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Our Researchers

June 10, 2026

Ryota Higa

Principal Researcher/Professional
Agent Orchestration Platform Research Group, Technology Leader

Research Areas

  • Deep Reinforcement Learning
  • Automated Negotiation
  • Multi-Agent Systems
  • AI Agent/Agentic AI
  • AI Agent Ecosystem

Papers

Refereed Conference Papers

  • K. Yoshizato, K. Shimizu, R. Higa, and T. Otsuka, AI Agent Systems for Supply Chains: Structured Decision Prompts and Memory Retrieval, The 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS), Research Track, Extended Abstract, 2026. Poster Presentation.
  • D. Kitashima, R. Higa, and K. Fujita, Strategic Tool Enhanced AI Agent for Multi-Issue Negotiation (Student Abstract), The 40th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 2026. Poster Presentation.
  • K. Saito, R. Higa, H. Imura, and M. Kondo, Feasibility-Aware Masked Transformer for the Pickup-and-Delivery Problem with Time Windows (Student Abstract), The 40th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 2026. (Finalist, Acceptance Rate 11%), Oral and Poster Presentation.
  • R. Higa, T. Kato, F. Ho, Dual Process Optimization for Multi-Vehicle Route Planning and Parts Collection Sequencing, The 2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2024.
  • T. Shimizu, R. Higa, K. Fujita, S. Nakadai, Coordination of Emergent Demand Changes via Value-Based Negotiation for Supply Chain Management, The 38th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 2024 (Finalist, Acceptance Rate 12.4%). Oral and Poster Presentation.
  • R. Higa, K. Fujita, T. Takahashi, T. Shimizu, S. Nakadai, Reward-based Negotiating Agent Strategies, The 37th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 2023 (Main Track, Acceptance Rate 19.2%). Oral and Poster Presentation.
  • T. Shimizu, R. Higa, T. Takahashi, K. Fujita, S. Nakadai, Scalable Negotiating Agent Strategy via Multi-issue Policy Network (Student Abstract), The 37th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 2023 (Finalist, Acceptance Rate 12.4%). Oral and Poster Presentation.
  • T. Takahashi, R. Higa, K. Fujita, S. Nakadai, VeNAS: Versatile Negotiating Agent Strategy via Deep Reinforcement Learning (Student Abstract), the 36th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 2022.
  • R. Higa, S. Nakadai, High-level Reward Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach for a Novel Physical-Logical Hybrid Factory Line Robot Vehicle Simulation, 2022 IEEE 18th International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE), 2022.
  • H. Inotsume, A. Aggarwal, R. Higa and S. Nakadai, Path Negotiation for Self-interested Multirobot Vehicles in Shared Space, 2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2020.

Refereed Journal Articles

  • F. Ho, R. Higa, T. Kato, and S. Nakadai, A Hierarchical Approach for Joint Task Allocation and Path Planning, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Vol. 9, No. 11, pp. 10137–10144, 2024. Presented at IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2025.
  • R. Higa and K. Asano, "Bond formation effects on the metal-insulator transition in the half-filled kagome Hubbard model," Phys. Rev. B, vol. 93, no. 24, p. 245123, 2016.
  • C. Ooi, K. Low, R. Higa, and T. Ogawa, "Surface polaritons with arbitrary magnetic and dielectric materials: new regimes, effects of negative index, and superconductors," JOSA B, vol. 29, no. 10, pp. 2691–2697, 2012.

Presentations

  • S. Kimura, T. Hiraoka, R. Higa, Y. Tsuruoka, and K. Fujita, Utility-Aware Task Decomposition and Exchange across LLM Agents, WMAC 2026: AAAI 2026 Bridge Program on Advancing LLM-Based Multi-Agent Collaboration, 2026. Oral and Poster Presentation.
  • A. Saito, R. Higa, and S. Morinaga, Development of the AI Agent for the Financial Negotiation With Deep Reinforcement Learning, Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, JSAI2025.
  • 比嘉 亮太，加藤 淳也，”動的報酬クラスタリング”, 第33回人工知能学会全国大会予稿集, 2019 (JSAI2019).
  • 加藤淳也，比嘉亮太，"水道事業における試行錯誤可能なダイナミクス学習", 第21回情報論的学習理論ワークショップ(IBIS2018).
  • 比嘉 亮太，"Adaptive Intention Learning", 第21回情報論的学習理論ワークショップ(IBIS2018).
  • 比嘉 亮太 , "作用によって生じる共変量シフトバイアスの補正", 第32回人工知能学会全国大会予稿集, 2018 (JSAI2018).
  • 比嘉 亮太, "Correction of Covariate Shift Bias Produced by Action of Optimization", 第20回情報論的学習理論ワークショップ(IBIS2017).
  • Kenichi Asano and Ryota Higa, "Metal-Insulator Transition in the Half-Filled Kagome Hubbard Model", 8th International Conference on Highly Frustrated Magnetism (HFM2016).
  • 比嘉 亮太，大橋琢磨、浅野健一，"カゴメ格子ハバード模型における磁気秩序Ⅱ", 日本物理学会 第70回年次大会, 2015.
  • 比嘉 亮太，大橋琢磨、浅野健一，"カゴメ格子ハバード模型における磁気秩序", 日本物理学会 第69回年次大会, 2014.
  • Ryota Higa, Takuma Ohashi and Kenichi Asano, "Magnetic Orders in Half-Filled Hubbard Model on Kagome Lattice", The International Conference on Strongly Correlated Electron Systems (SCES2013)

Magazine Articles

  • Yuma Iwasaki, Ryohto Sawada, Ryota Higa and Masahiko Ishida, Material Development by Interpretable Machine Learning, Special Issue:“Materials Informatics”, Journal of the Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence, vol. 34, no. 3, May 2019.

Awards/Prizes

  • 2020 NEC Central Research Laboratory Young Researcher Award, New Researcher Award

Academic Society, Community Activities, etc.

  • The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence(AAAI)
  • The Japanese Society for Artificial Intelligence(JSAI)

Patents (Issued ones only)

Patent Publications

  • 出願番号：JP2020001759 コンテナ積載計画装置、方法、および、プログラム
  • 出願番号：JP2019003549 運用支援装置、システム、方法及びプログラム
  • 出願番号：JP2018045112 学習装置、学習方法、および学習プログラム
  • 出願番号：JP2018045113 学習装置、学習方法、および学習プログラム
  • 出願番号：JP2018035861 情報処理装置及びシステム、並びに、モデル適応方法及びプログラム
  • 出願番号：JP2018035858 情報処理装置及びシステム、並びに、モデル適応方法及びプログラム
  • 出願番号：特願2018-16907 モデル生成装置、モデル生成方法、及びプログラム
  • 出願番号：JP2018024162 学習装置、情報処理システム、学習方法、および学習プログラム
  • 出願番号：JP2018020185 学習装置、情報処理システム、学習方法、および学習プログラム
  • 出願番号：特願2019-568445 情報処理装置、制御方法、及びプログラム

Lectures

Invited Talks / Lectures

  • R. Higa, “Toward an AI Agent Ecosystem,” Lecture in “Cutting-Edge Digital Technology Trends,” Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, June 20, 2025.
  • R. Higa, “AI Agent Ecosystem: A New Economic Sphere Beyond AI Agents and Multi-Agent Systems,” Invited Talk, Symposium Session AI-1: “Mathematical Systems and AI Agent Applications: From Fundamental Theory to Social Implementation and Agent Ecosystem,” IEICE Society Conference 2025, Okayama University, September 12, 2025.
  • R. Higa, “Opening Up the AI Agent Era: Co-Creating Differentiating Technologies toward a Future Where AI Agents Drive Economic Activities,” Topic Lead, Data Science and AI Co-Creation Group Work, Institute-wide Education Organization for Data Science and AI, Institute of Science Tokyo, February 4 and 18, 2026.

Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Media Coverage

  • R. Higa and H. Morikawa, “The Coming World Where AI Agents Become Commonplace: Understanding the ‘Human × AI’ Paradigm Shift,” NEC wisdom, May 18, 2026.

Public Talks and Event Presentations

  • R. Higa and H. Morikawa, “Will AI Agents Change the Future? The Front Line of the Human and Business Paradigm Shift,” Next-Generation Business Concept Session with wisdom: “Discussing the Paradigm Shift in the Era of AI Co-Creation,” NEC Online Seminar, January 8, 2026.
  • R. Higa, “Challenges of Negotiation Agents toward an AI Agent Economy: From Technology to Implementation,” Tokyo AI Festival 2025, Session Presentation, October 5, 2025.
  • R. Higa, “Beyond AI Agents: NEC’s Vision for an AI Agent Ecosystem,” Tokyo AI Festival 2025 Pre-Event, Lightning Talk, April 23, 2025.

Academic / Professional Career Summary

March 2012
Completed the Master’s Program in Physics, Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University.
March 2016
Completed doctoral coursework in Physics without degree, Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University.
April 2016
Joined NEC Corporation and was assigned to the Data Mining Technology Group, Data Science Research Laboratories, Central Research Laboratories.
June 2019 – March 2026
Specially Appointed Research Specialist, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), concurrent position.
August 2020 – March 2022
Visiting Researcher, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP), concurrent position.
October 2022 – March 2023
BIRD INITIATIVE, Inc., concurrent position.
April 2023 – March 2026
Expert Investigator, National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), concurrent position.
May 2024 – March 2026
Senior Researcher, Intent Exchange, Inc., concurrent position.
April 2026 – Present
Agent Orchestration Research Group, Knowledge Science Research Laboratories, NEC Corporation.

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