TOKYO -- Japan's annual home electronics and IT trade show held an opening event on Friday featuring online speeches from Toshiba's CEO and the country's digital minister, both of whom stressed the importance of accelerating digital transformation in a post-pandemic "new normal" world.
The four-day Ceatec expo, which officially kicks off on Tuesday, is being held online for the second year in a row due to COVID-19.
Under the slogan "Toward Society 5.0 with the New Normal," the trade show will showcase technologies, products and services that can help create a digital, zero-net carbon society.
Society 5.0 refers to a Japanese government initiative to achieve a convergence of technologies -- including the internet of things, robotics, artificial intelligence and big data -- to deal with economic and social issues.
Toshiba President and CEO Satoshi Tsunakawa gave a keynote presentation on Friday in which he talked about the conglomerate's initiatives aimed at achieving carbon neutrality and greater infrastructure resilience.
He spoke about Toshiba's virtual power plant business, which aggregates different renewable energy facilities into single power plants, as well as logistics solutions that incorporate AI robots and inventory control systems to support businesses.
Tsunakawa also touched on the conglomerate's efforts in advanced quantum cryptographic technology for data security, saying the company wants to protect important infrastructure from cyberattacks.
"Society has become more complex following the coronavirus outbreak, which is why digitalization is indispensable," he said, adding that society "must accelerate digital transformation in energy and other infrastructure."
Karen Makishima, Japan's newly appointed digital transformation minister under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, showed her commitment to creating a society where "everyone can feel the benefits of digitalization."
She said the digital agency will continue to promote a "digital garden-city state" -- a concept introduced by the new prime minister. Through tech investments, the agency will tackle issues like Japan's aging society, declining birthrate and widening gap between urban and rural regions.
At Ceatec, exhibitors will use an online platform that allows them to post video clips and reference materials. The website will feature a video chat function where companies can directly communicate with visitors.
Big electronics companies like Sony Group, Hitachi, and Panasonic are among the 300-plus participants this year. In 2020, more than 350 companies took part in the expo, with a total of over 156,000 online visitors checking out the event.
The platform will have three exhibition areas, one of which is called "Society 5.0," where companies will showcase the latest technologies and services that they believe will accelerate a digital transformation, facilitate the development of smart cities and bring a shift toward a carbon-neutral economy.
There will also be an area dedicated to startups and universities to allow them to introduce their products and technologies.
There will be a number of conferences with companies including Nissan Motor, NTT, NEC, Huawei Japan, Bosch and Cyient presenting their latest initiatives. Online panel discussions will be held on topics such as fifth-generation networks, mobility and artificial intelligence.
Japan sees Society 5.0 as a crucial growth strategy for the country, especially as it faces a declining and aging population. The government has set up a number of large-scale programs to encourage companies to step up research and development, and foster innovation.
While the government has expressed high hopes for achieving Society 5.0, it will be critical for Japanese companies and business leaders to show that they are rising to the challenge of intensifying global competition.
Hagiuda Koichi, Japan's new minister of economy, trade and industry, said on Friday that COVID-19 revealed Japan's slowness in digitalizing government services as well as those in the private sector. "[Japan] is at a watershed moment where we must use digital technologies to realize transformation," he said. "Advanced technologies showcased at Ceatec will prompt business models to evolve and will be key to enriching our lives."