NEWS

On Tuesday, April 12, Mr. Yoroku “Joe” Adachi, Chairman and CEO of Canon U.S.A., Inc. visited APU to deliver a lecture entitled “Adapting to Technology Evolution: Disruption and Trends”.

Mr. Adachi stressed how technology reflects and changes people’s lifestyles and the future. He highlighted things that change, emphasizing that the key is how the change occurs. Revolutionary technologies, communication networks, and a borderless world—existing frameworks, once they change, will create seismic shifts and affect one another. In a borderless world, as long as one has the right skills they will be hired, regardless of their location. Consequently, acquiring the right skills is what differentiates one individual from others. In addition, individuals must have the ability to adapt to situations that are constantly changing.

He also touched on how faster adaptation of technologies is now possible due to the agility and mobility brought about by increased data speeds and how the evolution of data processing speeds and memory capacity has helped to increase data inflow and handling. Technology changes the world, so companies that do not keep up with these changes fall behind, while those that foresee them have enormous annual revenue growth.

In short, it is just like the principle of the survival of the fittest. We are forced to make difficult decisions. We have to continually evolve and change in order to survive.

In addition to change and adaptation, Mr. Adachi also discussed things that stay the same. He stressed that humans control technology, and that interpersonal interactions are the best way to deepen humanity. When faced with tough situation, he advised, you must look inside and deepen your understanding of the surrounding environment. He encouraged the students to fill in the gap between what they learn at school and real life experiences with activities like internships, and to remember that encounters with others can yield significant opportunities. He then noted that since we are in the midst of disrupting changes, the rule of “Survival of the Fittest” applies. Finally, he highlighted the need for students to find their own talents and to evolve by working both with organizations to which they belong and on their own. He closed by saying that the ultimate key to success is effectively allocating the limited time that is available to all of us.