Laboratory Strategies
Creation of an Endless Upward Spiral of Research, Development,and Commercialization
Junji Yumoto
Director of NTT Basic Research Laboratories
Innovation can be defined as creation arising fromthe process of research, development, and commercialization that is based on accumulated knowledge
and experience and from interactions between highly
motivated groups. The potential for innovation isgreatest when barriers between groups are removed.
Furthermore, a team that has been successful in fostering innovation earns the right to challenge itself tobecome even more creative in its endeavors. An organization that creates an endless cycle of research (R),development (D), and commercialization (C), which
we might call an upward RDC spiral, can expect anavalanche of innovation and a dramatic increase incompetitiveness.
The industrial revolution provides a good exampleof the process of innovation. In that era, engineers
applied the steam engine to various industrialmachines, systematized the principles of its operationin the science of thermodynamics, and extended thoseprinciples to the development of the internal combustion engine. In a similar manner, it is not hard to see
how the birth and development of electronic circuits
and devices including ICs (integrated circuits) andLSIs (large-scale integration chips) were driven bytechnology and work in scientific fields such as electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. Two key
issues related to the formation of an upward RDC spiral involve finding a way to improve the quality ofaccumulated knowledge and speeding up eachprocess. Here, basic research is essential if we are toaccumulate knowledge, but such research is extremely time consuming because we must explore unknownareas. It is also important to maintain continuity inbasic research, but this does not coexist well with theneed to increase the pace of the upward RDC spiral.
NTT Basic Research Laboratories (BRL) has been
active in a wide range of fields, including semiconductor properties, quantum optics, nanoprocessing
technologies, materials science, and bioscience, andhas been playing a leading role in basic research at
the international level. Its strength comes, in part,from the large accumulation of scientific and techno-

logical knowledge and experience that it has inherited. However, we should continue to improve thequality of our research to enhance this strength. To
achieve this, all researchers must be acutely aware of
the significance, problems, and potential of theresearch themes that they are pursuing and explain
their research to their colleagues. At the same time,these colleagues must recognize that they have anobligation to provide appropriate and constructive
feedback. Actions such as these help formulate
research strategies that include prioritizing, downsizing, or discontinuing research or increasing cooperation. For an organization, the construction of a systemthat allows information sharing and feedback like thisis the first step towards increasing the pace of theupward RDC spiral and gaining trust from both insideand outside elements. To improve research efficiency,
it is also vital to collaborate with external research
institutions and establish mutually supportive relationships. Moreover, these research activities andtheir related management must be subject to external
evaluations. These evaluations should lead to changes
in the workplace, enabling a reliable and trustworthy
research laboratory to be established. BRL will work
to strengthen its research capabilities by establishingongoing information sharing/feedback, collaboration, and evaluation in conjunction with organizations
both inside and outside NTT and will create an
upward RDC spiral. By becoming more competitivein our R&D efforts, we hope to contribute to NTT’s
business and to the acquisition of knowledge that will
have universal benefit.