R&D Vision
R&D Vision Movie
Technology starts with imagination. The Sumitomo Electric Group sparks innovation through revolutionary technology, guided by a backcasting approach from our envisioned future. Our commitment to technological innovation, coupled with our determination to solve societal challenges, drives us to explore new realms beyond the scope of our existing businesses.
We are evolving our key business areas of Energy, Infocommunications, and Mobility into three dynamic value spheres: Earth, Human, and Life, symbolizing our commitment to innovation and sustainable growth.
【2030 Vision】
The Sumitomo Electric Group is committed to advancing its cutting-edge technologies in the “Connect and Support” domains. Our goal for 2030 is to foster a society where safety, comfort, and environmental sustainability are seamlessly integrated. We are dedicated to continuously meeting the ever-changing needs of society and driving innovation in the areas of Energy, Infocommunications, and Mobility.
- Energy: Advancing cable technology for robust power grids and offering comprehensive system solutions critical for harnessing renewable energy.
- Infocommunications and Electronics: Developing technologies that blend high-speed, large-capacity functionality with compact design and energy efficiency.
- Mobility and High-Performance Products: Driving technological innovation in materials and devices to support advances in CASE (connected, autonomous, shared, and electric) and beyond.
【Backcasting from 2050】
From our "Connect and Support" perspective, we envision the future society we aspire to and embrace new areas of value creation. Moving beyond the past focus on economic growth driven by scale and efficiency, we see a shift toward a society in 2050 that prioritizes social development in terms of environmental awareness, human rights and lifestyle diversity. A key aspect of our challenge is our commitment to creating new value, not just as an extension of our current business, but by backcasting from anticipated societal issues. By envisioning an ideal future society and aligning it with our long-term goals, we are committed to connecting customer needs with our core technologies to provide integrated hardware and software solutions.
● Earth
We are committed to achieving a carbon-free, circular society by focusing on technologies that reduce CO2 emissions and innovations that reuse resources. Our approach includes generating clean energy, advancing green innovation (GX) through CO2 capture and utilization technologies, and efficiently using limited resources to build a sustainable society.
● Human
Our research focuses on advancing human-machine collaboration and unlocking human potential through remote operation and innovative transportation technologies. Aiming to revolutionize fields like manufacturing and agriculture through instant global device access, we envision a society where technology enables individuals to fully realize their potential and capabilities.
● Life
We aim to create enriched lifestyles beyond time, place, and physical limits by merging reality and virtuality. Leveraging quantum networking and space Internet technologies, we envision a society interconnected in real time, fostering deeper understanding, empathy and emotional connections among people around the world.
Three R&D Policies
As a cornerstone of technological innovation, we are intensifying our R&D efforts under three guiding policies.
Driven by Future Social Demands
We conduct needs-driven research and development, quickly responding to various changes such as the emergence of innovative technologies and products for environmental solutions, the further spread of digital/virtual technologies, space utilization, and the practical application of quantum networks. These changes are diversifying urban landscapes, lifestyles, and values. We are expanding, strengthening, and evolving our 'Connect and Support' technologies to create and offer new values.
Accelerating the R&D Process
To further accelerate R&D, we are incorporating computational science and simulations along with material informatics (MI) and artificial intelligence (AI). In pursuit of manufacturing process efficiency, we are advancing factory automation by integrating process informatics (PI) systems with production processes. Across our Group's wide range of technologies and products, we aim to shorten lead times and enhance process efficiency.
Collaborating with Overseas Partners
Our research laboratories across Group companies collaborate under a clear intellectual property strategy, combining technologies, know-how, and ideas developed globally to realize our vision. While steadily advancing our core technologies, we also promote partnerships with overseas companies and academic institutions to achieve dynamic and rapid outcomes.
