[Kyodo News, October 2]On the 1st, the Ministry of Defense of Japan opened the “Defense Innovation Science and Technology Research Institute” at the comprehensive facility “Ebisu GARDEN PLACE” in Ebisu, Tokyo, aiming to develop innovative equipment. Former Defense Minister Minoru Kihara attended the ceremony and revealed that he was coordinating the Tokyo office of the “Defense Innovation Unit” (DIU), a research institution of the U.S. Department of Defense, and promoting cooperation.

The new institute had 76 people when it opened. 16 of them are from private institutions, and 14 experts in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic engineering serve as project managers responsible for business design management. We will expand the recruitment of external talents in the future.

The institute will conduct “breakthrough research” to develop equipment that will change the way we fight in the future, striving to create new technologies in several years and deploy new equipment in about three years using existing technologies.

Kihara attended the opening ceremony of the research institute after attending a cabinet meeting where he collectively submitted his resignation. Regarding the establishment of the DIU office, he said: “While promoting cooperation, it is also competition. I hope that everyone will seek advice from DIU, a pioneer in innovative technology, while bravely continuing to challenge without fear of failure.” (End)