In this paper, based on interviews with manufacturers in Japan, three main issues are discussed: (1) What is the structure of platform businesses in the BtoB space? (2) What is the structure of competition in platform businesses in the BtoB space that appear to be emerging one after another? (3) What is the code of conduct for Japanese manufacturers in platform businesses in this BtoB space?

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This paper analyzed Market acquisition strategy for IoT market by qualitative empirical research, conducted an interview survey targeting Japanese electronic component manufacturers. As a result of the analysis, three patterns were derived as Market acquisition strategy of IoT market.

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IoT promotes new connections of different industries and creates opportunities for business innovation. However, business innovation cannot be realized with one company, and collaboration with many stakeholders is essential. So it is important to raise the capability of customer co-creation to lead business innovation. In this paper, we introduce a methodology NEXPERIENCE which improves the capability of customer co-creation. Then we discuss future issues and prospects of this activity.

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“Society5.0” is one of the most important keywords related to science and technology strategy in Japan, as firstly mentioned in the 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan. JST-Mirai project, which was started in 2017, covers Society5.0 as one of the prioritized research topics. In this article, the fundamental concept of the project will be described along with the related information technology trends.

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In this article, a project “Vison-Driven Architecture and Its Management Framework for S5.0” is introduced, describing its purpose and direction to shape Society5.0. An SoS (System of Systems) architecture with a social viewpoint, where abstract contracts are settled on, is needed to allow system cooperation in dynamic composition in the changes of needs from society, economics, environments, and technologies flexibly as well as sustaining safety.

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The predecessor organization of The Japan Society for Science Policy and Research Management has been renamed in 2015 as The Japan Society for Research Policy and Innovation Management in order to aim to move forward innovation more interdisciplinarily. This article describes a brief overview of main activities of the society and their recent attentions for “Society5.0”, that have been appeared as the relevant keywords, in their activities after the renewal.

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The Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE) aims to produce innovations in science and technology through the pursuit of truth and meeting unforeseen challenges in the field of measurement, control, and systems engineering. SICE was established through merging Automatic Control Study Group and Japan Instrument Society in 1961, approved as a corporation aggregate in 1963, and has changed juridical personality to Public Interest Incorporated Association in 2010. This paper introduces our activities of SICE towards realization of Society5.0.

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This paper proposes an approach to realize robot utilizing Society5.0 based on the inte- gration of the fine improvement (Kaizen) activities that the Japanese are good at. In Japan, we have realized so far not only industrial robot utilization society so far but also unique useful convenience stores as well as accurate and reliable public railway networks equipped with shops in the station. Taking advantage of these experiences, the paper proposes that we should achieve “quality changed new value-added system utilizing robot” by accumulating onsite improvement activities, and that export it as a Robot Value Chain.

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This article first outlines state-of-art of the research conducted by Japan Society for Infor- mation Management (JASMIN) and then illustrates that the research fields on value creation toward smart society have been expanded rapidly with emphasis on “digitalization” and “social value”. We also show some of future research topics of Management Information Systems (MIS) Study.

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First, we briefly describe the history of operations research, which has been developed to help make optimal decisions in both private and public sectors using actual quantitative and qualita- tive data. Then, we explain the transdisciplinary scientific research approach and the interdisciplinary area research approach, respectively. The former approach attempts to combine natural scientific and technological disciplines, while the latter tries to incorporate methods and insights from across a vari- ety of academic disciplines such as the humanities, social science and natural science in order to solve a diverse range of social problems. Based upon these approaches, we emphasize the importance of the interdisciplinary area approach and its future benefit in cultivating and training human resources.

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