Special Issue

Collaborations for New Business Creation〉〉Opening Remarks

Connecting the Founder’s Mind to the Future

Yoshio Masutani *Ichibei Furukawa, a founder of Furukawa Electricfor the society. Today’s society is facing a number ofGroup, struggled with the development of copper mining

challenges caused by the global scale environmental

business while revising the old tradition, despite of many

problems, for example, natural disasters (earthquakes,difficulties in the process of Japan modernization. Around

typhoons, wildfires, etc.) and decrease of working popu-the same time, in the early Meiji era, the existence of

lation due to the decline of the birth-rate and aging popu-“electricity” was transmitted to Japan, and an arc lamplation, etc. Furukawa Electric Group is trying to solve

glowed in Ginza in 1918. Looking back on the condition ofthese issues from a viewpoint of sustainability. We havethat time, it was still an unstable world, but Ichibei madebeen working on the construction of social infrastructures

his best effort in the development of electric wire business

and we are now coping with the maintenance of existingwith his strong desire of “Making Japan brighter.” In theinfrastructure and rehabilitation of aging infrastructure.

current context, it can be interpreted as a kind of newAlso, we are creating new businesses not only with ourbusiness development that contributes in solving social

own technologies, but also with various methods such as

issues and in achieving a smart city (for Japan at that

“open innovation” with startups, researches of the over-time) through the social implementation of “electricity”.

seas technologies and designing unique business mod-Since then, 135 years have passed and Furukawaels, etc. Furukawa Electric has established Silicon Valley

Electric Group is now trying to connect the “founder’sInnovation Laboratories (SVIL) to actively promote the openmind” to the future. “Furukawa Electric Group, Vision

innovation and to explore the information on cutting-edge2030” (Vision 2030) was announced last year committing

technologies in order to play an important role of disrup-

Furukawa Electric Group aims to achieve the social infra-

tive innovations.

structure that integrates information/data, energy, andSince Furukawa Electric Group was established, we

mobility in order to protect the global environment andhave been taking on various challenges while valuing newachieve the safe, worry-free, and comfortable life fortechnologies. Now, we are taking a new step towards

people. It is a signpost for the future. To do so, not only

realizing the Vision 2030. As we take this first step, which

growing the existing businesses, but also creating new

will be the cornerstone of supporting the next generation,businesses, especially the new ones through innovations,

we will further promote the co-creation with internal andare strongly required.

external stakeholders.

Innovation is often translated as “technological innova-

Upon publishing the Furukawa Electric Review (No. 51),tion” and is often considered as the invention of new

we would be grateful if we could share our “mind” andtechnologies. However, the original meaning is to intro-“passion” for creating new businesses with everyone. We

duce new things in the various situations and to be usefullook forward to your further guidance and encouragement.

*General Manager, Marketing Initiatives & Business Development, Global Marketing Sales

Furukawa Electric Review, No. 51 20201