Cultivating Innovation from the Advanced Research and Innovation Center:

──The two of you are currently working together in the Advanced R&I Center Planning Dept., but what did each of you study during your student years?

Nakanishi : I majored in chemistry and biotechnology at university and graduate school. At university, I researched how organisms manage the quality control of protein synthesis. In graduate school, I studied how the morphogenesis of cells with specialized shapes, such as neurons, is controlled. I have always been interested in ‘life.’ By analyzing DNA, you can understand the makeup of animals and plants, and I found it fascinating and intriguing that such programming exists.

Senda : I researched fields spanning organic chemistry and biochemistry through to graduate school. I chose the path of chemistry because I enjoyed experiments, and I was impressed by my professor at the time, who spoke enthusiastically about research. In the lab, I conducted research using various methods, including organic synthesis, cell experiments, and animal experiments.

──Why did you choose to join DENSO from there?

Senda : The main reason was that I realized I loved monozukuri. I found creating functionality more appealing than pursuing fundamental research, and I thought DENSO would be a place where I could put this into practice. Ultimately, what convinced me was the people I met during the internship before joining the company. Everyone was kind and passionate about their work, which really came through.

Nakanishi : I chose DENSO because I believed that an automotive parts manufacturer has a wide range of core technologies that could be applied not only to mobility but also to new fields, allowing for a broader perspective in creating future societies. I wanted to be involved in various fields, encounter many specialized technologies, and meet experts in those areas. I was also drawn to the people. The associates I met before joining the company were humble, respecting their external collaborators, and they spoke enthusiastically about their research and technologies. I wanted to work in an environment with such people.

──Ms. Senda, I heard that your time in the Cockpit Manufacturing Division, where you were first assigned, was a turning point for you.

Senda : That’s right. I had hoped to be assigned to the Materials Engineering R&D Division, where I had interned, but I was ultimately placed in the Cockpit Manufacturing Division, working on mass production products. To be honest, I was initially confused about the assignment.

However, I gradually began to feel that this job suited me. The scope of work I was entrusted with was broad, and even in my second or third year, I was involved in introducing large equipment and handling new products. The fast-paced learning and execution really suited me. Seeing the meters I was responsible for actually installed in cars gave me a sense of fulfillment.

──Looking back now, it was an important experience.

Senda : Yes, I realize it was an indispensable experience. As a company of monozukuri, we sell the products manufactured on site, and it is with those profits that we are now able to engage in research and development. Both R&D and production are important but experiencing firsthand how the production site supports the company by putting their heart and soul into making products every day was incredibly meaningful.

──Ms. Nakanishi, I understand that in your fourth year at the company, you went to the Royal College of Art (RCA) as an external trainee. Could you tell us about the background of this experience?

Nakanishi : I have always enjoyed drawing and illustrating, and during my graduate school years, I participated in a project with designers from RCA that combined science and design to imagine the future. I became interested in communicating scientific research to people outside the academic community and thinking about the future together. However, I couldn’t see it as a career, so I joined DENSO, focusing on chemistry and life sciences, which I had been researching.

Nakanishi : However, I couldn’t forget about the project at that time, so I consulted with my boss about wanting to go back to school and study at RCA. He suggested, “How about using the company’s external training program to go to RCA?” so I went to the UK with the program. I spent a year in an environment where I could reframe things subjectively in the field of art, stepping out of the environment where I had been objectively viewing things in the field of science. Meeting artists and friends who delve deeply into expressing personal experiences physically was truly inspiring. I realized that by valuing my unique self and accepting different ideas, the world can gain new discoveries and perspectives.

──Ms. Senda you also went on an external training program to VANTURE CAPITAL in your fifth year with the company, didn’t you?

Senda : Yes, I applied to be seconded to a VANTURE CAPITAL in Tokyo for a year starting in my fifth year with the company. Having spent my entire life in Aichi Prefecture, I wanted to step outside and take on new challenges. While Aichi is centered around the automotive industry, Tokyo has a wide variety of industries, businesses, and startups. Talking with these people sparked innovative ideas one after another, and I realized how narrow my world was and how biased my ‘common sense’ was. Those days made me realize the importance of engaging with the outside world.

──What kind of work are the two of you doing now in the Advanced R&I Center Planning Dept. after gaining significant experience outside the company?

Senda : We are responsible for co-creation activities to generate innovation through advanced research and development. I am considering how to initiate co-creation and am working on designing systems to create new value, expanding our value proposition from being a Tier 1 supplier in the automotive industry to a Tier 1 supplier in the mobility society.

Specifically, we are creating frameworks for collaboration with co-creation partners. Currently, we are mainly focusing on co-creation with universities. We are gathering opinions from university professors to determine whether some of the initiatives we want to implement are truly what the universities need. Additionally, we are preparing to initiate co-creation with startups and large companies.

Nakanishi : In these unpredictable times, it is essential to cherish the core and strengths of advanced research and development while actively promoting co-creation with external partners. I am currently responsible for creating spaces that facilitate co-creation, and I am designing experiences in collaboration with a spatial design company and our internal design department.

──What does it mean to design experiences?

Nakanishi : For example, we invite people from other companies and universities to experience firsthand the kind of research activities we conduct on a daily basis. We start with an orientation, present the social issues we are addressing, and discuss how we approach them together. We also show them our technologies and research in our laboratories. Finally, we showcase our past achievements to build trust. We are in the process of designing this series of experiences.

We often move between large concepts, such as what we aim to achieve through co-creation, how to initiate co-creation, who we should focus on, and even the very nature of the lab itself.

──Do you find any difficulties in your current work?

Nakanishi : I find it challenging to make each choice convincing in a job with no precedents or correct answers. First, we need to reframe the big concepts and propose them while explaining the purpose and reasons. However, it is difficult to push forward when there are diverse opinions from various people.

Senda : I understand Nakanishi’s feelings well. Even if we aim for innovation by saying, “We need to change this part in this way,” through repeated discussions, it may take a different form, and eventually, we might end up questioning, “Is this really innovative?” In that sense, it is challenging to determine which parts to hold as core and how far to push through.

──What do you rely on to overcome such difficulties?

Nakanishi : It’s Senda’s presence lol. With Senda joining, I feel much more confident and have a sense of moving forward. Even when we disagree, we discuss thoroughly until we reach what we believe is the best solution. This daily process is very rewarding.

Senda : It’s a bit embarrassing, but I’m happy to hear that. 

──What do you see as challenges in your current work?

Nakanishi : To collaborate with external partners, not only in the sciences but also in a wide range of fields such as sociology and behavioral sciences in the humanities, I believe we need to be more transparent about our work and what we aim to achieve from the company’s side.

Senda : That’s right. DENSO’s research and development have traditionally focused on in-house themes, and the lab itself has had few opportunities to actively engage with people from various industries. However, in today’s world of increasing uncertainty, it is important to venture into new areas and increase interactions with people we have never worked with before to create something new.

──What values do you treasure in your daily life?

Nakanishi : I try to be sensitive to moments when my heart is moved by music, paintings, books, and other forms of art. I try to think “Why I feel so thrilled just now?” or “Why did I feel a sense of discomfort?”.

During my time at RCA, I saw how artists valued their “unique senses”, which allowed them to create original expressions. Without this, we would only produce the same opinions and things as everyone else, even in our work. Therefore, I try to notice small things in my daily life to deepen my understanding of myself and the world. I believe this will surely enrich your life, won’t it ?.

Senda : What I value is not denying people who have strong passions. During my time working on university research, social business development, and startups, I realized that people who are passionate about what they want to do are the ones who accomplish them. So, I want to help create situations where “what people are passionate about aligns with what the company should be doing”. Even if it is difficult to realize, I think it is important to listen to enthusiastic individuals, empathize with them, and create an environment where their ideas can be launched.

──Do you have any further challenges you want to take on in the future?

Nakanishi : I aim to act as a bridge that understands both researchers and designers, and I want to spread various research to the world. To do this, I need to acquire knowledge in a wide range of fields, launch new themes across different domains, and develop technologies that do not yet exist. I plan to engage with as many people as possible, listen to their stories, learn, and repeatedly produce my own results.

Senda : Currently, I am mainly working on co-creation initiatives aimed at academia, but in the future, I want to also work on initiatives for companies and startups. I want to utilize the knowledge about the startup ecosystem and business that I learned during my secondment. I believe it is never too late to challenge oneself. In fact, I am now learning English conversation, which I have been avoiding. I genuinely want to be able to speak English, and I think there will be opportunities to use it in my work.

──Finally, could you share a message for those aspiring to join DENSO?

Senda : For new associates, the department or region they are assigned to may not always match their preferences, but I hope they value the balance between what they envision and the unexpected. In my case, being assigned to the manufacturing department initially didn’t sit well with me, but I later realized I had an aptitude for it. Additionally, having a unique career path from the manufacturing department to the Advanced Research and Innovation Center allows me to view my current workplace objectively.

Nakanishi : Being the first case to go from advanced research and development to an arts university as a trainee, I believe my career is also unique. This was possible not only because of my efforts but also due to a supportive environment and people around me. In the future, you might find yourself at a crossroads, wondering which path is the right one. Regardless of the path you choose, it’s crucial to make it the right one through your subsequent efforts. I say this as a reminder to myself, instead of looking for reasons why you can’t do something, if you feel passionate about it, just go for it. Surprisingly, good things might follow.

※ These contents presented in this article are as of May 2024.