First, Professor Fuminori Yamazaki, Professor at the department of business economics at the Ritsumeikan University, presented the results of his latest research on the topic of industrial competitiveness of Japanese companies as well as problem-solving industrial Internet of Things (IoT).

He stated that the research and development processes of companies of the western world is predominantly linear (linear model). Japanese companies however are characterized by a much more interactive connection between the departments of development and production, which work closely together (chain-link model). In addition Professor Yamazaki addressed specialized IoT-platforms in Japanese companies which are typically highly customized for each of their factories to ensure maximum productivity and profits, whereby Western companies tend to use much more standardized IoT-models across their different factories.

After a discussion among the 14 participants Professor Dr. Nils Madeja, Professor at the THM Business School and initiator of the DIGIMARI project, gave an inside look at THM‘s new masters-program Digital Business (B. Sc.). The program consists of a minimum of three semesters which teach students the necessary skills to shape digital transformation processes in companies. He highlighted the importance of establishing strong partnerships with local businesses. On the one hand, that would not only help students in regards to internship programs but also in terms of their master-thesis related research and their individual career start. These partnerships on the other hand create great opportunities for companies which would benefit from working together with students in order to find possible solutions for current case studies and questions.

After another active exchange, both parties expressed their mutual interest to continue their partnership.

The third Mini-Symposium was another successful event and represents the great ongoing progress between Japanese and German researchers in the field of digitalization of production companies. The next research-colloquium is already set for October 2021.

The second DWIH Coffee Talk presents answers to these questions from four joint German-Japanese research networks of the “Future of Work” campaign by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The virtual café is getting busy when moderator Axel Karpenstein (DWIH Tokyo) welcomes several members from the research networks to discuss the implications for manufacturing and production, small and medium size industries, and care for the elderly.

DWIH Coffee Talk #2 on April 6, 2021 from 5 pm JST / 10 am CEST
“The Future of Work: New Technologies and the Workplace”
Register here for the event!