Keio Research Institute at SFC

Objectives

The increasing sophistication of ICT and the results of this are causing rapid changes in all elements of our lives and activities. Interaction and work with the regional community, mainly Fujisawa City, since the establishment of the SFC Campus has generated some lasting results. Fujisawa City is now ranked as one of the top regional governments with regards to the level of informatization implemented.

There have been numerous clear changes, including the socialization of the Internet and websites, the rapidly increasing sophistication and dissemination of mobile devices, and the development of new applications. Such ICT circumstances may lead people to think that the pressure is on for us to develop next-generation targets and changes, but our view is that, technically, the path from informatization to intelligence is quite clear.

A consortium in pursuit of an intelligent city with an environment where intelligence has been applied to lifestyle and activities for the next generation is to be launched. Current ICT technology will be explored and consolidated, and new ways to utilize such technologies and a test environment will be developed. One of the aims of this work will be to apply and implement these tests at the regional organizational level. The overall aim will be to contribute to the revitalization of the Japanese economy and society.

Within society in the past, each region has existed in isolation, leading to huge inefficiencies and isolated people at a disadvantage both mentally and physically. Leading-edge technologies, such as semantic web technologies, LOD (Linked Open Data) and big data will be used, networks that use these technologies developed, and a cloud computing environment will be established. The aim is to build a symbiotic public life support system that builds connections between people, establishes a participatory, cooperative and, furthermore, convenient public life, and assists in developing cooperation between people. Testing will be implemented in organizations within Fujisawa City that are willing to work and participate in such testing. The next step will be to work in conjunction with other regional communities, mainly around SFC, so as to establish intelligence within regional communities and promote revitalization of such communities.

This method may become the model case for future generations in Japan. It is hoped that, along with future ICT technology developments, even more sophisticated intelligent cities, intelligent social environments and lifestyle environments will be established. This will ultimately contribute to a revitalized Japanese economy and play an important role in new economic growth within Japan.

Outline of Research Activity Plan

Demonstration experiments within Fujisawa City
Work will be done on the development of a regional integration system that uses semantic web technologies. Testing will also be conducted and a disadvantaged shopper support system, linking shopping districts, regional producers and disadvantaged shoppers, will be established. An attempt will also be made to improve general shopper convenience, revitalize shopping districts and connect production locations with consumption locations by ICT.

Researchers, managers and professors