Research Snappy
  • Market Research Forum
  • Investment Research
  • Consumer Research
  • More
    • Advertising Research
    • Healthcare Research
    • Data Analysis
    • Top Companies
    • Latest News
No Result
View All Result
Research Snappy
No Result
View All Result

SoftBank and University of Tokyo to open business-oriented AI research centers

researchsnappy by researchsnappy
December 6, 2019
in Consumer Research
0
SoftBank and University of Tokyo to open business-oriented AI research centers
399
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

SoftBank Corp. and the University of Tokyo have agreed to open artificial-intelligence centers staffed with specialists from the university and around the world, to swiftly turn research into profitable business ventures so Japan can keep up with the U.S. and China.

“If they are stuck with research … their funds and passions will drain away,” SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son said at an event announcing the joint project at the prestigious university.

“By teaming with the University of Tokyo, we want to give students a chance to learn and start a business,” said Son, who has stressed the importance of AI for years.

Under the arrangement, a pair of facilities — one on the university’s Hongo campus in Bunkyo Ward and the other at a planned new SoftBank office in the Takeshiba district — will be established in spring and winter of 2020 at the earliest, respectively, under the brand Beyond AI.

The Hongo base will handle basic research on the evolution of AI and potential ways to apply the technology in physics, robotics, brain science and other fields.

The results will be sent to the Takeshiba base, which will work on advanced research and establishing new businesses.

Some of the enterprises envisioned include autonomous driving and medicine. The profits made from these ventures will be invested into new research and human resources development.

SoftBank plans to spend roughly ¥20 billion over 10 years on setting up the facilities, equipment and labor costs.

“AI engineers in Japan are very talented by global standards, but most of them give up at the basic research level. So we want to convert (their research results) into businesses,” said Junichi Miyagawa, chief technology officer at SoftBank’s domestic mobile carrier arm.

SoftBank and the University of Tokyo said they will seek talent from universities both in Japan and overseas.

Through their partnership, the pair hope to take advantage of basic research on AI and turn it into businesses that can counter U.S. tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.com — collectively known as GAFA.

Competition on AI development is intensifying around the world. China saw the biggest growth in the number of AI patent filings among the U.S., Europe and Japan between 2015 and 2016, according to the Japan Patent Office.

Underpinning the breakneck growth are patent applications from Chinese universities. The five-year filing trend through 2016 in Japan, on the other hand, was almost flat, the data showed.

Previous Post

Why local governments should be wary of funding public transport by taxing the beneficiaries of new infrastructure

Next Post

Consumer confidence lowest in 67 months

Next Post
Consumer confidence lowest in 67 months

Consumer confidence lowest in 67 months

Research Snappy

Category

  • Advertising Research
  • Consumer Research
  • Data Analysis
  • Healthcare Research
  • Investment Research
  • News
  • Top Company News

Top 10 Market Research Companies in the world

3 Best Market Research Certifications in High Demand

The Latest Market Research Trends Shaping 2024

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Antispam
  • DMCA
  • Contact Us

© 2024 researchsnappy.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Market Research Forum
  • Investment Research
  • Consumer Research
  • More
    • Advertising Research
    • Healthcare Research
    • Data Analysis
    • Top Companies
    • Latest News

© 2024 researchsnappy.com