About Us
Mitsui’s DX
Business Transformation & Innovation with Digital
Mitsui engages in a broad range of businesses all over the world.
This means we have a diverse front line where we can acquire valuable data based on actual experiences.
By using digital power based on this precious front line, we continue “Challenge and Innovation.”
This is Mitsui’s Digital Transformation.
Message from Chief Digital Information Officer
Mitsui & Co. Group is pushing ahead with two transformations by digital. The first is to improve our performance to enable our people to do a bigger job, and the second is to create new businesses using digital technology and AI.
We have been fully committed to DX since 2017. We would like to leverage these two transformations with digital, including the full-fledged utilization of generative AI, and challenge to build a new future for Mitsui at an unprecedented speed and creativity.
April 2025
Tetsuya Fukuda
Senior Executive Managing Officer
Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO)
DX Comprehensive Strategy
What is Digital Transformation at Mitsui?
We have a broad range of front line where we can acquire valuable data based on actual experiences.
Mitsui's DX uses digital power based on this precious front line, which means, we aim to reduce costs and expand sales through efficiency improvement and optimization, and create new business model by multiplying Operational Technology(*1) with Digital Power(*2).
*1：OT (Operational Technology): Full trading company operational knowhow including product knowledge, business expertise, marketing skills, logistical functions, legal matters, human resources and project management.
*2：Digital Power: AI / IoT, robotics and bigdata
Outline of vision for Mitsui’s DX Comprehensive Strategy
Mitsui’s DX Comprehensive Strategy consists of 2 strategies : “DX Business Strategy” and “Data-Driven (DD) Management Strategy.” In DX Business Strategy, we aim to strengthen our business by creating new value through multiplying data held by each front line with digital power. In Data-Driven Management Strategy, we aim to make faster and more accurate decisions and strengthen business management by thoroughly using data.
In order to carry out these two strategies, it is essential to make digital as a basic standard for all officers and employees, and we will continue to innovate with DX steadily as our corporate culture.
DX Business Strategy Vision
Two directions
Mitsui’s DX framework categorizes digital transformation into the following 3 initiatives;
- Solution 1 (S1) which aims to reduce costs through productivity enhancement, efficiency, and optimization
- Solution 2 (S2) which aims to expand sales through strengthening engagement with our partners and customers
- Transformation (T) which aims to create new businesses and business models from a standpoint that differs from existing businesses
Over the short to medium term, by thoroughly implementing S1/S2, we aim to strengthen and advance the profitability of existing businesses in the Mitsui Group, and over the medium to long term, by implementing T for next-generation businesses, we aim to create a future business foundation, including in new domains.
Furthermore, we have identified the following 6 key strategic domains to focus on.
As domains targeting quick wins over the short to medium term by implementing S1/S2, we extract business areas with strong affinity for DX, where we have the strength of real front line.
In domains targeting big wins over the medium to long term by implementing T for the next generation, we focus on social infrastructure where we have strength and take on the challenge of DX from the viewpoint of utilizing new technologies and industrial destruction.
Six Key Strategic Areas
Legend
Mobility: Mobility Business Unit I, Mobility Business Unit II
Chemicals: Basic Materials Business Unit, Performance Materials Business Unit
Iron & Steel: Iron & Steel Products Business Unit
Energy: Energy Business Unit I, Energy Business Unit II
Mineral & Metal Resources: Mineral & Metal Resources Business Unit
WL: Wellness Business Unit
AP: Asia Pacific Business Unit
ICT: IT & Communication Business Unit
ES: Energy Solutions Business Unit
N&A: Nutrition & Agriculture Business Unit
Infrastructure Projects: Infrastructure Projects Business Unit
Mobility: Mobility Business Unit I, Mobility Business Unit II
Chemicals: Basic Materials Business Unit, Performance Materials Business Unit
Food: Food Business Unit
Iron & Steel: Iron & Steel Products Business Unit
Energy: Energy Business Unit I, Energy Business Unit II
Mineral & Metal Resources: Mineral & Metal Resources Business Unit
Retail: Retail Business Unit
WL: Wellness Business Unit
AP: Asia Pacific Business Unit
ICT: IT & Communication Business Unit
ES: Energy Solutions Business Unit
CD: Corporate Development Business Unit
N&A: Nutrition & Agriculture Business Unit
Our DX example
Please scroll horizontally to look at table below.
| Data-Driven Management Strategy | DX Corporate Strategy | Cybersecurity Strategy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corprate DX |
DMP (Data Management Platform) |
Improving operational efficiency with MBK's ChatGPT |
Network / WAN Service |
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|
OIMO (One Input Multiple Output) |
Efforts to improve users' IT problem-solving capabilities |
Cybersecurity governance and support for affiliated companies |
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|
Business plan DX |
Improve Efficiency, Visualization, Cloud |
Support for working from home |
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|
DataHack |
Cloud services |
Data-Driven Management Strategy Vision
Mitsui has built a Data Management Platform (DMP) where valuable data accumulated from wide range of business domains in various countries/regions can be provided at a required frequency and granularity towards all hierarchical levels from management to employee. Concurrently, the promotion of increase in efficiency of data collection/integration through unification of data input forms and digital optimization of processes have substantialized a Data-Driven environment.
Our executive officers and employees are making full use of data dashboards to share and accumulate Quick Wins. Further, the utilization of cutting-edge tools such as AI will predict values to increase accuracy/quality of decision-making and link to creation of new businesses. The repeated process of collecting, integrating, using, and analyzing data will continue its upward spiral to strengthen our Data-Driven business.
DX HR Strategy
The following three types of human resources are required to promote the DX Comprehensive Strategy.
a. Business Professionals
b. DX Business Professionals
c. Technology Professionals
A large number of Mitsui’s diverse employees are “professionals in their business field” who possess expertise in a wide range of business domains, products, and regions. However, until the formulation of our DX HR strategy, the majority of them were Business Professionals (a) who excelled in their respective businesses. Therefore, through the Mitsui DX Academy, basic DX trainings have been provided to all employees to make them business persons with digital skills. Additionally, DX Business Professionals (b), who have a deep understanding of both business and digital aspects and serve as a bridge between DX Business Professionals (a) and DX Technology Professionals (c) who are top digital experts, are essential for promoting DX and thus are being trained from Business Professionals (a).
To accelerate the in-house development of DX Business Professionals (b), we plan to expand the number of candidates by strengthening the development of b Practitioner who can utilize and practice the knowledge and skills acquired from the Mitsui DX Academy in the work of their organization and to develop over 1,000 DX Business Professionals (b), including b Practitioner, globally by the end of FYE March 2026.
In addition, we will advance the development of DX Technology Professionals (c) within our IT strategic subsidiaries, which will contribute to the promotion of DX in Mitsui Group.
The Mitsui DX Academy:
- DX Skills Training: We offer basic course I and II for all employees, and also advanced course I and II tailored to specific business needs and the development of advanced DX professionals.
- Boot Camp: Through on-the-job training in practical DX projects, we nurture DX Business Professionals. The first batch of students graduated in FYE March 2024, with all members certified as DX business professionals. We are currently in the process of training the second batch.
- Executive Education: To acquire cutting-edge DX skills and knowledge and to build networks with advanced DX specialists, we dispatch employees to overseas university courses.
The DX Talent Recognition:
We have newly certified over 200 DX business professionals in total, who are driving strong promotion of DX in various departments of Mitsui.
The DX Talent Qualification System:
We have certified over 200 DX Business Professionals in a cumulative total, who are strongly driving promotion of DX in various departments of Mitsui.
The Recruitment of DX Talent
We have continuously held DX Internship program as part of new graduate recruitment in Japan from FYE March 2021, and we are also strengthening mid-career recruitment efforts.
As for overseas, we are continuing to strengthen our global recruitment efforts in Asia, Latin America and other regions and deploying DX talent recruited overseas to projects in key business areas throughout Mitsui Group, as well as dispatching them to Europe, the Middle East, and USA to expand their global activities.
