Since its inception, Japan has been regarded as a technological powerhouse. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected the global markets, which has resulted in Japan’s R&D situation becoming more challenging. Due to the shortage of semiconductor equipment, many people are now spending more time at home. This has caused industry players to reset their goals for 2021.

The ICT industry is constantly pushing the envelope in terms of its innovation. The use of advanced technologies can transform the way we live. For instance, by analyzing information in less than a nanosecond, we can visualize a world where food production is effortless and artificial intelligence can improve how we interact with the planet.

Due to the increasing demand for semiconductor equipment, Japan’s back-end chip manufacturers are taking advantage of the opportunities the country’s technology industry has to offer. This article will discuss the top technologies that will be most beneficial to the country’s ICT industry.

5G

In February 2021, Japan’s telecommunications company, NTT Docomo, announced that it had partnered with other leading companies to establish a consortium that would provide 5G solutions. This agreement will allow the companies to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that will benefit the country’s technology industry.

Although the consortium members are still in their early stages of development, they are already planning on using 5G’s various features, such as enhanced mobile broadband and ultra-reliable low-latency communications. The commercial launch of 5G services is expected to take place in 2022.

In April, the Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, and US President Joe Biden held a bilateral meeting to discuss the development of 5G. As part of its efforts to strengthen the country’s digital competitiveness, Japan committed to investing $2 billion in developing next-generation wireless technology.

Quantum Computing

The development of quantum computing is a new frontier that is expected to have a significant impact on the future of the technology industry. Although it is currently not feasible to fully implement this technology in practical applications, Japan is still committed to exploring its potential.

In April, the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Fujitsu Limited established a collaboration center for quantum computing. This project aims to conduct research on the design and implementation of superconducting quantum computers.

Although the technological advancements that can be expected from the development of quantum computing are not yet apparent, many potential applications can be performed by this technology. For instance, in material science, the ability to keep quantum particles, or qubits, alive is a significant challenge that researchers are currently working on.

Hopefully, through the efforts of the various research organizations and companies involved in developing quantum computing, we can take a quantum leap forward.

Smart Farming

Due to the declining population in Japan and the increasing number of young people going to major cities for work, ICT companies are currently developing smart farming technologies in response to the country’s agricultural labor shortages. Unfortunately, despite the country’s efforts to improve its food sufficiency rate, it will still be hard to achieve its 45% self-sufficiency goal in 2018.

Despite the various challenges that the country’s agricultural industry has faced, the government’s steady efforts to improve the country’s agricultural policies have successfully implemented smart farming technologies. According to a report by the Japan Times, the country’s organic food market was valued at about 185 billion in 2017.

Implementing the country’s agricultural policies in 2016 has been instrumental in developing innovative technologies by ICT companies. One of these is Japan’s leading ICT company, which created an in-house system called the NTT AgriTechnology. Through its in-house system, which is integrated with other companies such as Docomo and Smile Energy, the company could provide its customers with a comprehensive view of the farm’s operations.

Through this data, the government has improved the efficiency of its agricultural agencies. For instance, the WAGRI platform, which is a government-run data-connected platform, has been able to collect and analyze data. The various data collected by the WAGRI platform have been carefully maintained and analyzed to provide the country’s agricultural agencies with the necessary tools and information to improve their operations. This data is then used to maximize the country’s crop yields. 

Through the use of advanced API programming interfaces, the platform was able to collect and analyze data related to soil, weather, and geographical areas.

The increasing threat of climate change and the development of new weather patterns are some factors that will affect the country’s agricultural industry in the future. With the help of smart farming technology, agricultural agencies can now improve their annual crop yields.