Kyocera operates three research and development facilities around the Tokyo metropolitan area which focus on software and systems for the telecommunications, automotive, and environmental & energy industries. Recognizing the importance of technological development in these fields, the company established the Minato Mirai Research Center in order to integrate resources of the current three facilities and encourage new business creation and R&D related to IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and autonomous driving.

The location of Minato Mirai will help encourage open innovation, and ultimately new business development, as Kyocera staff are able to collaborate and share information with people around the world. Minato Mirai, which means “harbor of the future,” is a seaside urban area of central Yokohama that attracts a wide range of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises with advanced technologies, making it ideal for an open innovation approach.

The building includes two co-creation spaces ― “Creative Fab” on the first floor and “Innovation Square” on the sixth floor ― which have been arranged for the purpose of encouraging the creation of new ideas through meetings with business partners both inside and outside the company.

“Expansion of our current businesses and creation of new businesses are necessary for the Kyocera Group to reach its target of 2 trillion yen in sales by March 2021. In addition to reducing our operating costs by doubling productivity and revising inefficient processes, we hope to create synergies between each business section inside the company and accelerate joint projects with outside partners to develop new businesses,” commented Hideo Tanimoto, President of Kyocera Corporation, at the opening ceremony. “Taking advantage of Minato Mirai’s unique business ecosystem, we will also focus on promoting open innovation,” Tanimoto continued.