Hitachi expands in R&D

In concrete terms, Hitachi will reorganize its research laboratories in Japan into three enhanced centers, while expanding the role of locally-led research overseas. Overseas, Hitachi plans to accelerate building a global R&D framework dedicated to supporting growth strategies for each region, centered on the four business bases, China, Europe, the Americas and Asia. To accelerate this process and strengthen R&D targeting local needs, Hitachi will double the number of overseas R&D personnel, currently about 150, in fiscal 2012. This will also include creation of a new R&D base in India. In Japan, Hitachi will promote robust, integrated research to spearhead Social Innovation Business and create a research framework dedicated to building Hitachi's platform for the next 100 years of growth. Hitachi will reorganize its six corporate research laboratories and two divisional laboratories into three research centers: (1) the Central Research Laboratory (a), focused on seamless integrated research from basic through to application level; (2) the Hitachi Research Laboratory (a), dedicated to supporting the Social Innovation Business, mainly working on social infrastructure; and (3) the Yokohama Research Laboratory (a), which will conduct R&D focused on IT platform technologies and manufacturing technologies. In addition, the Technology Strategy Office (a) within the Research and Development Group will oversee technology strategies for the entire Hitachi Group, and formulate medium- and long-term technology and development plans linked with business strategies. In China Hitachi is further accelerating R&D activities in step with expansion of the Social Innovation Business locally. Measures include the establishment in August 2010 of a new Social Infrastructure Systems Research Office within its Beijing research base. This base is to serve as the core R&D base for the Hitachi Group in China going forward. In Europe, Hitachi is strengthening its initiatives for frontier research and open innovation, notably in the area of spintronics, centered on the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory. Hitachi will also focus on supporting the Social Innovation Business in Europe, including railway and power systems. At its U.S. research base, Hitachi is bolstering research and development of next-generation storage system technologies and environmentally friendly automobile technologies. Hitachi will open a R&D base for IT related research in India in 2011. The base will study application software and other IT fields, while promoting links with local research institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology.