Slides
Page 1
Mitsubishi Electric R&D Strategy Mitsubishi Electric Corporation January 15, 2025
Page 2
2 Contents Executive Officer CTO (In charge of Technology Strategies) Tomonori Sato Executive Officer (Associate) In charge of Intellectual Property Vice President, Corporate Research and Development Toru Oka 1. Overview of R&D Strategy 2. Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened 3. Initiatives for Further Growth in the Future
Page 3
3 Key points 1. Promote research and development that drives sustainable business growth through our strong components and digital technologies 2. Developing Foresight Technology*1 that fundamentally solves social issues *1 Foresight technology: Technologies developed with foresight, aiming to make a significant impact on society and business.
Page 4
4 Overview of R&D Strategy1
Page 5
5 Basic Policy for Realizing Sustainability By positioning the realization of sustainability as the cornerstone of our management, we will accelerate our Trade-On initiatives, which involve developing our business while enriching society and the environment through innovation based on Circular Digital-Engineering and realize sustainability. 1. Overview of R&D Strategy “Trade-On (mutual benefits)”Society and Environment Business Circular Digital-Engineering Realize Sustainability Green society Safe, Secure, and comfortable society
Page 6
6 R&D Strategy Creating new value through our strong components and digital technologies to drive sustainable business growth. Developing and co-creating Foresight Technologies*1 that impact society and business, to create new value that fundamentally solves societal challenges.. 1. Overview of R&D Strategy Business growth New value creation *1 Foresight technology: Technologies developed with foresight, aiming to make a significant impact on society and business. Digital Technologies to be strengthened Foresight Technology Social impact Co-creation Collaboration with partners Component Our strengths Realize Sustainability Green society Safe, secure, and comfortable society
Page 7
7 Technology Domains to be Strengthened To create new value using the data obtained from SerendieTM, we will strengthen the technologies supporting strong components and advanced digital technologies, aiming to realize a green society and a safe, secure, and comfortable society. 1. Overview of R&D Strategy デジタル基盤 Serendie® Digital Platform 「Serendie TM 」 Data Digital technology Technologies Supporting Strong Components Power electronics Devices Mechatronics Air-conditioning Refrigeration Sensing Intelligent autonomous control Cyber security Cryptography AI Generative AI New value creation Green society Safe, Secure, and comfortable society
Page 8
8 R&D Investment We continue to invest in R&D and initiatives for creating new value that will strengthen our market competitiveness and support sustainable growth. 1. Overview of R&D Strategy R&D investment Open innovation Invest 100 billion yen in industry-academia-government collaboration-related R&D (FY2025 to FY2031) Strengthen comprehensive organizational collaboration and promote R&D in a timely manner. Collaboration with startups Accelerate initiatives in innovation domains to solve social issues. 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 0 20252024202320222021 1,905 1,951 2,123 2,218 2,350 (100 million yen) R&D expenses (consolidated) 2031 (fiscal year) Cartken (Robot delivery service, USA) QunaSys (Algorithms for quantum computers, Japan) Scibreak (Direct current circuit breaker, Sweden) Cognitive Research Labs, Inc. (Decision-making support system in the cognitive domain, Japan) Novel Crystal Technology,Inc. (Gallium oxide power semiconductor, Japan) The University of Tok yo Institute of Science Tok yo NEDO*１ NICT *２ National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology ITRI *３ Kyoto University Waseda University *1 NEDO: New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization *2 NICT: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology *3 ITRI： Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan) Exploration and R&D of Themes for Realizing a Sustainable Society Development Aiming to Model the Entire Circular Ecosystem and Achieve Economic Rationality R&D and Demonstration Experiments Related to Green Energy
Page 9
9 Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe (MERCE) Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL) Global R&D In addition to fundamental research through networks with overseas research bases and universities, we promote co-creation mainly in North America, Europe and Asia. 1. Overview of R&D Strategy Strengthen co-creation centered on research, manufacturing, and sales bases Europe Asia North America Participation in the REACT*1 project Optimization of energy demand Participation in the Berlin TXL*2 project Energy efficiency and comfort of buildings Comprehensive joint research with ITRI*1 Recycling-oriented economy, development of environmental technology and acceleration of PoC Taking on the challenge of new domains Logistics and flight management using drones Collaboration with Top Conferences Hosting Co-creation Related to AI and Image Processing *1 REACT: A European demonstration project on energy self -sufficiency for remote islands *2 TXL: A smart city developed and man aged by Tegel Projekt GmbH *3 ITRI: Industrial Technology Research Institute (Taiwan) Acquiring innovative technology and co-creation Co-creation in leading region for environmental policy Co-creation in growing markets
Page 10
10 Intellectual Property Flow (Number of applications)Stock (Number of patents owned) Component-related patents, which account for more than 50% of the approximately 70,000 globally owned patents, continue to support our business. Enhance applications related to AI, generative AI, and solutions as digital technology that increases the value of components. Current (FY2024) Target (FY2026) Ratio of solutions 22% 30%10% Ratio of AI and generative AI 14% 15%3% Current (FY2024) Target (FY2026) Before setting KPI (FY2021) The above two ratios were indicated using KPIs in FY2021. The target values were set as a ratio to the total number of patent applications we filed. 1. Overview of R&D Strategy Before setting KPI (FY2021) Number of patents owned Ranked in the top 3 or higher in the world Technologies Supporting Strong Components Power electronics Devices Mechatronics Air-conditioning Refrigeration Sensing AC/DC Converter Sensing (Radar System) Heat Exchanger Mechatronics (FA Equipment/Elevators) Digital technology Intelligent autonomous control Factory Integrated Management and Control Energy-saving Control for Air Conditioning Systems Cyber security Cryptography Encryption/Decryption Device 1st 1st 1st 1st
Page 11
11 Power semiconductors To improve quality and convenience, we proposed the need for the development and expansion of international standards and certification systems. IEC White Paper "Power Semiconductors for an Energy-Wise Society" Standardization Activities and Dissemination of Research Results Strengthen global standardization activities and technology presence in alignment with business and R&D strategies. Strengthen international standardization activities Papers accepted at top international conferences NeurIPS2024 (AI and machine learning) Physical detection, accelerating learning of models, Large-scale vision- language models, enhancing language models, etc. IROS2024 (Robotics and AI) Cooperation between humans and robots, robot learning architecture, learning-free, optimization through enhanced learning, modeling of acoustic characteristics, etc. CANS2024 (Cryptography and network security) Verification of characteristic probability for collision attacks, etc. ISC2024 (Information security) Quantum key recovery attacks, quantum version of the multi-bridge attack, etc. Advanced Quantum Technologies 2024 (Quantum) Quantum optics, etc. As part of our business strategy, we will enhance activities to secure market superiority through rule-making. Over 600 members, including key roles in international standardization organizations like the IEC Vice President, will present the direction of technological development globally. *1 TSN： Time-Sensitive Networking *2 CC-Link IE TSN： Control & Communication Link Industrial Ethernet TSN *3 IEEE： Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1. Overview of R&D Strategy CC-Link IE TSN *1 *2 We integrated TSN technology, standardized by IEEE*3, into the industrial network field and obtain international standards early. Using CC-Link IE TSN will enhance the convenience and performance of FA equipment, contributing to market expansion. Actively present research findings at world-class international conferences
Page 12
12 2 Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened
Page 13
13 Explanation Covered by Chapter 2, Section 1 2. Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened Business growth New value creation Digital Foresight Technology Co-creationComponent Realize Sustainability Green society Safe, secure, and comfortable society
Page 14
14 Technologies that Support Strong Businesses We aim to strengthen and advance technologies that have supported our core components, leveraging our strengths to achieve further business growth. 2. Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened Power electronics Devices Mechatronics Air-conditioning Refrigeration Sensing “Pokipoki motor” Room air conditioner “Kirigamine” Control radar Full SiC VVVF*1 Smallest class inverter Multi-air conditioner for buildings using water Infrared sensor “MelDIR” Super-high-speed elevator EML*4 chip “Zuba-dan” for cold regions Low GWP*5 air conditioner Driver monitoring system Radar satellite “ALOS-4” Magnet-less motor Photoelectric fusion High-speed, energy-saving data communication High heat storage materials Reduction of environmental impact Quantum sensing High-sensitivity detection Ultra-fine drill processing High-density mounting Future strengthening and AdvancementBusiness Contribution through Technologies High-frequency GaN*2 module Eco- design Environmentally friendly design HVDC*3 *1 VVVF: Variable Voltage Variable Frequency *2 GaN： Gallium Nitride *3 HVDC ： High Voltage Direct Current *4 EML： Electro-absorption Modulator Laser *5 GWP ： Global Warming Potential
Page 15
15 Explanation Covered by Chapter 2, Section 2 2. Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened Business growth New value creation Digital Foresight Technology Co-creationComponent Realize Sustainability Green society Safe, secure, and comfortable society
Page 16
16 Total Management Autonomous *1 QoW: Quality of Work *2 Related patents: Number of applications and number of quotations (based on our survey) *3 LLM: Large Lang uage Models Manage entire facilities in all aspects, electricity, heat, air, and water Solve labor shortages and improve QoW *1 through human-robot collaboration Green, and safe, secure, and comfortable in various setting, including buildings, data centers, factories, and communities Optimization of complex operational planning involving multiple systems and predictive control (Winner of IEEE Best Paper Award) Achieve optimal predictive control of air conditioning equipment without the need for precise setting of model parameters (Related patent*2, ranked No. 1) Realize peer-to-peer transactions with small computers through a distributed algorithm that derives the optimal solution with few calculations Complex systems optimal control technology Building heat modeling and control technology Lightweight block chain technology Multiple LLM*3 systems communicate with each other to derive the optimal solution, reducing errors in robot motion by half (Winner of NeurIPS Best Paper Award) Achieve 2.5 times greater accuracy in positioning moving objects with AI that infers Wi-Fi signal environment (Winner of the IEEE Best Paper Award) Achieve stress-free voice interaction between devices and robots even in noisy environments (Winner of the Best Paper Award from IEEE and others) Robot autonomous control LLM*3 High-precision positioning technology Audio separation and recognition technology Intelligent Autonomous Control Leveraging our expertise in control technologies from fields like FA, building systems, air conditioning and refrigeration, and space, we enable integrated and autonomous operation of large- scale systems with complex interactions. 2. Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened
Page 17
17 Cyber Security and Cryptography Leveraging our strengths in cybersecurity and encryption technologies developed in critical infrastructures such as energy and facilities, we provide robust defense against various attacks and minimize the impact in the event of an attack. Protect Resilience By training with AI-generated simulated attack logs, we can detect sophisticated cyber attacks. A unique method that allows searches to be performed while remaining encrypted, maintaining concealment Realize of encrypting system that can maintain security even when using a quantum computer (Related patent * 1, ranked 3rd) Technology for the safe and secure utilization of sensitive information (Winner of awards in both the offense and defense categories at the NeurIPS competition) Evaluate the impact on systems when they are attacked and build effective countermeasures (Related patent, ranked 2nd) Dynamically manage areas covered by the network and restrict available areas in real time Attack Detection Technology Concealed search technology Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) technology Privacy protection technology Attack simulation technology Dynamic micro-segmentation *1 Related patents: Number of applications and number of quotations (based on our survey ) 2. Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened Have a wealth of knowledge regarding advanced cyber attacks and provide effective protection Identify the scope affected by incidents and ensure continued operation and early recovery Assure safety in the event of a contingency for critical infrastructure
Page 18
18 AI and Generative AI 2. Development Strategy for the Technology Domains to be Strengthened Leveraging our strengths in physical modeling, simulation technology, and compact AI developed through our robust components, we deliver highly adaptable and reliable technologies that cater to diverse environments in various fields such as maintenance and manufacturing. Adaptation Reliability Utilize physical modeling and simulation technologies High-precision control with 1/10 the learning data compare to the conventional systems Lightweight and high-performance AI that can be installed in edge devices Learning speed for abnormal detection using images is 40 times faster compared to that required by conventional systems. AI Agents Collaborate to Optimize Complex and Diverse Tasks, such as Variable Production AI autonomously learns stable control, identifies constraint conditions, and maintains control and performance within those conditions. Neuro-Physical AI technology Compact and real-time technology AI Technology for Human Collaboration Distributed Cooperative AI Agents Performance assurance technology Through dialogue between designers and AI, AI proposes designs that meet requirements, reducing the design time of novice designers by 85%. Use AI to infer the cause of the discrepancy with the simulator, allowing adjustment to environmental and condition changes in maintenance sites, etc. Environmental adaptation technology Even with small amounts of data unique to the site, high-speed and high-precision automatic processing can be provided Complex operations can be carried out easily, reducing the workload AI that evolves with users, in line with the objectives of various workplaces
Page 19
19 Initiatives for Further Growth in the Future 3
Page 20
20 Foresight Technology Aiming to make a significant impact on society and business, we develop with foresight based on insights into technological potential and changes in the social environment. And challenge ourselves to create new value by combining new and existing technologies. 3. Initiatives for Further Growth in the Future Business growth New value creation Digital Foresight Technology Co-creationComponent Realize Sustainability Green society Safe, secure, and comfortable society
Page 21
213. Initiatives for Further Growth in the Future With the rapid development of generative AI services, reducing the power consumption at data centers, which are expected to account for 15% of the world's total power consumption in 2050, is an issue of great importance. We contribute to the development of AI technology and energy conservation through photoelectric fusion technology, which enhances computing performance and significantly reduces power consumption. Social value Advantage of our technology By replacing electrical connections with optical connections within devices through photoelectric fusion technology, we achieve high-speed circuits and reduced power consumption, addressing the power consumption issues of data centers. The realization of optical co-packages and optical chiplets expand the range of optical connections, significantly enhancing the data processing capabilities and communication speeds of data centers. Our company possesses high-density integration technology for both compound semiconductors and silicon photonics. We focus on devices that combine the high-efficiency emission and high-speed modulation of compound semiconductors with the low-cost, high-density integration of silicon photonics. In the field of compound semiconductors, we leverage the high-speed, high- capacity technology developed through the development of EML*1 chips. Case 1: Photonics-Electronics Convergence Technology Introduction process of optical-electrical fusion technology ~ 2024 [Optical Transceiver] Optical connections between boards ~2028 [Optical -Electrical Co -package] Optical connections between packages 2030~ [Optical Chiplets ] Optical integration within packages Servers in data centers 10 times 100 times Expanding the range of optical connections to enhance processing capabilities and communication speeds Enlarged view of the interior of the Optical -Electrical Co -package Compound semiconductor optical modulator chip Silicon photonics chip Optical -Electrical Co -package *1 EML: Electro-absorption Modulator integrated Laser diode Power efficiency Example of a compound semiconductor and silicon photonics fusion device: Optical-Electrical Co-package GPU package with Optical -Electrical Co -package GPU chip
Page 22
22 Achieving carbon neutrality requires reducing dependence on fossil fuels. By developing carbon recycling technology with our partners, our company contributes to the establishment of an integrated EMS*1 to reduce the manufacturing costs of liquid synthetic fuels made from CO2. By utilizing CO2 as a resource and recycling it into liquid synthetic fuels, we can reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. These fuels also have the advantage of high energy density, similar to fossil-derived gasoline. An integrated EMS that manages and optimizes electricity, heat, and chemicals helps reduce the manufacturing costs of liquid synthetic fuels, addressing a key challenge and promoting their adoption in society. Our company has expertise in EMS that integrates components and systems for power control, building air conditioning, and plant monitoring. We are advancing SOEC*2 co-electrolysis for efficient liquid synthetic fuel production by optimizing system configurations and operating conditions to improve efficiency and reduce costs *4 . *1 EMS： Energy Management System *2 SOEC: Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell *3 FT synthesis: Technology for the synthesis of hydrocarbons from carbon monoxide and hydrogen using the Fischer -Tropsch reaction *4 This research and development was selected for the "Research and Development for Practical Application of SOEC Co- electrolysis," an additional public offering in the "Carbon Recycling and Next-Generation Thermal Power Generation Technology Development (JPNP16002) / CO 2 Emission Reduction and Effective Utilization and Practical Application Technology Development / CO2 Utilization Technology Development for Liquid Fuels / Research and Development on Next - Generation FT Reaction and Integrated Liquid Synthetic Fuel Production Process" of the New Energy and Industrial Technology D evelopment Organization (NEDO). Social value Advantage of our technology 3. Initiatives for Further Growth in the Future Fuel Production Syngas Liquid synthetic fuel FT Synthesis Reactor CO2 Decomposition H2O SOEC Co- electrolysis Capture emitted CO2 CO H2 CO2 SOEC Co-electrolysis System Utilization of Waste Heat from FT Synthesis Fuel and chemical production CO 2 decomposition UtilizationCO 2 capture Comparison of energy density Source: Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Liquid fuel (fossil-based) Liquid synthetic fuel Gaseous fuel (such as H) Battery High Energy density per volume High Medium Low High Energy density per weight High High Low Utilization for fuels and chemicals through carbon recycling Integrated EMS for electricity, heat, and chemicals Heat Convert and utilize for each fuel Overview of the SOEC co-electrolysis system using waste heat from FT synthesis*3 Case 2: Carbon Recycling Technology
Page 23
23 Case 3: Quantum Technology 3. Initiatives for Further Growth in the Future Social value Advantage of our technology By sharing entangled states among multiple quantum computers via a network, we contribute to the enhancement of computational and measurement performance and stable operation. To prepare for the threat of cryptographic decryption by quantum computers, we are replacing cryptographic technologies with quantum-resistant cryptography to improve the security and robustness of existing infrastructure. We possess technologies necessary for the high-precision synchronization of photons required for sharing entangled states, such as high-power lasers and optical phase and timing control technologies proven in FTTH*1. Our cryptographic technologies have been implemented in various business fields, and we are continuously conducting research on quantum-resistant cryptography through participation in national projects. To realize a quantum future society, we are promoting the development of quantum control system technology that enables scalable quantum information processing, including virtual large-scale quantum computing, and the research and development of quantum- resistant cryptography to protect existing infrastructure. Practical application of a virtual large-scale quantum computer Deployment of post-quantum cryptography Sharing and Synchronizing Entangled States via a Network among Quantum Computers High-precision optical phase control/timing control Quantum computer Quantum computer Photon Entangled state Quantum repeater Quantum repeater *1 FTTH ： Fiber To The Home
Page 24
24 Conclusions 1. Promote research and development that drives sustainable business growth through our strong components and digital technologies 2. Developing Foresight Technology that fundamentally solves social issues