Committed to industry-academia collaboration: Celebrating the success of the 3rd Fujitsu Small Research Lab Conference (Part 1)

Contents

• The 3rd Fujitsu Small Research Lab Conference - Summary
• NanoTerasu is impressive not only for its technical scale, but for its collaborative 'ecosystem'
• Inspiring researchers by bridging diverse fields, industry, and academia

The 3rd Fujitsu Small Research Lab (Note 1) Conference - Summary

This year, the conference program followed two principal themes. The first included technical presentations, lectures, and a tour of an advanced research facility, with the objective of experiencing and discussing cutting-edge technology. The second was a panel discussion aimed at fostering open debate on research, development, and talent cultivation. In this article, "Part 1," we provide an overview of the conference and a deeper dive into the insights gained by the researchers as they engaged with and discussed the cutting-edge technology. For details about the lively debate that unfolded between both university and Fujitsu researchers during the panel discussion, we invite you to read will "Part 2."

(Note 1) Fujitsu Small Research Lab

The 3rd Conference began with a morning session, which included a tour of NanoTerasu (Note 2), a high-brilliance synchrotron radiation facility located at Tohoku University's Aobayama Campus. In the afternoon, we moved to the Katahira Campus, with Fujitsu's Executive Vice President Vivek Mahajan opening the session. In welcoming the delegates, he said, "I am grateful for how far we've come together with our university partners. Let's make today's event a great success with a passion that surpasses the grandeur of NanoTerasu!" The cutting-edge and thought-provoking lectures did more than just showcase technical advancements; they also powerfully ignited every researcher's passion for driving innovation.

(Note 2) NanoTerasu

NanoTerasu is impressive not only for its technical scale, but for its collaborative 'ecosystem'

The Tohoku University SRL is advancing joint research that utilizes NanoTerasu. The aim is to analyze high-precision data obtained from NanoTerasu with "Discovery Intelligence Technology" to find new insights in the field of materials science. The exciting results of this work were recently announced in a press release (Note 3), generating an impressive response. Approximately 100 researchers from the various SRL participated in the NanoTerasu tour, which was guided by Professor Tadashi Abukawa from the International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart (SRIS), Tohoku University (Note 4), Professor Masashi Watanabe of the Organization for NanoTerasu Co-Creation Promotion, Tohoku University (Note 5), and Professor Takafumi Sato from the Tohoku University SRL, who is also affiliated with SRIS. A lively Q&A session took place, covering topics such as the operational challenges of a large-scale facility and actual measurement procedures.

The advanced nature and scale of the facility impressed everyone, with Seishi Okamoto, Corporate Executive Officer EVP, and Head of Fujitsu Research, commenting, "It's very instructive how so many companies have gathered at NanoTerasu to form a business ecosystem. The Quantum Computer Center (Note 6) [currently under construction at Fujitsu Technology Park] can certainly benefit from modelling itself on the NanoTerasu initiative. Quantum technology, too, is something that can only be fully realized with the participation of various companies and other partners." Professor Watanabe's explanation of NanoTerasu's origins-that it began as an activity by a handful of researchers after the earthquake and grew into its current form with many companies and researchers participating under the shared goal of contributing to society-also offered a new perspective to the management team as they tackle the challenge of creating innovation.

(Note 3) [Press Release] Tohoku University and Fujitsu utilize Causal AI to discover superconductivity mechanism of promising new functional material

(Note 4) [External Site] International Center for Synchrotron Radiation Innovation Smart, Tohoku University

(Note 5) [External Site] Organization for NanoTerasu Co-Creation Promotion, Tohoku University

(Note 6) [Press Release] Fujitsu Technology Park's redevelopment project launch

Professor Watanabe provides an explanation before the tour

During the NanoTerasu tour (The guide on the left is Professor Abukawa)

Inspiring researchers by bridging diverse fields, industry, and academia

Professor Jason H. Anderson of the University of Toronto SRL gave a lecture on the theme of "Reconfigurable Hardware: Future Proofing Machine Learning and High-Performance Computing Acceleration." His thought-provoking vision encompassed the future of computing technology in an unpredictable era marked by advancements like artificial intelligence.

Professor Anderson speaking passionately

The technology exhibition introduced various technical achievements (Note 7) created in the three years since the SRL was established. These included:

• a weather simulation from Yokohama National University SRL that uses the supercomputer "Fugaku" to predict tornadoes associated with typhoons;
• "GANSU," a high-speed, open-source quantum chemistry software developed by Hiroshima University SRL that uses GPUs to advance drug discovery and materials development;
• the world's largest open-source suite of fundamental software for quantum computer cloud services, released and operated by Osaka University SRL;
• and a diamond spin qubit chip capable of high-precision quantum gate operations, developed by Delft University of Technology SRL.

The busy exhibition hall

Lively discussions!

The opportunity to speak directly with researchers from a wide range of fields, including those from overseas SRLs, prompted comments even from senior researchers, such as, "It was really useful to discuss my research area with other researchers from different fields, getting new perspectives," and "I was glad to participate in discussions from a viewpoint I can't get at regular academic conferences." It appears that the conference, with its frank and cross-disciplinary discussions, was highly stimulating for the researchers.

In addition, a student commented, "I was able to understand clearly what companies expect from the SRLs. For students, industry-academia collaboration makes us realize how research evolves into social value." The research outcomes, as a culmination of three years of industry-academia partnership, seem to have given students a clear image of how research connects to making a definite social contribution and provided a valuable opportunity for them to consider their future as researchers. Professor Tsubokura of the Kobe University SRL also shared his expectations as an educator, which echoed the students' candid impressions: "Students have overwhelmingly few connections with companies. This is a very valuable venue where they can encounter social issues from a corporate perspective and see how they can contribute to society."

The energy of this 3rd SRL was encapsulated in a comment from one participant: "By attending the conference, I truly felt that Fujitsu is functioning as a 'hub (connector) ' for industry-academia collaboration." By connecting diverse research fields as well as bridging industry and academia, the Fujitsu Small Research Lab Conference has become an important and highly-valued event for everyone involved in this collaboration, especially the researchers.

(Note 7) [Press Release] Fujitsu and Yokohama National University achieve world's first real-time prediction of tornadoes associated with typhoons using supercomputer Fugaku

(Note 7) [External Link] Hiroshima University SRL：Efficient GPU Implementation of the McMurchie-Davidson Method for Shell-Based ERI Computations

(Note 7) [Press Release] Fujitsu and research partners launch open-source quantum computer operations software

(Note 7) [Press Release] Fujitsu and QuTech realize high-precision quantum gates

In this article, "Part 1," we provided an overview of the 3rd Fujitsu Small Research Lab Conference, focusing on it as an opportunity for experiencing and discussing cutting-edge technology, highlighting the insights researchers gained there. The conference provided a wide range of inspiration to researchers at all levels, from management to junior staff. This went beyond just technical impact, offering them new perspectives on the role of research facilities as "ecosystems," insights from multiple and diverse fields, and a clear vision of how research can lead to social contribution.

In addition, a panel discussion titled "The SRL: Past and Future" was held at the conference, featuring members of Fujitsu's management team as panelists. Here, professors from the universities posed challenging questions at the very core of industry-academia collaboration, asking about Fujitsu's level of "commitment" to fostering and supporting doctoral talent, and how Fujitsu will respond to and work with university researchers dedicated to academic pursuits. The Fujitsu management team answered these questions head-on. This heated debate is covered in "Part 2," - don't miss it!

Debating the future of industry-academia collaboration: Fujitsu's engagement and the universities' view at the 3rd Fujitsu Small Research Lab Conference Panel Discussion (Part 2)