This is an era in which the issues surrounding businesses are becoming increasingly complex and turbulent.

At the same time, I am once again beginning to feel that we have the ability to carve out a path to a new future with technology, as new services are being created with cutting-edge technologies that will lead to the resolution of issues in society. The Government of Japan has also positioned 2022 as the "First Year for Founding Startups," in a move toward creating a new form of capitalism. It is expected that the activities of startups will serve as a driver for innovation.

To resolve the issues that society is facing, it is essential that we come together as individuals with diverse strengths and empower one another to generate innovation. I think that this point also applies to relationships between large existing companies and startups, where we can complement one another.

Recently, Fujitsu has reached an agreement for collaboration with QunaSys, which develops software for quantum computers, and we have invested in the company through our corporate venture capital (CVC). I feel that there is great potential in such startups that have outstanding technology in a cutting-edge field.

In addition, we have also focused on healthcare, and in 2021 we started a collaboration with PRECISION, a startup that is working at the intersection between AI and healthcare. We would like to reduce the burden on healthcare workers by combining PRECISION's AI diagnostic support service, which utilizes a database of insights from 2,000 notable doctors, and our electronic medical record system, which has the highest market share in Japan. Through these activities, we would like to serve as a model for collaboration with startups generating innovations.

Human resources are also an important element. As people meet new people outside of their existing company through corporate collaborations and job changes, more opportunities are created for outstanding talents to express themselves, and the bonds between startups and existing companies are deepened. I believe that the pace of startups, and their mindsets of taking on challenges in new fields, will foster a corporate culture of generating new ideas at existing companies. At the same time, the ways existing corporations approach problems and their networks and know-how when it comes to large-scale businesses can contribute to turning startups' business ideas into reality and growing them.

Existing companies and startups can build relationships in which we empower one another and create a path toward a future society of abundance. We at Fujitsu hope to contribute to this.