Our Mission
Refinement and inquiry.
Is that all there is to research?
Technology has always been a catalyst for social change.
But without the implementation of technology into society, technology cannot activate social change.
We’re the agents activating that change.
That’s why we do research.
To break down barriers while taking the shortest possible path.
That’s why we do research.
Holding steadfast to our wildest dreams.
That’s why we do research.
So we can break with the preconceived notions of the past, and pioneer new ones for the future.
We’re researchers.
We’ll reinvigorate society through technology.
With our research,
we’ll move the world forward.
About Us
The Research Institute of Advanced Technology was established in April 2022 as an organization tasked with researching and developing new technologies that can be implemented into society.
New technologies have always driven social change. However, the next normal cannot be pioneered by just conducting research. As agents activating social change, we will move the world forward with new technologies to help create a better future for society.
Identity
Above all else, we value the idea of leveraging technology to create new and valuable services, and to bring about positive change to society. Just as SoftBank led the way in enabling the information society with its telecommunications network technologies, we continue to prioritize the question of how we can use technology to create better services and change society for the better.
That is why, as our mission, we conduct research and development activities while envisioning how new and advanced technologies can be practically implemented in society. Guided by SoftBank’s philosophy of enriching people’s lives through the Information Revolution, we carry out this mission with the belief that technology only has value when it is actually used by society.
Our Activities
We conduct a diverse range of development and research activities in technology everyday. By utilizing advanced technologies, we strive to solve social issues and pioneer the changes that will shape the future society.
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Next-Generation Network
We introduce our research and development initiatives on the Next-Generation Network, aimed at further enhancing the features of 5G such as "ultra-high speed," "ultra-low latency," and "massive device connectivity," as well as going beyond the framework of traditional mobile communication and transforming communication networks into"social infrastructure".
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HAPS
"HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station)" is a new communication infrastructure that realizes a society in which people and things all over the world are connected. Learn more about our research and development activities on HAPS which can provide high-speed and high-quality communication over a wide area from the stratosphere.
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Next-Generation Batteries
Higher performance batteries are required for society to be able to widely adopt next-generation technologies such as HAPS, drones, and flying cars. Our focus is on the development of next-generation batteries that can meet these expectations. Learn more about our research and development activities in this area.
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Autonomous Driving
New mobility services such as "MaaS (Mobility as a Service)" and "autonomous driving" are attracting attention as solutions to various social issues related to mobility and transportation. We would like to introduce our research and development activities aimed at promoting the widespread adoption of autonomous driving services throughout society to realize the future transportation infrastructure.
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Next-Generation Contents
In recent years, XR technologies such as VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) have been utilized in various fields. In order to promote the widespread adoption of XR technologies, our research and development activities are focused on technologies that support next-generation contents. Learn more about our activities aimed to stimulate innovation in the media field and solve social issues by integrating various advanced technologies beyond the field of communication.
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Quantum Technology
General-purpose quantum computers have the potential to solve many social issues once they are put into practical use. In addition to our research on how to utilize them, we also introduce our research on next-generation security technologies including PQC (Post-Quantum Cryptography) and QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) aimed at realizing a secure network society in the quantum era.
Our Partners
At the Research Institute of Advanced Technology, we prioritize consistently delivering results that fit the needs of the era and society.
In this era where new services are born one after another and changes happen rapidly, speed and shorter research phases are crucial in creating new services.
The Research Institute of Advanced Technology is breaking away from the "self-sufficient" approach of conducting all research in-house, and is instead promoting research and development with an emphasis on speed through open collaboration with national institutions, universities, and companies, utilizing their foresight.
Message
Implement technology into society and move the world forward
To realize SoftBank’s corporate philosophy, “Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone,” we conduct R&D to create new technologies and services, and implement them into society.
Bringing new ideas to life is very challenging and difficult. That is why we believe it is important to not fear failure, to learn from past failures and continue to take action.
Today's challenge will be tomorrow’s normal. I believe that we can significantly change society with one technology. With our researchers, driven by their belief in the power of technology, we will continue to create a future driven by innovation that changes the world.
February 2023
Vice President, Head of Research Institute of Advanced Technology
Ryuji Wakikawa
Meet Our Team
In order to implement new technologies into society, it is essential to envision the next ’normal’ and take action without fear of failure. We introduce the members of the Research Institute of Advanced Technology, who are conducting research that would move the world forward.