Urban development under Super Smart Society (Society 5.0) Partnering with the University of Tokyo in an industry-academia collaborative creation program with a unique approach

Since its founding in 1877, the University of Tokyo has developed into a place where various Eastern and Western ideas and cultures are united into new areas of scholarship. In the carrying on of this tradition, the University of Tokyo takes a global perspective in integrating diverse knowledge and contributing to interdisciplinary research and to policy formation.

Making Society 5.0 a reality requires efforts that span multiple fields. The key to enabling such efforts is the fusion of Hitachi's infrastructure technology and IT, developed over the years in the execution of its Social Innovation Business, with the University of Tokyo's various types of cutting-edge knowledge. Against this backdrop, Hitachi and the University of Tokyo have established the H-UTokyoLab as a space for joint research and have launched Habitat Innovation, a project based on collaborative creation for the purpose of research aimed at achieving Society 5.0.

Why industry-academia ”collaborative creation” instead of industry-academia ”collaboration”? The reasons lie in systematic differences and in the themes being handled. In general, conventional industry-academia collaboration involves joint research by a university research laboratory and the department of a company. There is also a tendency for research themes to be subdivided into specialized areas. However, in the case of industry-academia collaborative creation, universities and companies cooperate with each other as large-scale organizations. In addition, in a departure from relying on a single research lab, people from different fields bring together their knowledge and hold discussions. This makes it possible to handle major themes, such as social issues whose strategies require multi-faceted considerations. Of particular note in this respect is how the H-UTokyoLab initiatives are contributing to policymaking at national and local levels, as is needed for the social implementation of research outcomes.

In the pursuit of multi-thematic research, this project brings into synergy the resources of the University of Tokyo including knowledge in city planning, traffic engineering, building environment, and other academic studies concerning urban issues and residences, along with the deep insights from experts in such academic fields as social sciences and humanities. Paired with these is Hitachi’s strengths in the infrastructure technologies and IT needed for social implementation.

According to Atsushi Deguchi, head of the H-UTokyoLab and professor at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo: "Not stopping at data management in a specific field, Habitat Innovation involves exploring the creation of advanced services, for city planning and urban development, that link data across different fields. An example of this would be combining real estate, transit, and urban planning data instead of just analyzing transit data. By making a careful study of when and how regional residents move, we can improve transit convenience and alleviate traffic congestion, which will also raise the value of real estate."

Professor Deguchialso says that although several cases of city planning that use data are known to exist overseas, there is a definitive difference.

As he explains: "This project is led not by the government or by industry players, but by city residents. Profits and knowledge are not monopolized by an administrative agency or a single company but are given back to the regional community. Moreover, in contrast with top-down requests, regional participants are the data providers and data readers, and they work with the regional community toward urban development."

Verification testing of one of this initiative's research themes, "data-driven city planning," was started in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. With the cooperation of city residents, people-flow analysis technology was used to learn about movement behavior in the city. This was combined with data from different fields, including transit, purchasing behavior, and others, for visualization using Cyber-PoC, a service business simulator developed by Hitachi. Analyzing and studying city resident behavioral data from multiple angles in a digital space and making use of the results in city planning made it possible to build parks and childcare centers where residents need them and to hold community events matched with community needs. In this way, city residents could see how their voices were being reflected in urban development, creating a cycle of further active participation in such development.

The provision of the behavioral data required to drive this cycle is predicated on the understanding and active participation of city residents. In the handling of data, in addition to maintaining anonymity and protecting personal information, research into the state of ideas generally accepted by society is needed. To assist in this, experts in psychology, philosophy, and other humanities from the University of Tokyo have been brought in and discussions began.