Editorial Board October 2003, Volume 1, Number 7Laboratory Group Strategies

n Editorial supervison
Masao Kawachi

For Further Innovation
Masao Kawachi
Executive Director of NTT Science and Core Technology Laboratory GroupNTT Science and Core Technology Laboratory
Group is undertaking the cutting-edge R&D needed
to support future ubiquitous and broadband services.
R&D activities are being conducted at Atsugi,Musashino, Yokosuka, and Keihanna. While theother two laboratory groups (NTT Cyber Communications Laboratory Group and NTT Information
Sharing Laboratory Group) aim to boost NTT business in the near future, we are targeting the more distant future. Most of our research topics are expectedto bloom in 5 to 10 years, though the basic researchlaboratories in our group are aiming to create trends
that will be seen in 10 to 20 years.
I consider the mission of the NTT Science and CoreTechnology Laboratory Group to be “disruptive innovation” through flexible ideas unconstrained by existing networks and services. There are many examples
of companies with a long-established tradition andreputation that were hit hard by the emergence of newtechnologies that were not extensions of existing
trends (often referred to as disruptive innovation or
disruptive technology). One example is the blue-chipcompanies that initially underestimated the importance of the personal computer. This kind of trap iscalled the “Innovator’s Dilemma” by Professor
Christensen of the Harvard Business School. A typical example in the communication field is the emergence of Internet technology.
Within the NTT Science and Core Technology Laboratory Group, scientists in the Network Innovation
Laboratories established Japan’s first portal site (theNTT homepage) in the early days of the Internet. But
none of them could imagine that the Internet, besteffort communication without guaranteed reliability
or metered usage, would develop as far as it has.
Some scientists even say that “we should not rely on
Internet so much”.
When I joined the former NTT Ibaraki ElectricalCommunication Laboratory in the 1970s, they wereabout to commence full-scale R&D of optical fiber. I
joined the optical fiber research project midway, andput my young heart into developing VAD (vaporphase axial deposition) single-mode optical fiber fabrication technology. The optical fiber arising fromthat technology is now used not only for the nationwide backbone network but also for local opticalaccess (Fiber-to-the-Home), which gives me greatsatisfaction as a scientist. Optical fiber, which can beregarded as the ultimate transmission medium invented by human beings, was disruptive toward conventional systems. In combination with Internet technology, it created pressures that have forced the traditional telecommunications carriers, including NTT,
to review their overall business strategies.
Some might long for the good old days and say,
“optical fiber, the Internet, and mobile phones are theroot of all evil”. However, the emerging new world is
not viable without these inventions. Innovation has adark side as well as a bright side. Our laboratories are
striving to suppress the drawbacks and achieve thefull potential of the bright side.
To return to my original theme, NTT Science andCore Technology Laboratory Group is constantly
seeking research topics that only NTT can take on
and nurturing the seeds of innovative technology. To
achieve this, we need to select and narrow down theresearch topics. The problem is whom we should
charge with the duty of providing the “flexible andinnovative research touch” (small pilot programs)that will lead to further innovation.
By the way, I heard an interesting story the otherevening. An electron can hold optical phase information not only at extremely low temperatures but also
at normal temperatures. Is this true? If so, it meansthat light can be halted, which suggests the possibility of making the long-awaited optical buffer memory.
I would prefer to be researching topics such as thisthan sitting in the Executive Director’s chair...

n Editors
Tsugumichi Shibata
Minako Sawaki
Toru Sadakata
Minoru Ida
Hideyuki Iwata
Shin-ichi Minato
Yoshihisa Sakai
Junya KobayashiShinichi Takata

Hidenori Okuda
Junichi Nakagawa
Ryuji Kubozono
Tadahisa Harakawa
n Editor-in-Chief
Masato Wada, TTA
n Associate Editor-in-Chief
Kenichi Fukuda, TTAn English revision
Richard Hunter, Kurdyla and Associates

NTT Technical Review
n Editorship and Publication
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