Can you tell us your ambitions as CDIO?

As the third CDIO, my mission is to further accelerate our digital transformation (DX), which began in 2020, and to lead us into the next generation of DX. We will push ahead with effective initiatives so that in the near future, 2020 will be spoken of as a turning point in which Mitsui underwent a significant transformation through digital technologies.

What is the current status of digital initiatives?

The cumulative number of DX projects that have actually become operational exceeds 60, an increase of more than 10 from the previous year. This indicates that our digital strategy is steadily yielding results.
Projects that can be called next-generation business models are also becoming more prevalent. For example, Dynamic Plus, which provides pricing strategies optimized by AI in response to supply and demand, has continued to grow since its establishment in 2018, with its annual gross merchandise value reaching approximately 30 billion yen in 2024, and we anticipate further leaps forward. Furthermore, we have established an environment where all employees, both inside and outside Japan, can use generative AI, and business-oriented projects utilizing generative AI are also emerging. Generative AI has conventionally been used primarily in defensive areas such as productivity improvement, but I believe that true competitiveness is enhanced only when AI is used for the creation of new value and for offensive purposes, and I want to continue to make efforts here going forward.

Please tell us how Digital Grand Design supports the business.

In 2023, we formulated Digital Grand Design as a compass for digital governance and standardization. As we increasingly utilize digital technology in a full-fledged manner, and as we apply various solutions and tools in our work, optimization tends to occur in a fragmented way. This makes data, security, user interfaces, etc., non-uniform. That is why Digital Grand Design becomes important in order to ensure overall optimization.

Currently, we are considering upgrading over a dozen in-house systems based on Digital Grand Design, including the standardization of business processes, aiming for further value creation and productivity improvement. Furthermore, with Digital Grand Design, when creating new businesses or making new investments, we can start from a baseline where data, security, and other environmental and governance aspects are adequately prepared, thereby enabling further enhancement of our competitiveness on a global group basis.

How far has the DX HR strategy progressed?

Based on the DX HR strategy formulated in 2020, we aim to develop 1,000 DX personnel by the end of March 2026. As of the end of March 2025, we have trained more than 500 DX personnel, and progress is on schedule. As exemplified by the value creation and productivity improvement cases utilizing generative AI mentioned earlier, digital technology will be indispensable for all businesses Mitsui is involved in going forward, and we will work toward comprehensive competitiveness through digital technology that becomes a standard toolset for all employees worldwide.

Could you share some of Mitsui’s future initiatives and expectations?

Mitsui operates various businesses worldwide, with nearly 500 affiliated companies and over 50,000 employees on a consolidated basis. In the past, in one business I oversaw, I had the firsthand experience of being able to see trends in the real estate market of a country by utilizing logistics data within the supply chain. In a similar way, by strengthening the digital collaboration of our global business network, we will accelerate the creation of new value through data utilization.

In the current fiscal year, which is the final year of Medium-term Management Plan (MTMP) 2026, we aim to achieve results exceeding the plan and deepen discussions with internal and external stakeholders regarding the direction of the digital strategy for the next MTMP. I strongly feel that the speed of change in digital technology is accelerating, and the competitiveness of companies that skillfully incorporate digital technology has increased. We intend to further develop our comprehensive DX strategy and realize further value creation throughout the Group.

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