Laboratory Group Strategies
Reading the Future and Taking Bold StepsHaruhisa Ichikawa
Director of NTT Science and Core Technology Laboratory GroupNTT is known for the breadth of its research—frombasic to applied—that it pursues toward the creationof new business fields. Its research system is structured about three laboratory groups. The Science andCore Technology Laboratory Group plays the important role of “loading the cannon” for the other two.
With “destructive innovation” as a key theme, it covers an extremely wide range of research topics ingreat depth from science to core technology.
Optical infrastructure R&D is one example of theimportant role we play. NTT Laboratories has been
researching and developing an extensive array of
optical technologies for over 30 years. Utilizing
knowledge acquired from basic research and envisioning the possibility of an optical network, NTT
began with the development of optical components as
the first step toward its current position as a world
leader in this field. This success can be traced to ateam of researchers and supporting managers that
refused to give up because they were convinced thatlarge-volume transmission at speeds of at least 1000
times conventional levels could be achieved. Of
course, a lot of such research unfortunately came tonaught, which might explain why the business side
could not originally see the need for optical networks,
but some research eventually did lead to great success.
The network environment has changed considerably. The spread of broadband networks has shaken
up the entire industrial world, and NTT’s businessenvironment has become extremely competitive as aresult. Unfortunately, NTT is not sufficiently prepared with new research achievements or withdestructive innovation to make the dreams of today
the reality of tomorrow.
Nevertheless, we do have a good feeling about
innovation to come. For example, “ubiquitous computing” will no doubt become a reality in about tenyears. Then, a huge number of devices will be connected to the network. The information-technology
industry that is now centered on desktop, laptop, andnotebook computers and the Internet will shift toward
this ubiquitous network. And in parallel, NTT’s business will transform until it is no longer simply “communications.” In the coming years, the nationwide
issue of the aging society will move to the forefront,
and we expect a huge market to be created as demand
for solutions grows. We believe that this great need
will serve to enhance Japan’s industrial strength.
NTT has already declared its intent to become
involved in these efforts.
From the R&D perspective, we must try to read thefuture and plan and promote research that takes boldsteps toward the creation of advanced network environments. Broadband and ubiquitous networks will
eventually solve needs that currently do not exist andwill change industries. We want to proclaim a business vision that interprets “communication” in amuch broader sense than usual—one that can even
include physical distribution, for example. I believethat R&D to this end is the first thing that NTT Laboratories should consider in planning for the future.
We must establish both breakthrough concepts andexpansion strategies at an accelerated pace in ways
appropriate for the age of global competition. While
ensuring an environment conducive to the creation ofbreakthrough ideas, we must also design a mechanism geared to overcoming the competition, startingat the R&D stage of advanced technologies.