Future Creation Research Laboratory / Innovation Design Center

Our Future Creation Research Laboratory has been launched in 2021 under the technology development strategy, “Connecting people, time and space to create the future.”

The Company has contributed to society by developing the technologies to deliver images and music that touch people’s hearts, such as talking machines, radios, TVs, VCRs, car audio systems, navigation systems, dashboard cameras, video cameras and projectors, as well as the technologies to provide people with a sense of security brought by connecting with people through communications, including amateur radios and industrial digital radio systems.

The mission of the Future Creation Research Laboratory is always to create new value for the next 10 years. We are now entering a new era in which everything—people, things and society—is connected. Leveraging our expertise in audiovisual, communication, Computing/AI, Simulation/Digital Twin, and Network/Optical communication, our laboratory is dedicated to research and development focused on new interfaces connecting everything. We aim to lead the way in cultivating cutting-edge technologies that provide 'Creating excitement and peace of mind for the people of the world' through future products and services, enriching people's lives. Our goal is to be a driving force in the enhancement of both technological innovation and corporate value, emphasizing the creation of high utility for the benefit of individuals.

As indicated in the basic strategy, the Future Creation Research Laboratory is promoting the development of optoelectronic fusion technology (silicon photonics) as a next-generation technology for optical spatial systems, with the aim of adopting LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology for WSS (optical switches) for optical communications and maximizing its value. In this connection, it is conducting basic research on AI inference technology, which we expect to attract attention as the next generation of generative and discriminative AI. We are developing the elemental technologies necessary for spatial reconfiguration for the future digital twin market.

The Future Creation Research Laboratory will explore various areas beyond the current boundaries of business domains. For social issues that we may find difficult to solve on our own, we will proactively cooperate with external partners and increase business incubation to achieve next-generation innovation, imagining a future that no one has ever seen before. We will also consider the method of effectively utilizing intellectual properties generated in the above process and contribute to the operation of the Company as a "profitable laboratory."

The Innovation Design Center, established in October 2023, is an organization for creating new businesses that not only deals with R&D and human resource development but also has an action-oriented mission of social implementation and monetization within three years. We carry out business creation that focuses on how to leverage technology to create new businesses. Specifically, we discover user needs and reflect them in the conception and implementation of unique solutions that combine Group technology and outside knowledge. We envision customer experiences aligned with future lifestyles and social issues that go beyond existing businesses. By rapidly connecting these experiences to the market, we can realize the creation of new value. To enhance the feasibility of business creation, we have established a system under which executive officers strategically engage and make rapid decisions consistent with management strategies.