Column “Round table”  Research and development of Japan is “Mt. Fuji style” Mitsuhisa Kato (Former Toyota Motor executive vice president )|電経新聞

Column “Round table”  Research and development of Japan is “Mt. Fuji style” Mitsuhisa Kato (Former Toyota Motor executive vice president )

When it thinks of the future Japan society, I think that I should aim at research and development of the “Mt. Fuji style.” The first point is “high summit.” High summit means the “value” and the “society” which want to come true. Government shows a concrete vision. The researcher aims at that vision realization. It is important to arrange the vector.

Kiichiro Toyoda who is a founder of Toyota Motor conceived of the Japan society to which the domestic motorcar will run the town freely in the 1930s. It was a dream irrational for the Japan which was not a forward country. However, Kiichiro is devoted to research and development towards that realization. And his dream became reality. We should go back to their mind once again.

I have led “the production of car.” In “the production of a car”, the most important one is the “concept” (= high summit). The car where the concept is feeble is not accepted in the society however the performance of each part may be excellent.

The second point is “large range.” The route which arrives at the summit is not straight road. As for the route which arrives there, it is important not to apply the principle of selection and concentration too much.

I will introduce Toyota Central R&D Labs. In Toyota Central R&D Labs., they are making various techniques towards the carbon-neutral social realization. An artificial photosynthesis is also one of them. Energy conversion efficiency exceeds vegetable level and is under challenge towards social mounting now. Why have they realized the artificial photosynthesis? It is because they have “large range.” It is inefficient to have the technical range widely, if it glances, but it is an indispensable base in order to survive.

I propose the “Mt. Fuji style” with “high summit” and “large range” here.