Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
February 28, 2014
Project aims to contribute to the discovery of new areas of development in
Social Innovation Business
São Paulo, Brazil, February 28, 2014 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, "Hitachi") and the Division of Research and Development ("Brazil Lab") in Hitachi Brazil Ltda, today announced that it has started "Kizashi Project" with the University of Campinas. The goal of the project, which is one of Hitachi's R&D localization activities, is to identify future social trends in Brazil and to anticipate new business opportunities in that country.
Kizashi is a method of intelligence gathering that seeks to identify changes in future user's values. This practical design method is created using the know-hows and the design methodologies that are cultivated from Hitachi's holistic design covering products, information and services. By conducting research focusing on documents and digital data with a perspective of PEST analysis (Political, Economic, Social and Technological analysis), the analyzed factors will be applied to a timeline to identify future directions and trends. With this project, Hitachi and the University of Campinas will examine the following:
Through these activities, the Brazilian lab aims to identify the technologies and systems that Brazil really needs to further develop its economy and to promote future business expansion. It is hoped that the results of the project will contribute to the development and implementation of a sustainable Brazilian society using Social Innovation technologies as well as the expansion of existing enterprises.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 326,000 employees worldwide. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2012 (ended March 31, 2013) totaled 9,041 billion yen ($96.1 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, power systems, construction machinery, high functional material & components, automotive systems and others.
For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.