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Interview
Anticipating the Future of Technology from the Front Line of International Standardization
In today’s world, where technological trends shift rapidly, it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict what lies ahead. Staying ahead through pioneering research and development and securing patents is an essential element to being a market leader. However, with the future never certain, this means that there is also a need to constantly take risks. In response, NEC is currently focusing its attention on international standardization discussions as one tool for anticipating future trends. But what exactly is international standardization? How can it offer highly accurate projections of the future by incorporating perspectives and intentions from around the world? To gain further insight, we spoke in detail with one of our leaders at the forefront of this effort.
Profile
After joining NEC in 1997, Dr. Toru Yamada engaged in research and development of video codecs and video quality metrics. Since 2011, he has been a part of NEC’s Standardization Promotion Department, focusing on advancing international standardization in the fields of Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities. In 2019, he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the ITU-T SG20, a study group within the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)—a specialized agency of the United Nations—responsible for leading international standardization of IoT and smart cities and communities. He also serves as Chairman of the IoT and Smart Cities Working Group of The Telecommunication Technology Committee in Japan. In addition, he is a part-time lecturer at Chuo University’s Faculty of Global Informatics and the Tokyo Metropolitan University’s Faculty of System Design. Dr. Yamada also holds a Ph.D. in Engineering.
Toru Yamada
Senior Standardization Professional
Standardization Promotion Group
Discussing the Specifications and Definitions of Leading-Edge Technology to Prepare for Future Implementation
What exactly is standardization?
At its core, one of the major roles of standardization is to create a framework that allows devices around the world to connect and work with each other. Take smartphones, for example. Although different manufacturers produce various devices running on various operating systems, we are still able to send messages, photos, and videos back and forth with our friends around the world, no matter what device we are using. This is possible because communication methods throughout the world have been unified under international standards. Thanks to standardized protocols, rules that say “let’s exchange data in this way,” our devices are able to connect with each other, even if the manufacturer or OS they are using are different.
Standardized communication methods are built on technologies contributed by various companies from various countries. When a company’s technology is adopted into an international standard, it means that the technology will be used around the world. However, this also requires the establishment of a cycle of ongoing innovation of technologies related to those international standards. Companies participating in standardization activities obtain “standard essential patents” (SEP) for their technologies and license them for fair and reasonable rates to others implementing those standards. This allows them to secure funding for the next round of research and development. Of course, NEC also participates in this cycle by conducting activities that seek the adoption of our own technologies to secure investment for future research and development.
Another major function of standardization is creating a shared understanding . For example, the smart cities I work on are large-scale systems that utilize ICT to structure entire cities. If each person involved in the project has a different idea about what the ideal system should look like, our discussions will not align and we will never make any progress toward implementation. That is why, well before the technology becomes widespread, regular discussions are held on an international scale to define key concepts. This effort to build consensus is another type of standardization initiative. We work to establish a shared understanding of new technologies and applications and strive to quickly define them in internationally agreed terms. In the case of smart cities, we have been working since 2019 on standardizing digital twins, which are virtual representations of entire cities that enable large-scale, real-time simulations.
In other words, this establishment of a shared understanding is essentially an exercise in envisioning what the world will look like several years into the future. To put it in slightly exaggerated terms, we are creating a blueprint of the future. The key factor here is that this is a blueprint built through consensus among companies and organizations from around the world, which makes it extremely accurate. For this reason, it is particularly important for companies to make advancements in developing new technologies and apply for patents.
Representing Japan in Constructive International Discussions
What kind of activities are being carried out in the field regarding promoting standardization?
Standardization meetings are attended by participants from a wide variety of backgrounds. One of the organizations that I participate in is the ITU-T SG20. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, all its participants represent United Nations member states. Because the ITU-T SG20 focuses on the field of telecommunications, participants from Japan include the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (which is the Japanese supervisory government ministry), as well as telecom carriers and telecommunications vendors such as NEC. Within these entities, the individual participants consist of those in charge of intellectual property or are researchers from various companies, as well as university researchers and people from consulting companies attempting to analyze the discussions. We participate in these meetings as a country based on a national consensus, so discussions and meetings take place in Japan beforehand where we also work in cooperation with competitor companies. Although I specialize in the fields of IoT and smart cities, there are several other intellectual property personnel and engineers at NEC who are active on the global stage in other fields, such as security and quantum key distribution networks, who also participate in these meetings.
Decisions on international standardization at the ITU-T are made by unanimous agreement. This means that if even one country opposes a proposal, the proposal does not pass and the discussion cannot move forward. This is why unreasonable proposals will not be approved, and why it is important to build relationships with other countries and seek outcomes that are both practical and realistic. We also support the proposals of other countries when we understand the background and purpose behind them, and in return, we actively seek their support when proposals offer mutual benefit.
Because of this, careful analysis is essential. We strive to go beyond examining the technical details, but to also understand the broader context and background of each country’s proposal. This approach is very challenging, but we tackle it in close cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and our corporate peers. The most fundamental aspect is to understand each other’s cultural background and communicate with each other. Smiling, the universally understood language, is also important. I believe that this attitude is essential when discussing and creating something with people who come from different cultures and languages than those of your own.
Acting as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of International Standardization Organizations
What kind of activities are you engaged in as chairman and vice-chairman?
I currently serve as the Vice-Chairman of the ITU-T Study Group 20 (SG20) and as the Chairman of the ITU-T Joint Coordination Activity on Internet of Things, digital twins and smart sustainable cities and communities (JCA IoT, DT and SSC&C), which operates under the SG20. Additionally, I chair the Expert Group on IoT Applications/Services (EG IOT) within the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Standardization Program (APT ASTAP). In these roles, I strive to guide the discussions in a neutral and impartial position. For example, whenever I need to make a statement on behalf of NEC, I make it clear by prefacing my statement with “I am now speaking on behalf of NEC,” so that the participants have a clear understanding as to whether I am acting in my capacity as the vice-chairman or as a representative of NEC. Given that I was appointed to these positions based on recommendations from the Japanese government, I have to always be conscious that I represent the nation as a whole rather than just a single corporation.
As I mentioned earlier, meetings are decided through a unanimous agreement, which often results in lengthy discussions. Sometimes the discussions can get heated, and those are the moments when my moderating skills are put to the test. For example, taking a break at just the right time is one technique I use to help smooth tensions and encourage constructive engagement between the parties .
While I am very careful about remaining neutral in my role as chairman, by increasing presence at these meetings, I also gain more opportunities to introduce NEC. This ultimately helps to foster trust in our company and promote our products, which is another reason why I am proactive about taking on these roles.
Utilizing International Standardization Discussions for Advancing Technology Development and Patent Applications
What are your goals for the future?
Looking ahead, I would like to use the insights I have gained through these international standardization discussions to help NEC anticipate the technologies and needs of the next five or ten years, enabling us to carry out proactive research and development and make the patent application process proceed more smoothly within the company. To make this possible, it is important that we continue to build a position for ourselves at the forefront of international standardization and obtain the most up-to-date and accurate information. It will also be important to further strengthen the links between advanced international standardization activities and NEC’s internal business planning. By utilizing the “blueprint of the future” developed through the global consensus of international standardization, I hope to contribute to NEC’s continued business growth and innovation.
