Debating the future of industry-academia collaboration: Fujitsu’s engagement and the universities’ view at the 3rd Fujitsu Small Research Lab Conference Panel Discussion (Part 2)

The panel discussion opened with Nagai re-emphasizing that the SRL is the very foundation of Fujitsu's mission as a technology company. In the discussion that followed, passionate ideas about academic inquiry and solving social issues were exchanged, reaffirming the mutual commitment of both sides to drive talent development and innovation creation with the SRL at its core.

How serious is Fujitsu's "commitment" to developing and nurturing its doctoral talent?

The first person to ask a question during the panel discussion was Professor Masaki Satoh of the Yokohama National University SRL (affiliated with the University of Tokyo). After highly praising Fujitsu's initiatives to cultivate doctoral talent, such as the "Fujitsu’s WISE (World-leading Innovative & Smart Education) Doctoral System for Mature Students"(Note 1), he posed a question that probed the corporate "level of commitment" not just to development, but also to the active roles and careers for this talent: "What are Fujitsu's thoughts on career plans for researchers after they obtain their doctorates?"

Seishi Okamoto answered, explaining Fujitsu's stance of respecting researchers and supporting their careers: "At Fujitsu Research, we expect doctoral talent to thrive as research professionals. We are creating a system where each researcher can aim high while maintaining their own principles. While we understand if someone leaves, because they can't pursue what they want at Fujitsu, there are also cases where people leave and then come back. It is our job to create challenging themes and environments." And emphasizing Fujitsu's "commitment" to talent development, Naotaka Saimei, the Head of Research & Development Human Resources Division, who was in the audience, added, "We prioritize the researcher's own career ownership. Our alumni community is also well-established, and if someone who has gained experience elsewhere wants to contribute to Fujitsu again, we can always provide a place for them to succeed."

In addition, Vivek Mahajan delivered a powerful message about the importance of human resources, stating, "The core technologies that support Fujitsu's future depend on its people. Technologies like AI, computing, and quantum are only made possible by doctoral talent and researchers in fundamental academic fields such as mathematics and physics."

This message made a strong impact on the university professors. High expectations were expressed by Professor Sato, the original questioner, who commented, "That was a very insightful explanation. I hope the SRL will develop as a prototype for industry-academia collaboration and have a major impact." We also heard from a participating mathematics professor who said, "The professor sitting next to me and I were both delighted at the response, saying, 'This is a comment that will encourage the mathematics and physics communities.'" Moreover, Professor Keisuke Fujii of the Osaka University SRL expressed his hopes from the perspective of the university-company relationship, stating, "A system like this, which understands the need for doctoral talent development, could change the way job hunting is done. It would be beneficial for both sides if students could gain sufficient research experience at university before joining a company."

(Note 1) Fujitsu’s WISE (World-leading Innovative & Smart Education) Doctoral System for Mature Students is a program where Fujitsu partners with universities, recruiting promising masters’ 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.

Co-creating a new research blueprint, balancing business creation and innovative foundation research

With just over three years since the SRLs were established, and as researchers truly being to feel the impact of the research outcomes born from these collaborations, it was time to delve deeper into the research themes and cooperative relationships.

Questions were raised that touched on the very core of industry-academia collaboration. Professor Ryuji Yoshida of the Yokohama National University SRL asked, "As someone from the natural sciences, I have a fundamental motivation purely to understand phenomena. With the understanding that basic research leads to innovation, what scope and timeline does the SRL apply to its research domains?" Professor Hiroshi Suito of the Tohoku University SRL asked, "Regarding the phrase 'aligns with Fujitsu's research strategy and is jointly undertaken,' how do you specifically envision the 'jointly undertaking' part?"

Okamoto gave a clear answer: "Our expectation for the SRLs is to balance both academic and business impact. In recent times, the distance between basic research and business has become very short, and we aim to achieve both. And what we mean by 'jointly undertaking research' is 'the act of university professors and Fujitsu creating the themes and milestones for joint research together.'" Vivek also illustrated the "level of excellence we need to aim for together," stating, "'Jointly undertaking' means working with the professors to aim for a global top-three level with our technology. This not only drives business but also improves motivation for research and, furthermore, leads to innovation."

This corporate research stance seemed novel to the students as well, and one asked a question that reflected the "expectations for young people." Vivek sent an inspiring message to aim for the world stage, saying, "Have the mindset of standing at the top of the world. Have passion, and don't give up even if you fail. If you can do that, it also becomes exciting and fun." Okamoto emphasized the spirit of "border-crossing," speaking on the importance of "not closing yourself off in your own shell, but proactively going out to interact with people from different fields to create innovation." Inspired, the student commented, "I was deeply impressed. I've become more conscious of the importance of passion and of conducting research that competes at a world-class level."

Lively conversations about the management team's message continued during the social reception. Professor Yoshida, who had asked a question, shared his thoughts: "By hearing the top management's thinking directly through the panel discussion, I find the SRL's activities attractive even from my position of pursuing pure science. I want to contribute through what I find interesting." The message— passionately to create and advance research together with university researchers dedicated to academics, including basic research, while still maintaining the corporate mission of contributing to society through commercialization—was profoundly encouraging to the researchers.

In conclusion

Three years have passed since the SRL set out to take on an exciting new challenge. Through the lectures and panel discussions at this conference, we looked back on the SRL's successful initiatives and looked ahead to its future, strongly uniting the universities' vision for creating innovation and developing talent with Fujitsu's own commitment. Through a variety of programs, including the NanoTerasu tour and a social reception, we were able to deepen insights and interactions, making it an event where both sides could reaffirm their firm resolve to build even bigger and stronger partnerships.

The SRL provides the core platform for advancing even greater industry-academia collaboration in the future, working together to open up new worlds.