Key points<\/a><\/p>\nThe key points for startup investment are \u201csufficient investment funds\u201d and \u201cdelegation of authority for investment decisions\u201d<\/h2>\n
\u2015\u2015First, Yazaki, please tell us about how you came to be permanently stationed in Inspired.Lab.<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cWhen the \u2018Future Business Promotion Department\u2019 was established in 2019, it was proposed by an executive who is my supervisor.
\nThe executive had been discussing how open innovation should be pursued before the organization was launched. As we began to invest in startups in earnest, I was told that \u2018We have secured a seat in Inspired.Lab, and we will do our activities there.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015What was emphasized when starting startup investment?<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cOne is to ensure sufficient investment funds. The second is to delegate authority for investment decisions.
\nAs a result, we started the CVC with a fund of 15 billion yen, because if it is an investment of 1 billion yen or less, it can be decided at my discretion. As we wanted the company to know about the startup investment in the beginning, we held circular letter deliberations only for the first case, but since then we have all invested with my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015You were valuing the speed to investment.<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cIf you have the funds and authority, I think you can do it for the time being. What is more important, however, is to establish it as a culture rather than a transient epidemic. In other words, can we continue our activities 20 or 30 years from now?
\nFor this, it is important to consistently appeal the importance of open innovation to management. People are hot, easy to cool. I do not know five or ten years from now even if you agree with our efforts. It is possible that the management will change. Therefore, everyone at the top needs to understand the importance of open innovation.
\nMy job as the manager is to promote startups to the management team to ensure that they are always excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015How did management react to startup investment?<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cManagement has been positive since inception. The stance of Sugimori (current chairman), who was then president of the company, was very positive, and I was even told, \u201cPlease do it by all means.\u201d That stance remains unchanged today.\u201d<\/p>\nOngoing projects to solve environmental problems<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015Please tell us what kind of results has been produced.<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cThe following six projects are mainly underway.
\n1 Micromobility Station
\n2 \u201cAir Industrial Revolution\u201d with drones and flying vehicles
\n3 Fixation and crediting of carbon dioxide utilizing natural forces such as forests and marine life
\n4 Promotion of renewable energy introduction (sunlight x agriculture x\u221e)
\n5 Realization of an ecosystem for the recycling of plastics
\n6 Efforts toward effective use of unutilized energy
\nMicromobility has already begun demonstration tests. Since our main business is infrastructure, vehicles are close to areas, and we like it above all. We are now increasingly trying to create micromobility stations.
\nIt is not just a cycle port, but a station that can rent a variety of mobility, such as micro-EVs, electric bicycles, and motorcycles. We are already conducting demonstration tests of about 10 micro-EV sharing devices in Saitama.
\nIn addition, drones, which are still used for a limited number of uses, are now looking for ways to be used by the general public in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015Are you also focusing on environmental issues?<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cThat is right. For example, various industries are now working to reduce CO2 by renewing their businesses, but that alone will not reduce CO2. This is because only a decrease in emissions will increase the amount of CO2 in the air. ENEOS is also promoting projects to absorb atmospheric CO2 and fill it in the ground.
\nNaturally, it has the ability to absorb CO2, but the functioning of old forests weakens. We are studying how forests can increase their capacity to absorb CO2 in ways that are different from those of the forestry industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015You are developing many projects in a short period of time.<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cI think we are also working at a fairly fast pace. We have been slower to start open innovation than other companies; we must recover that delay. At the same time, we would like to publicize to the outside that ENEOS can also tackle new issues.
\nThat said, we are amateurs in startup investment. Before I started my current efforts, I worked in corporate planning for many years. We have done work that changes the company\u2019s culture, but we have never started anything new. When we started our efforts, neither the right nor the left was known.
\nThe reason we have done so far is that we have been supported by a variety of partner companies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015We are taking various steps. How do you think about the future prospects?<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cUntil now, it was a phase of demonstration trials. We would like to move toward implementation in 2021. We will continue to look for startups, but first, commercializing as many as possible is an urgent task.
\nHowever, the time horizon varies greatly depending on the project. There are a variety of projects that appear to be commercialized within this year, including those that will be commercialized over a 10-year period, and those that can be commercialized within 30 years.
\nThe time to implementation varies greatly depending on each project, but we plan to steadily realize it one by one.\u201d<\/p>\nCreate an in-house culture with a \u201ccool challenge\u201d entrepreneurship program<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015Matsumoto, please tell us about your area of responsibility.<\/b><\/p>\n
Matsumoto<\/b>: \u201cLike Yazaki, I am also involved in the operation of Challenge X, an in-house innovation program, besides the job of finding a startup. This is a program that examines publicly solicited business plans within the company and ultimately enables selected ideas to be commercialized.
\nI previously worked in recruitment and training as a human resource. In that sense, perhaps, previous experiences have been used to find and nurture talent both inside and outside the company.<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015Are there any difficulties in running the program?<\/b><\/p>\n
Matsumoto<\/b>: \u201cI would say \u201ccommunicating the purpose to employees\u201d and \u201cestablishing commercialization know-how.\u201d
\nIt is only possible to match even the ideals and visions of ENEOS with the themes of public solicitation. However, there are a number of employees who think that \u2018synergy with their core business is indispensable.\u2019 Although there are occasions when business ideas that are out of line with our core business pass the selection process, the reality is that they are still small.
\nWe also do not have the expertise in commercializing services that are commonplace for IT companies and others. There are some concerns about how we can support commercialization, but we are also strengthening our support for commercialization by having people who are strong in external digital operations enter into operations.
\nBy providing more generous support for commercialization, we would like to make it easier for as many people as possible to apply.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015What kind of people do you have many entries from?<\/b><\/p>\n
Matsumoto<\/b>: \u201cThe intermediate levels are surprisingly large. Applications were also received from general managers and people in their 50s. Conversely, we would like to see more applications from younger employees. I look forward to seeing that middle-class employees are taking on challenges, and expect that applications from younger employees will increase.
\nWhat we want to create in the future is an environment that makes it easy for both young employees and managers to support. I want to create an in-house culture where everyone, young and old, men and women, can apply, and \u2018it\u2019s cool to take on challenges.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nIf you decide to invest in a start-up, do not let it be half-baked<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015Lastly, I would like to ask for your message to a large company that wants to move forward with open innovation with startups in the future.<\/b><\/p>\n
Yazaki<\/b>: \u201cIf you do it, do not let it be half-baked. Please decide whether you \u2018do\u2019 or \u2018do not.\u2019
\nStartup investment does not necessarily need to be made. The best thing is that the management does not empower the site while ordering it to do \u2018do it.\u2019 Then it does not go all the way. It is not necessary to start with a large amount from the beginning, but it is also 1 billion yen, so please give authority on-site.
\nFurther, if you decide to do it, proceed with confidence. We did not start with know-how, either. Even with the help of those around you, you are running this much of a project right now. Start thinking you can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2015\u2015How about you, Matsumoto?<\/b><\/p>\n
Matsumoto<\/b>: \u201cI think it is important to gather people who want to do it and create an organization. The Future Business Promotion Department is characterized by the fact that many people, including private employees, have applied for positions within the company, and those who have entered mid-career recruitment who want to work in the Future Business Promotion Department. Even if I let people who are not aware of the problem do it, their motivation will not continue.
\nI hope that employees\u2019 motivation will also be taken seriously when it comes to in-house innovation. It does not make sense to listen only to employees talking and not to put anything into shape. It is of utmost importance to put in place a system that ensures that ideas are firmly shaped.
\nIt is important for a company to create an environment that makes it easier for people with ideas to move, is it not?<\/p>\n\n
Key points<\/h2>\n
\u30fbFocusing on startup investment is ensuring sufficient investment funds and delegating authority to make investment decisions.
\n\u30fbit is necessary to constantly appeal the importance of open innovation to management, because it is important to establish itself as a culture rather than a transient fad
\n\u30fbA number of projects are underway in the areas of urban development and mobility, a low-carbon, recycling-oriented society, and data science and advanced technologies
\n\u30fbInitiatives to create an internal culture of \u201cchallenging yourself\u201d through startup programs are also underway
\n\u30fbIt is important to decide whether to \u201cdo\u201d or \u201cdo not\u201d engage in start-up investment and not to do it half-baked\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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