[Event Report] NEC Holds Event "NEC Open Innovation 2025 - Let's Create the Future." Discussing Achievements and Future of Accelerating Open Innovation
NEC held an event titled "NEC Open Innovation 2025 - Let's Create the Future." on Thursday, December 4, 2025, targeting corporate new business development personnel, venture capitalists (VCs), and startups/entrepreneurs.
NEC's new business development promotes "NEC Open Innovation" through diverse co-creation with startups and partner companies, with "Let's Create the Future." as its key message. This time, an event was held to further accelerate open innovation and create partnerships, with approximately 200 people participating. In the talk sessions, invited co-creation partner guests engaged in passionate discussions on various themes about the current state and future "creations" of open innovation.
Event Highlights
―Opening In addition to hot topics regarding NEC's open innovation, a new attempt where AI matched seats within the venue based on participants' interests and concerns was also introduced.
NEC Matsuda ―Talk Session ―Talk Session In the first session, "Let's Create the Future. The Open Innovation NEC Group Aims For," NEC Networks & System Integration and NEC discussed how to accelerate open innovation as the NEC Group while leveraging the characteristics of both companies.
From left: Mr. Kikuchi from Translink Capital, NEC's Wada, Mr. Kikuchi from NEC Networks & System Integration In the second session, "Creating Together. Startups and Corporations Discuss the Reality and Hints of Collaboration," while looking back on actual initiatives, active discussions were exchanged on points to keep in mind when startups and corporations collaborate.
From left: NEC's Kinoshita, Mr. Sato from MOTER Technologies, Mr. Takemura from Honda Motor Co., Ltd. In the third session, "Creating Change. Three Companies Changing the Future of Resource Circulation," three companies with the same aspirations, transcending industry boundaries, deepened discussions on initiatives toward a future that realizes expanded distribution of recycled plastics.
From left: NEC's Eto, Mr. Osono from Maruki Sangyo Co., Ltd., Mr. Fara from NewNorm Design Co., Ltd. On the same day as the event, a startup studio "NEC X - JAPAN Edition -" to nurture and support entrepreneurs in Japan was newly established, and recruitment began for the first domestic program, "Elev X! Batch1." Going forward, leveraging the experience and know-how in business creation cultivated in Silicon Valley, and based on NEC's advanced technologies and customer base, new businesses will be promptly created through support for domestic entrepreneurs. In the final talk session, "Creating Anew. NEC X - JAPAN Edition - Launch," details of "Elev X! Batch1" were introduced, and a vision for further invigorating the domestic startup ecosystem was discussed.
From left: NEC X's Matsumoto, Mr. Sasaki from Digital Garage, Inc., NEC's Fujimura ―Networking ―Networking During the standing reception following the talk sessions, active interaction among participants took place, including business card exchanges in various places, creating a time of heightened anticipation for new future partnerships.
Participants' Voices
・While being involved with startups daily, I felt the benefits of partnering with NEC and sensed the possible bridging and support they could provide. ・A unified mindset and sense of unity conveyed an exciting feeling. ・It was an event that conveyed NEC's serious commitment to leading Japan's open innovation as a key player. ・Consideration was evident even in the table settings, making me feel potential for future collaboration. NEC is accelerating open innovation with startups and partner companies and working on new business development. We will continue to develop the co-creation opportunities born from this event and take on the challenge of creating social value that opens up the future.
[Event Overview] Date & Time: Thursday, December 4, 2025, 15:30–19:00 Venue: Port Hall, 1F, Tokyo Port City Takeshiba Participants: Approximately 200 (by invitation) Target Audience: Corporations, VCs, Startups, etc. [Program] [Program] Part 1 15:30–18:00 15:30–15:35 Opening NEC Business Innovation Division General Manager Naohisa Matsuda 15:35–16:00 Let's Create the Future. The Open Innovation NEC Group Aims For Translink Capital Partner Kazuhide Kikuchi (Facilitator) NEC Networks & System Integration Corp. Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer So Kikuchi NEC Corporate SVP & Future Value Co-Creation Division Head Shigemi Wada 16:10–16:40 Creating Together. Startups and Corporations Discuss the Reality and Hints of Collaboration MOTER Technologies EVP, Corp Strategy & Shareholder Engagement / Head of Japan Business / Assistant to CEO Shusuke Sato Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Automobile Operations, SDV Business Development Division, Digital Platform Development Dept., Strategic Planning Section Manager / Chief Engineer Noriaki Takemura NEC Business Innovation Division Senior Fund Manager Satoshi Kinoshita (also Facilitator) 16:45–17:15 Creating Change. Three Companies Changing the Future of Resource Circulation Maruki Sangyo Co., Ltd. Representative Director Yuji Osono NewNorm Design Co., Ltd. CEO, Head Architect Fara Taraie NEC Business Innovation Division Director Megumi Eto (also Facilitator) 17:25–17:55 Creating Anew. NEC X - JAPAN Edition - Launch Digital Garage, Inc. Executive Officer Tomoya Sasaki NEC Business Innovation Division Director Kousuke Fujimura NEC X CEO Shintaro Matsumoto (Facilitator) Part 2 18:00–19:00 Networking Reception <Related Links> ■About NEC's New Business Development https://jpn.nec.com/innovation/index.html https://jpn.nec.com/innovation/index.html ■NEC X - JAPAN Edition - https://jpn.nec.com/innovation/necx-je/index.html https://jpn.nec.com/innovation/necx-je/index.html <Contact for This Matter> NEC Business Innovation Division E-Mail：contact@noi.jp.nec.com
