Hajime Sasaki ( Chairman of the Board, NEC Corporation / IPSJ President)

I am very pleased to have been appointed the 24th president of the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ) as former President Anzai's successor.

When the IPSJ was established in 1960, computer production in Japan, including computers and related devices, was on a scale of about 2.4 billion yen. In 2006, this figure had grown to about 2.3 trillion yen, representing 11.3% of production in the 20.3 trillion yen electronics industry. In addition to hardware, annual sales in software and the information service industry (focusing on information processing services) are at 14 trillion yen. So it is safe to say that the information-related industry has developed into one of the core industries for electronics in Japan.

The industry has indeed expanded. However, though the IPSJ is the country's largest organization of specialists in the field of information and communications technology, we are facing a serious problem of a continued decrease in corporate members. It is my responsibility as the new president to revitalize our activities so as to satisfy broader expectations under the changing environment of an information society. Moreover, I intend to contribute to the promotion of scientific technology innovation in Japan by enabling the public to benefit from our efforts. In this regard, I will continue in the astute direction that former President Anzai led us by having research-focused operations, while adding a strong commercial orientation.

 

Evolution of Information Processing Technology and Related Issues

There are various definitions of the term "information processing." But in general, it is understood as taking information in a given form and converting it into a final form that offers added value. Looking back at the path of computer technology since the 1950s, we find that in the early years, people - that is, the computer users - invested a great deal of time and effort in the creation of processing-program systems to enable computations and data processing. In the 1970s, methodologies were developed for structural programming and various advanced languages, resulting in dramatic improvements in the ease of system production and use. Later, technical innovations in software engineering and progress in human-machine interfaces, such as voice input and pattern recognition, filled in the gaps between us humans and the computing machines. This in turn led to an evolution in the role of software that gave these systems "intelligence."

The result of all this is that today we are witnessing the birth of a society in which anyone can enjoy the benefits of information and communications technology anytime and anywhere. Some examples of how the technology contributes to society are ATM and POS systems that offer advanced services and biometric systems that recognize bio-information such as fingerprints or vein patterns to provide advanced safety and security. Additional examples are highly accurate simulations that use high-speed supercomputers to analyze the mechanisms of earthquakes to limit future damage or to predict global phenomena such as the routes of typhoons or changes in an ocean's surface.

Experts have pointed out that the rapid increase in the global Internet population could potentially result in huge information traffic jams on the Internet backbone. These concerns have given rise to discussions worldwide about the burden of costs for strengthening networks, and about the neutrality of networks in relation to limitations on the use of specific applications that could dramatically affect networks. Other issues have arisen as well, including measures against viruses and cyber attacks targeting specified sites, and the prevention of secondary damages from the unauthorized use of personal information that was obtained through Internet leaks.

At the end of last year, the Japanese government's Cabinet Office conducted its "6th International Comparative Survey on Lifestyles and Awareness," targeting about 5,000 men and women age 60 or over and living in Japan, France, Germany, Korea, and the U.S. The results showed that in all five countries, an increasing number of seniors are using e-mail and mobile phones to contact family and friends and are using the Internet to gather information or go shopping on-line. The results also showed, however, that in Japan, 65% of seniors "don't use either mobile phones or the Internet," which is the highest out of all five countries surveyed (Germany: 55%; France: 49%; Korea: 45%; the U.S.: 44%).

In other words, the development of information technology has created a gap between people who can enjoy the benefits and those who cannot – a situation referred to as the "digital divide." In the 21st Century, it is more important than ever to enable everyone to share in this more developed civilized society. Specifically, we must think carefully about questions such as "What is a person?", "What is progress?", and "What is satisfaction?" With these questions in mind, we need to control the creation of science and technology and establish new directions that incorporate aspects of society, culture, and psychology. To achieve this, it will be important to evaluate technology from the perspective of safety and security for all people, establish uniform standards, and minimize the negative impact of technical innovations resulting from the creation of phenomena that do not exist in nature, for example, the destruction of the global environment. In the context of technological innovations in the 21st Century, collaborative efforts that combine cultural science, social science, and natural science will be required to enable scientists and engineers not only to talk about their dreams for the progress of technology, but also to predict the risks to society.

Japan's Cabinet Office is currently leading the development of "Innovation 25," a long-term strategy policy with a view toward creating innovations that will lead to new vitality and contribute to growth in Japanese society in the 21st Century. This policy focuses on specific fields such as medicine, engineering, and information technology up to the year 2025.

By looking at the intermediate summary of "Innovation 25" published in February, one can see that one of the goals is to reform social systems to provide the things that citizens want the most: "healthy, enjoyable, safe, and secure lifestyles, in a society without worries." To achieve this, it will be most desirable for humans to play the central role, and for science and technology to appropriately offer assistance where it is needed, playing the role of a human-friendly partner. This relationship is defined as "symbiotic computing," in which humans and information technology coexist. The goals of this approach are to re-examine existing information systems from the perspective of "What is true richness in human lifestyles?" and to give concrete form to the symbiotic innovations that will contribute to a richer society. For example, I am confident that in the not-too-distant future, we will see sensor robots equipped with crime prevention, fire prevention, and long-term-care support functions to protect seniors living alone. The robots will check on seniors' eating habits, make sure they take the right medicine at the right time, get enough exercise, lock the doors, and turn off the lights before going to bed. Moreover, brain interfaces that enable users to operate PCs just by thinking and automatic translation systems that enable communications that transcend the barriers of culture will bring the people of the world together. We will then share knowledge and resolve problems on a global level to open up a brighter future for us all. Technologies such as these are no longer just a dream.

To make these dreams a reality, the IPSJ must show its leadership in providing optimum solutions for the various problems of information processing technology through research and commercially focused activities.

 

Issues for the Information Processing Society of Japan

When the IPSJ was established nearly half a century ago in 1960, the goals outlined in the articles of incorporation were "To promote the development and proliferation of science and technology related to computers, communications, and other areas of information processing; to encourage education regarding these technologies; to provide venues for collaborative training among members and with related academic societies and associations; and to contribute to the further development of science, culture, and industry."

As you all know, academic societies play a very important role in the development of science and technology and are positioned as venues for interactions among researchers in Japan's science and technology plans. These societies must therefore function as specialist organizations, adding new vitality to the fields of science and technology. As the country's largest organization of specialists in the field of information and communications technology, the IPSJ is in a unique position to create innovations that will contribute to the growth of society and play a leading role in Japan and throughout the world in technological fields. Whereas the IPSJ is facing a problem with the decrease in the corporate members, we must first recognize that this decrease indicates a gap between the expectations of the members and the benefits obtained through their participation in our activities. Thus, we must find solutions.

The role of information processing to generate greater added vale is expanding from hardware and software to services and content. So there is also an urgent need for us to review our activities from several perspectives. For instance, is the research on scientific theory and methods that is expected by industry appropriately conducted and the results transferred to industry in a timely manner? Are opportunities to field-test new information technology offered? Are standardization activities conducted for the benefit of society? If we do our utmost to bring in more people from industry to become IPSJ members, these questions will often be answered in the affirmative.

At the same time, Japan is facing a serious social problem in terms of the noticeable lack of new human resources that will bear the responsibility for the future of science and technology, as seen by the tendency for students to drift away from science, engineering, and information fields. So there is an ongoing discussion in regard to the need for sweeping reforms of elementary and secondary education. I must point out that, in addition to education that covers information literacy, it is necessary to have students experience the strong, positive emotions that stem from creating and discovering things through direct observations during, for instance, extra-curricula activities. Also, we need to promote measures that include collaboration among government, industry, and academia so that jobs in the information processing technology field are recognized as the appealing ones that they should be.

As part of reforms to the system for corporations in the public interest, a so-called "Improvement Law" related to the transition to a new system was announced in June of last year. The transition is expected to take place within five years of enactment of the law, which is scheduled to go into effect in 2020. As a result of these reforms, academic associations and societies, which are private-sector, non-profit organizations, will face fewer restrictions, and will be able to act with greater flexibility. This in turn has given rise to expectations that such organizations will be able to provide a greater variety of services to meet the diverse needs of society. These organizations will also be able to contribute dramatically to maintaining a society that is full of vitality. At the same time, academic associations and societies will be required to undergo reforms that enable them to contribute to increasing the benefits to the public at large as "organizations that promote science and technology," which is included in the definition of working in the public interest. In this regard, I believe that we need timely preparation of reforms to our operational policy at the IPSJ.

As we move closer to the 50th anniversary of the IPSJ in 2010, I would like to see our organization demonstrate clearly to the public what should be done to strengthen information and communications technology in Japan based on the directions laid out by our predecessors. I will do my best to see that the IPSJ becomes an even more important presence with "a new look" as part of the foundations of an intelligent society through operations that combine the wisdom of both academia and the industrial world. I would like to ask for the support and assistance of every member as we move forward.

(As of April 23, 2007)