Cisco Drives Digitization in Japan to Support Pandemic Recovery

Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, and Cisco, a global enabler in technology, announced a collaboration framework through Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) Program to drive mass-scale digitization across Japan in support of its Society 5.0 vision and towards an inclusive recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The program in Japan was unveiled at virtual event attended by Guy Diedrich, Vice President and Global Innovation Officer at Cisco, and Ichiro Nakagawa, Vice President and Head of Japan at Cisco, Wayoh Suzuki, Chairman, Cisco Japan, with remarks via video from Takuya Hirai, Japan’s Minister of State for Digital Transformation, the Minister of State for the Social Security and Tax Number System and Minister in charge of Information Technology Policy.

The CDA program is strategically aligned with the Japanese Government’s digital agenda and its vision with Society 5.0 vision, which aims to stimulate Japan’s economic growth, enhance the quality of life, and create a society where everyone can fully reap the benefits of digital transformation.

“I would like to express my sincere respect for Cisco's program to support digitalization around the world. In Japan, Cisco has been promoting a number of projects to support digitalization in areas such as IT talent development, network security, industry, government, education, and healthcare. This direction is exactly what we are aiming for," said Minister Hirai.

“As business leaders it is our responsibility to play a role in stepping up to the challenges of inequity, and to create new pathways to economic prosperity, spark new ideas and ignite innovation. We are delighted to be collaborating with the Government of Japan to help bring to life key initiatives that will help build an inclusive future for all, and further propel Japan into the digital age,” said Guy Diedrich.

In collaboration with industry, academia and government, the Japan CDA program will accelerate various initiatives, with specific focus on the following areas:

Secure Public Infrastructure:

Cisco will support the development of secure network platforms for Government and Critical Social Infrastructure. It will also build a cybersecurity human resource development program to develop the next generation of cybersecurity professionals in the country. This is critical as cybersecurity is the foundation of all digitization initiatives and there exists a significant shortage of talent to fill cybersecurity roles.

Digital Schools:

Cisco will help advance the digitization of education and help bridge the digital divide that exists, in terms of equity of access to online resources. Initiatives will be in close alignment with the GIGA School initiative, whose goal it is to ensure that each student has access to one digital device and high-speed broadband internet, while introducing online education for children tailored to their preferences and developmental stages.

Advanced Remote Work:

Cisco will work alongside enterprises, including small and medium sized businesses, to help them adapt to the ongoing changes in the way we work, triggered largely by the pandemic. Many of these changes are here to stay and with companies looking at a more widely distributed workforce, the need for right collaboration tools and underlying cybersecurity infrastructure has never been more important.

COVID-19 Response and Digital Healthcare:

In response to the continued spread of COVID–19, Cisco will help private, public, and not-for-profit sector organizations accelerate their transition to remote functionality to maintain operational continuity, with a specific focus on Digital Healthcare.

Supply Chain:

Cisco will co-innovate alongside Japanese companies in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Data Analytics, Edge Computing etc. to help businesses in Japan improve productivity, accelerate innovation, provide better customer experiences, and improve overall competitiveness.

Regulatory Reform and Digital Society:

Cisco will work with regulatory authorities and advise on innovative approaches to promoting a digital society while adhering to environmental, safety, and security considerations. In addition, the Cisco will aim to re-imagine the fan experience in the context of live entertainment and events.

5G Infrastructure:

Cisco will consult and collaborate with an array of stakeholders to build the underlying core infrastructure required to roll out 5G networks across the country. The connectivity, speed and low latency provided by 5G networks will further accelerate innovation, create better outcomes for businesses and experiences for consumers.

“The Japanese Government has laid the foundation for future growth by accelerating its digital policy and agenda and Society 5.0 vision. For it to succeed we need structural innovation, infrastructure development, wide-spread adoption and use of cutting-edge technologies, as well as training and development of next-generation of IT workforce. At Cisco Japan, we are committed to playing our role in helping turn this vision into a reality,” said Ichiro Nakagawa.

Cisco's CDA team collaborates with national, state, and local governments in 40 countries around the world to accelerate their national digitalization agendas, co-develop cutting-edge solutions, and deliver beneficial services to their citizens faster and more effectively. CDA has over 900 active or completed projects spanning several verticals in close partnership with government, industry and academia.