Missions

Under a cooperative system with NTT Network Innovation Laboratories, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Trimatiz Ltd., NEC Corporation, Fujitsu Limited, Fujikura Ltd., Alnair Labs Corporation, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. and Kitanihon Electric Cable Co.,Ltd., we have set up a vertically integrated center for applications and fundamental optical device technologies to produce extremely low energy network technologies that reduce the power consumption of networks by several orders of magnitude. This is being done in preparation for the forthcoming integration of broadcasting and communications and an era in which high-definition images will be handled in enormous volumes.

Mr. Ken-ichi Sato, a professor at Nagoya University and a world authority in this field, has been invited to serve as the director of the center, and a study group on network architectures has been established to decide on what direction to take and to promote vertical collaboration in the center.

The center develops activities such as research seminars worldwide, promotes collaboration with outside organizations both at home in Japan and overseas such as NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories and National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and generates a flow of innovations.

Through these activities, the center produces new network technologies that require extremely low amounts of energy and develops researchers who will be engaged in the creation of these new network technologies. These researchers are able to look out over a wide range of technologies, including fundamental devices and network application, beyond the scope of existing areas of specialty with an international, broad perspective.

Expected ripple effects

This center is based on the concept of discussing and designing scenarios for innovations and changing both existing applications and fundamental technologies according to these scenarios. This is not a seeds- or needs-oriented approach, but an interactive innovation production model. The center is expected to serve as a new model for the sharing of new ideas among communities to create new technology waves, providing a means of ensuring that superior research into fundamental technologies is applied to industries instead of remaining a captive to existing technologies.

Collaboration between layers to produce new network technologies is a completely new idea in research and development. As a result, we can expect to see a productive synergy between the new concept and existing research projects where research is conducted in separate layers.

Research activities conducted by this center that focus on network technologies that require extremely low amounts of energy and extremely high-definition images will also contribute to the GENI and AKARI projects and to other major discussions concerning the radical reform of all networks, as key constituent technologies. In this sense, too, the center will have ripple effects. As part of its activities, the center will plan and conduct field tests using the JGN and other public testbeds to deliver further ripple effects in the operation of testbeds.

The center will also contribute to the development of human resources by exerting its utmost effort to allow young researchers to acquire experience in research and development activities for these new models, as well as to obtain the knowledge and international competitiveness necessary for the new era of cross layer-based networks sought by this center.