Fujitsu 2014 Annual Report Download - page 71

Development while Experiencing Agriculture at Ten
Locations across Japan
At Fujitsu, we want to spark innovation and create new value by
using ICT to address important societal issues. We were convinced
that if a dramatic jump in efficiency could occur in agriculture, a
sector where ICT utilization had made little headway, this could
lead to a future with even greater food abundance. This was the
impetus behind development of the Akisai food and agriculture
cloud service.
ICT trial experiments were initiated three years prior to the
start of the service. With the cooperation of nationwide agricul-
tural production companies and others at 10 locations across
Japan, we continued to develop the service while actively experi-
encing real agricultural work on the ground. The process in many
ways resembled our experience of developing clerical operations
systems for the financial and distribution sectors for the first
time. We took full advantage of a method deeply embedded in
Fujitsu’s DNA—learn everything possible on the ground, analyze
it, then give it a tangible shape.
Developed in this way, Akisai not only visualizes the produc-
tion process, but also comprehensively supports management,
production, and sales across the entire spectrum of agriculture
management. The service also provides supply and demand
adjustment and quality control processes for food processing,
wholesale, retail, restaurants, and other food-related enterprises.
In-house Farm Management in the Challenge to
Unlock the Potential of Food and Agriculture
Farmers and their service instructors put smartphones and tab-
lets to use in farm management on a daily basis. Farmers take
pictures and fill in production logs with a few simple steps, com-
pleting the initial phase of the work. Next, the instructor
assesses and runs simulations on growth conditions and other
data from the logs, then provides advice on farm management.
The transformation of once largely hidden knowledge of farming
methods into formalized knowledge has enabled process optimi-
zation and stabilized production.
Fujitsu continues to leverage Akisai to put agriculture into
practice at our Aizuwakamatsu and Numazu plants. At the
Aizuwakamatsu Plant, we converted a semiconductor clean
room into a production site for low-potassium leaf lettuce for
patients with chronic kidney disease. Cultivation data collected
is the basis for efforts to boost productivity, realizing efficient
agriculture management that also encompasses coordination
of distribution and sales.
For Fujitsu, Akisai is the starting point to attain our goal of
transforming Japanese agriculture into an enterprise offering
even higher added value. Our continuing drive to meet this
challenge will usher in a new future for agriculture.
Social Innovation to Energize Japan
As of January 2014, some 160 companies were active Akisai
users. Many local governments across Japan are also asking to
use Akisai in the branding of their own local agricultural special-
ties. If practical farming knowhow can be harnessed to mass
produce local specialties, this will drive forward the shift to an
integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries pro-
moted by the Japanese government, and make possible the
creation of new employment opportunities and industries. Inqui-
ries have also been pouring in from agricultural colleges and
high schools hoping to incorporate ICT-based farm management
and administration into their respective curriculums. Akisai is
expected to serve as an important trigger in helping ICT agricul-
ture gain a solid foothold in Japan.
Japanese agriculture, known for its production of delicious,
high-quality agricultural goods, has enormous hidden potential,
and we think it is possible to redefine each relevant business
model through ICT. Stay tuned for the innovation in food and
agriculture that is sure to follow.
Leveraging ICT Linking Agriculture and Food to Create an Open-Ended Value Chain
The act of withdrawing cash from a bank changed from a task performed by tellers to one done at the ATM in next to
no time. A similar paradigm shift is now happening in agriculture. In October 2012, Fujitsu launched a food and
agriculture cloud service called “Akisai.” This revolutionary cloud service positions ICT utilization at production sites as
the starting point for a value chain that links distribution, regions and consumers. So profound is this change that
there may come a day when people view 2012 as the year that agriculture underwent a major transformation.
The Story Behind the Development of the “Akisai” Food and Agriculture Cloud Service
Senior Vice President,
Innovative Business Develop
Vice President, Social Innovative
Business Div.
Takeshi Sudo
Social Innovative Business Div.
Akisai Business Department
Kouji Watanabe Naoki Sakiyama
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