, the conference reaffirmed the importance of uniting our strong commitment to innovation that tackles social challenges, as well as cultivating a culture of human resource development. Fujitsu will continue to strive to make SRL a driving force in shaping the future, serving as a new model for innovation and talent development through industry-academia collaboration.