Digital Transformation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

KANO, Sadahiko

Emeritus Professor, Waseda University

Advisor, TTC

TTC Seminar on Latest technology and social trends toward Digital-Transformation"11 October 2018

Sadahiko KANO, Who am I?

1941 born in Japan (age 77)1958 Diploma, Bountiful High School, Utah, USA1967 Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (EE),

University of Tokyo, Joined NTT’s Laboratories, Japan1974 Master of EE Science, University of Essex, UK1979 Doctor of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan1993 – 2000 Chair of ITU-T Study Group 11, Geneva, Switzerland2001-2012 Professor of Waseda University, Graduate School of

Global Information Telecommunication Studies (GITS) and Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS), Japan

Currently • Emeritus Professor of Waseda University, Japan • Visiting Professor of the University of Edinburgh, UK• Chair, IEEE Maxwell Medal Committee, USA• Advisor, The Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC)

Religion: Mukyokai (Institution-free) Christian

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Paradigm Shift in Technology development

The 4th Industrial Revolution is ushering in a paradigm shift in technology development as follows:

From: Seeds (technology) oriented development

To: Up to 2000 Market needs oriented development

To: Currently Social problem solution oriented development

aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Global agreement on social problems to be tackled together – UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

(agreed in 2015 by United Nations General Assembly)4

Source: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

New trend in technology development in many countries and companies

In many global companies, development projects and products are related to one or more of the SDGs.

Investment funds also recommend companies to relate their projects/products to relate to one or more of the SDGs.

Example: Anne Simpson, investment director of sustainability at the largest fund in the US, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, said, “The SDGs provide a consensus on a shared to-do list. Until now, investors haven’t had a legitimate

framework to think about allocating capital and managing risk.”

(https://www.top1000funds.com/featured-homepageposts/2017/09/27/sustainable-development-goals-a-priorit)

Prof. ANDO Makoto, President of the IEICE* (Japan) in his inauguration speech said as follows: “Now the trend is to evaluate high technologies, not only for their cutting edge creativity, but also for how they could contribute to achieve any of the SDGs.” (Source: Journal of the IEICE, Vol.101, No,7, 2018, p.658)

* IEICE: The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers

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New trend in technology development in many countries and companies (cont’d)

Major investors in Europe and America, in particular, life insurance companies, are evaluating their investment plans against their respective contribution to achieve any one or more of the UN’s SDGs. Therefore, companies are making efforts to elucidate what they do relative to UN SDGs, in order to keep up their stock values.

Example: Some companies are building their data centers which consume a lot of electricity, in Nordic countries, where renewable energy is the majority power source.

Japanese government has established in 20 May 2018 Headquarter for the Promotion of the UN SDGs within the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office.

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Source: Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office: SDGs Action Plan 2018. December 2017

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Source: Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office: SDGs Action Plan 2018. December 2017

An Example: Emergency Communication Service for deaf and hard-of-hearing people

In Japan, the Emergency Communication Services have been provided through telephone voice communication only, by dialing 119 for fire and ambulance, and dialing 110 for police.

Because deaf and hard-of-hearing people cannot use telephone voice communication, Japan’s FDMA* started a project in 2010 to study a method to enable them to communicate their emergency situation to the local fire and ambulance agency. (Project leader: Sadahiko Kano, WasedaUniversity)

* FDMA: Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal

Affairs and Communications (MIC) of Japan

This project was started well before the UN adopted its SDGs in 2015.

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SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

FDMA’s Project Results in 2010

The conclusion of the project in 2010 was

1) To use the mobile phone because it was the most used communication means by deaf and hard-of-hearing people;

2) Because mobile phones were then expected to evolve into smart phones, which would make it easier to adapt it for use by deaf and hard-of-hearing people;

3) To ask TTC to study and propose potential methods to FDMA.

Then, on March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, and deaf and hard-of-hearing people had difficulty in communicating their emergency situations.

Recognizing their difficulty, FDMA asked TTC to speed up the study and report the results to them.

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Source: NTT East Publication, 2012

TTC’s Conclusion after Field Tests (2014)Use of Portable Mesh and Cognitive Wireless Routers

11Disaster Hit Area

(Source: S. Kano, H. Nakabayashi, T. Tsukamoto. Emergency Communication System for Persons with Hearing and Speaking Disabilities and Against a Large-Scale Disaster. IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conference. 26 – 29 Aug 2013, Sendai, Japan

12 In the meantime (2013-2015),………

Two private companies started their emergency communication services, roughly based on TTC’s study results.

However, their services were NOT interconnectable.Thus, it was available only in their home area, and not available nationwide.

So, the FDMA started a project in 2016 to study a standard specification to make emergency communication services by multiple companies interconnectable with each other, thus making the service available nationwide. (Project leader: Sadahiko Kano)

In 2017, the project came up with a solution after field trial tests.

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Final Solution (Net119) now implemented by 3 companies

Fire & Ambulance Centers (FACs)can choose a company

FAC L(Co. A)

FAC M(Co. B)

FAC N(Co. C)

User in FAC L area

User in FAC N area

Internet Internet

Gateways (GWs)of each company

Source: Document Submitted to the Project Committee Meeting on October 12, 2016 (in Japanese only)

Even if a user movesfrom his home area (L)to another area (N), he/she can still communicate their Emergency to FAC in Area (N).

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Final Solution (Net119) Human Interface Example

Source: Overview of the Final Report of the FDA Project on March 14, 2017

User Net119 GatewayLocal Fire & Ambulance

Reception Center

Ambulance Fire

User’s Smartphone

Where are you?

Home

NotHome

Chatting to confirm location

WorkplaceParent’s Home

Inform emergencyInfo with pre-registered data

User Display Reception Center PC Display

Operator

PC

15 Net 119 Conclusion

Today, Net119 services are available nationwide, thus reducing the inequality and helping independence of the deaf and the hard-of-hearing people to communicate their emergency situations.

According to these people, this has enhanced their sense of safety and security wherever they travel in Japan.

Thus, the service has contributed to achieve (even though partially) the SDG 10.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

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Another Example

ICHIGO (Strawberry) Farms in Japan and India (1)

Collaboration among:NEC (Big IT Company); GRA (Agriculture venture company in Japan) ; andICA Japan (NPO) and ICA India (NGO)

Internet

Strawberry Farm in India

GRA experts (in Japan)

Adapted from source: S. Watanabe (NEC).ICHIGO Project in India. Presentation at JANIC Symposium, 13 February 2018

Ventilation

Nutrient liquid trough

Greenhouse Ventilation

Nutrient liquid trough

Greenhouse

Strawberry Farm in Miyagi, Japan Strawberry Farm in Talegaon, India

Greenhouses in Japan and India

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Built in 2012Built in 2014

GRA greenhouses in Miyagi, Japan Greenhouses in Talegaon in India

Indian Women Workers

Japanese expert

Adapted from source: S. Watanabe (NEC).ICHIGO Project in India. Presentation at JANIC Symposium, 13 February 2018and GRA’s website: http://gra-inc.jp/

ICHIGO (Strawberry) Farms in Japan and India (2)

Site of Strawberry Farm in Talegaon, India18

Talegaon is located in the country side, but close enough to big market cities such as Mumbai and Pune

Adapted from source: S. Watanabe (NEC).ICHIGO Project in India. Presentation at JANIC Symposium, 13 February 2018

ICHIGO (Strawberry) Farms in Japan and India (3)

Two GreenhousesNo.1 800m2 (built in 2012)

No.2 1200m2(built in 2014)

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SDG1: NO POVERTYBy giving opportunities for country people to produce quality strawberries and sell them to the rich in cities

SDG5: GENDER EQUALITYBy giving opportunities for women to work and earn money

SDG10: REDUCED INEQUALITIESBy selling quality strawberries to the rich in cities and thus transferring their money to the poor in country-side

Adapted from source: S. Watanabe (NEC).ICHIGO Project in India. Presentation at JANIC Symposium, 13 February 2018

ICHIGO (Strawberry) Farm Project and UN SDGs (1)

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SDG8: DECENT WORK ANDECONOMIC GROWTH

Freeing workers in the farm from back-breaking labor on the ground to standing work in clean environment

SDG9: INDUSTRY INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Agriculture innovation using internet and cutting-edge technology

Research facility in Japan

Women workers in India

Ongoing Research projects such as:• Not only on strawberries, but also on tomatoes• Temperature control to increase crop• Integrated Pest Management (IPT)• Ubiquitous Environment Control System (UECS)• Auxiliary LED Lighting, Etc.

Adapted from source: S. Watanabe (NEC).ICHIGO Project in India. Presentation at JANIC Symposium, 13 February 2018

ICHIGO (Strawberry) Farm Project and UN SDGs (2)

ICHIGO (Strawberry) Farm Project and UN SDGs (3)21

SDG10: PARTNERSHIPSFOR THE GOALS

(ICA India)

Adapted from source: S. Watanabe (NEC).ICHIGO Project in India. Presentation at JANIC Symposium, 13 February 2018

Thank you for your attention!

Comments and questions are welcome to:kano.sadahiko@proof.ocn.ne.jp

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