Message from the President August.2019

For a long time, human beings have explored the land, sea and skies, underground and outer space. With an insatiable spirit of inquiry and curiosity, we have pursued ideas of how we can utilize the resources, environments and spaces discovered in those places, and given shape to those ideas.

For example, on land we have developed living spaces, infrastructure, equipment and facilities. At sea and in the air we have created shipping lanes and flight paths, and become able to travel freely between continents using ships and aircraft. All of these things have been achieved, through the devotion of long periods of of time, to realize our desires to transcend the limits of human ability: by making it possible for humans to live in safety, to run (i.e. drive) faster, and to fly high up into the sky.

Now, various enterprises around the world—from venture companies to major corporations—are beginning to approach the new challenge of starting a revolution in air travel, by creating a next-generation form of transport. I regard this as a challenge to realize the desire for people to make casual use of this technology on a personal or individual basis, in the same way as we use cars and cellphones.

In Japan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)—in association with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)—has prepared a roadmap towards the realization of “flying cars,” planning to commence actual projects by 2023. By 2030, they plan to expand to full-blown practical applications of this technology. As we head towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, some companies have set their sights on presenting demonstration flights by flying cars at the time of the Games. If these ideas are actually realized, it will be the best chance for Japan to appeal to visitors with its technological capabilities.

With flying cars drawing attention in this way, it appears that there are two currently major types of development underway at various companies. The first is a drone-type vehicle with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) functionality similar to a helicopter, which essentially does not drive on the ground. The other type of vehicle is a drive-type vehicle with fixed wings, capable of both driving on land and flying in the air. In technical terms, it can be said that rather than trying to develop completely new technologies, companies are engaged in a process of trial and error, working to combine and improve upon technologies from fields such as mobility and aerospace, to so see how far they can add additional value in terms of performance and services, with a primary focus on safety.

The future society that I hope to see created through the practical realization of flying cars is not so much an environment in which we can use flying cars whenever we like, in an urban setting; but rather one in which anyone, anywhere in Japan, can receive services essential to their lives, including emergency airlift functionality for people afflicted by sudden illness or injury, transportation of supplies, and securing a means of transportation.

As an “Engineering Firm at The Core,” there is currently a need for us, too, to take up the challenges of innovative manufacturing, and work simply and honestly to discover what is needed in order for the people of the world to live richer, fuller lives.