Creating the Future by Deepening Collaboration with AIST

Last month, I attended the annual Collaboration Laboratory Outcome Report Meeting with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (“AIST”), a national research institute.
Since our employees felt hesitant to strengthen the relationship with the organization due to the fact that it is a national research institute, we started building relationships, starting with executives, over the past a few years. 
We then expanded the relationship to division managers and mid-level employees.
We have also visited Tsukuba City in Ibaraki Prefecture, where AIST is located, to create opportunities for contact.
The effects of these efforts have been finally starting to show, and I feel that cooperation is gradually deepening.
AIST, on the other hand, has also undergone a major change in its stance with the arrival of a new president from the private sector.
AIST's presentation material this time had the subtitle, “Using AIST to the Fullest.”
This is the image of discussing together and accompanying the co-creation of technologies to their social implementation.
Looking toward the future, I have great expectations for the ideas of the younger generation, who are flexible thinkers.
I have requested that we promote more exchanges between our company and AIST, both of which have a future-oriented mindset.
Of course, this is not limited to the automotive field. In our products, it also applies to general industrial products, such as healthcare products.
Many people from new fields are working at Advanced Systems R&D Center, so I hope that you will deepen your collaboration with AIST beyond the boundaries of your fields.
I have high expectations for the future results of the project.