November 30, 2017

Hitachi Social Innovation Forum 2017 KUALA LUMPUR to Focus on Internet of Things (IoT) and Collaborative Creative Solutions

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 30 November 2017 – Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501, “Hitachi”) and Hitachi Asia Ltd. announced today that they will be hosting the second Hitachi Social Innovation Forum 2017 KUALA LUMPUR on 30 November at Shangri-La Hotel, in the national capital of Malaysia.

The Hitachi Social Innovation Forum (HSIF) will showcase a broad suite of solutions aimed at enhancing aspects of everyday activities from security, transportation, healthcare to little practicalities at home, to result in overall efficient comfort and convenience for users. The solutions will be demonstrated at the one-day event that will be centred on the Internet of Things (IoT), digitalisation and collaborative creative solutions.

With Frost & Sullivan estimating the IoT market in Southeast Asia to grow and reach US$7.53 billion in 2020, the organising of the forum is timely.

Mr. Chew Huat Seng, Managing Director of Hitachi Asia (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., said: “The Southeast Asian region has been identified as a fast growing area in IoT adoption and smart city projects. Countries including Malaysia have introduced their own blueprint for IoT and the proliferation of IoT is expected to pick up pace especially in key sectors such as public infrastructure and services, manufacturing, automotive, transportation, and agriculture. We are confident Hitachi can contribute our knowledge, experience and expertise towards the aspirations of Malaysia, particularly in smart manufacturing and fintech.”

Dato’ Ng Wan Peng, Chief Operating Officer of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, will be gracing the event as a Guest-of-Honour on behalf of YB Dato’ Sri Jailani Johari, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia.

Celebrating the 60^th anniversary of Japan-Malaysia diplomatic ties, Mr. Hiroyuki Orikasa, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, will deliver a guest speech at the event. Commemorating the diamond jubilee of positive ties between the two Asian countries, Hitachi’s most meaningful contribution to the people of Malaysia is a continued endeavour to support the sustainable growth and urban development of the country, that will carry Malaysia forward for years to come.

Hitachi has designed the forum to share specifically on IoT, big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with highlights on its experiences in both Operational Technology (OT) and IT fields towards collaborative co-creation with customers worldwide, as well as smart manufacturing and fintech.

Attendees can look forward to presentations, exhibitions and a panel discussion that will explore the latest trends and strategies to create new value in the smart manufacturing segment. In the fintech area, guests can expect to expand their understanding on a suite of solutions exemplified by Japan. Video analytics as a means to enable stronger security, better business insights, optimization and control will also be discussed.

The HSIF is Hitachi’s global flagship event, aimed at amplifying awareness of its Social Innovation Business across the region. Under the 2018 Mid-term Management Plan, Hitachi targets to increase overseas revenue ratio to over 55%. Malaysia will play a pivotal role in helping Hitachi achieve this target through its focus on IoT solutions.