CEO MESSAGE

Innovation is a chemical reaction of identities. The combination of each idea, vision, background, and resource leads to innovation fatefully or serendipitously. In the Silicon Valley, many start-up companies work to create fresh ideas based on this innovative thinking.

After twelve years of solely conducting research activities as DOCOMO Communications Laboratories USA, Inc., “DOCOMO Innovations, Inc.” was established in August 2011. It was necessary for us to change the organization in order to enhance such “chemical reactions” with talented experts and start-ups from the Silicon Valley, reflecting the rapid change in the IT business market and the style of mobile technology. In October 2015, we merged with DOCOMO Capital, a CVC active locally since 2005, and as the new DOCOMO Innovations, have since been taking ample advantage of our Silicon Valley location.

We have four concurrent organizational functions, including AI & Data Analytics Innovations, Open Innovations Strategy, Product Planning & Strategy, and Business Development. Each group is able to fully communicate and exchange information, leading to synergy. Our mission is to take advantage of communicating and collaborating with business partners and engineers from other research laboratories in order to find triggers for global development of innovative products and services. It is also important to us to search the area thoroughly for possible business opportunities and react quickly to opportunities found. With all the functions of our company at our disposal, we strongly believe that we can create something innovative and contribute to the world’s keystone moments in mobile technology and business growth.

The Japanese market, the third-largest economy in the world (*1), is undergoing a rapid digital transformation of various industry sectors in this 5G era. By leveraging AI, IoT, xR and other advanced technologies via 5G, DOCOMO’s many partners are creating new solutions and business models solving problems faced by Japanese society. For instance, over 3,200 companies have joined in the DOCOMO 5G Open Partner Program, and over 300 PoC applications leveraging DOCOMO’s 5G network and edge-clouds have been created in the open-partner activities (*2). We also aim to enhance this transformation through researching advanced technologies with talented experts and collaborating with cutting-edge start-ups in the Silicon Valley. We’d be happy to impact Japanese society and economy through the innovation with you.

“Gateway to Japan.” We at DOCOMO Innovations are fully committed and excited to play this role.

Yoshikazu Akinaga, President & CEO

*1 : Nominal GDP base
*2 : as of March, 2020