Message from the President February.2023

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), one of the world's largest technology conventions, was held from January 5 to 8 in Las Vegas, the United States. Originally, the event was a trade fair with a focus on electric/electronic products for consumer use. In recent years, however, it has gone beyond that function to evolve into a general technology exhibition. More than 3,200 companies operating diverse businesses in a range of industries participated in this year' CES from around the world, exhibiting near-future technologies.

In conjunction with recent CES events, I feel that the boundaries between industries, between products and between business areas have become blurred. Under the theme of creating a sustainability-oriented society, which is a common goal that the whole world and all of humanity should achieve, people are working on the 17 development objectives, or SDGs established for the creation of such a society. To meet these significant challenges, efforts are being made to create new products and services through cooperation between multiple companies, instead of working individually. Similarly, technologies used to create new products and services have been evolving through the process of combining multiple elements. This evolution creates new value. Collaboration between companies engaging in different businesses and the combining of hardware and software for product development has become so common that it seems unnecessary to set boundaries with respect to the scope of industries, products and business areas.

The CES featured the exhibition of near-future technologies by numerous companies. Now, having obtained the relevant information, what should we be most sensitive to? It is to inspire ourselves while simultaneously asking ourselves how we can leverage our strengths and step up our skills and careers. For example, next-generation mobility on land (automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, self-driving stroller, etc.), at sea (electric boats, future vessels, etc.) and in the sky (flying cars, drones, etc.) drew attention at this CES. Which products and technologies do you want to work on, taking advantage of your strengths? How will you develop your strengths and familiarize yourself with new technologies around you to broaden your career? The important thing is not only to gain access to leading-edge products and services but also to ask yourself these questions and add stimulus to your current conditions.

Engineers are expected to develop and create products and services that have not existed so far. For this very reason, I expect that you will take full advantage of an event like CES, which is packed with near-future technologies. I expect you to remain sensitive to information as if it were something personal to you, and to think and take action to ensure that you work on products and services that you want to create. And let's work to achieve a sustainability-oriented society with customers across industries.