Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella introducing Microsoft’s mission at Empowering Japan’s Future event.
Tokyo, JAPAN. — November 16, 2022 — Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella visited Japan today to showcase first-hand how innovation and digital technology are supporting the country’s ecosystem of developers, startups and companies across every industry.
While speaking at Microsoft’s “Empowering Japan’s Future” event, Nadella met with developers, startups and business leaders, where he reinforced the digital imperative for every organization, and demonstrated how the Microsoft Cloud can help foster innovation, create opportunities and help businesses grow in Japan.
“In a world of increasing headwinds, digital technology is the ultimate tailwind,” said Nadella. “It’s fantastic to see first-hand the innovation taking place in Japan and how organizations across the region are applying the power of the Microsoft Cloud to do more with less.”
Microsoft has had a presence in both Japan and Asia for more than 36 years. The region is a hub of innovation and resourcefulness, with Asia expected to generate half of the world’s GDP[1] by 2050 and account for more than half of all R&D investments[2] by 2030.
Nadella highlighted some of the ways Japanese innovation is already transforming the lives of people locally and globally. He met with Shigeki Takemoto, a leader of Kao Corporation‘s citizen developer project. Using Microsoft’s Power Platform, this project has developed more than 260 applications which are currently in operation at 10 factories and offices throughout Japan. These applications are used in a wide range of operations, including the computerization of work schedules and inspection records, and raw material management to improve productivity.
Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella with Japanese developer.
Nadella also met with representatives of AGRIST Inc., a Japanese startup that leverages Microsoft technology to solve agricultural problems such as improving crop harvesting efficiency and yields, using smartphones to browse the harvesting robot’s database, and remote robot functionality to improve crop harvesting efficiency and yields.
Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella with Japanese developers.
Other Japanese companies featured in today’s showcase include Seven Bank, Ltd., Mercari, Inc., Shibuya City Office, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. and Okinawa University.
To learn more about Nadella’s visit and the ways many businesses are innovating to do more with less, visit https://news.microsoft.com/asia-visit-2022/.
[1] An Economist’s Guide to the World in 2050 – Bloomberg (2020)
[2] Global R&D investments unabated in spending growth – R&D World (2020)
