Brand Story
Since the dawn of history, humans have gazed up at the constellations shining
in the sky and woven narratives about those celestial patterns.
Seen by people all over the world, they served as guides for when to seed the fields and when to reap bountiful harvests.
Guided by these stars, humans have continued to develop beyond nations and civilizations.
Today, the world faces challenges which must be solved on a global scale
so we can cross the threshold to a new age of civilization.
As a leading NEC Group think tank, IISE focuses its gaze on sustainable global development goals that will help humans survive – ensuring no one is left behind.
By leveraging our network to gather knowledge from around the globe,
bringing experts together in search of shining points of insight, IISE is providing society with a new narrative about the stars that show us the way.
New constellations will lead to a new imagining of society with new ideas, new values and even new markets – helping us plant solutions to the problems we face today that will create a better tomorrow.
IISE acts as a guide for all those who wish to sow the seeds of illumination that will flourish for a bountiful future.
Message
Motoo NishiharaPresident
Kumi FujisawaChairperson
Soichi NoguchiExecutive Chief Fellow and CTO (Chief Technical Officer)
Hiroya TanikawaExecutive Chief Fellow
Motoo Nishihara
President
We at the International Institute for Socio-Economic Studies (IISE) are proud to commemorate the 25th anniversary of our foundation this July. It is a profound honor for me to assume the presidency in such a momentous year.
Guided by our vision to “Illuminate the future with the world’s wisdom,” the IISE has been spearheading “Thought Leadership” initiatives in collaboration with NEC to chart future market trajectories. Our mission is to create new societal value by addressing the multifaceted and evolving challenges confronting humanity through technological innovation and its responsible integration into society.
We liken our Thought Leadership endeavors to constellations in the night sky—just as our ancestors discerned meaningful patterns among countless stars, we strive to define coherent directions for resolving societal issues. Each “star” represents an idea or effort, which we connect to form distinct constellations through collaboration with a diverse array of partners. This undertaking demands a holistic, interdisciplinary approach, encompassing institutional reform, shifts in public consciousness, and the development of regulatory frameworks and policy proposals that foster enabling conditions for emerging and underexplored markets.
The IISE’s core strengths reside in three key areas: a cadre of highly skilled experts with deep technological acumen; unparalleled insights derived from meticulous analyses of global political, economic, and social dynamics; and a broad network that supports strategic partnerships and facilitates effective rule-making. Furthermore, we leverage the NEC Group’s formidable technological assets and domain expertise to co-create cutting-edge solutions across a wide spectrum of fields—including government digital transformation (DX), mobility, financial DX, healthcare DX, Web3, green transformation (GX), and space exploration—thereby strengthening our Thought Leadership initiatives.
Our team also comprises individuals with deep expertise in areas such as economic security and the future of the digital society. As an independent think tank within the NEC Group, the IISE is entrusted with delivering strategic, tailored insights that inform and shape NEC’s business strategies both domestically and globally. Through open dialogue and engagement with a broad range of stakeholders and thought leaders—both within and beyond the NEC Group—we continue to generate exceptional value.
The NEC Group remains steadfast in its commitment to realizing the “Future of Society—a sustainable global community where no one is left behind—through the power of digital technology,” as articulated in its NEC 2030VISION. In pursuit of this aspiration, I am committed, in my dual capacity as NEC’s Chief Technology Officer and President of the IISE, to accelerating collaborative efforts and driving the co-creation of social value through the IISE-led initiatives, while fostering societies that are safe, secure, equitable, and efficient by harnessing NEC’s comprehensive technological capabilities.
Kumi Fujisawa
Chairperson
Digital technology has advanced rapidly since the second half of the 20th century.
On the other hand, social systems and human consciousness sometimes seem to be falling behind and out of step with the pace of technological advancement.
It is vital for everyone to collaborate and overcome all barriers to build the future of a sustainable society for all the people and living things on this planet.
IISE aims to be a new think tank that creates actions not only from the political, economic, and business perspectives, but also from the perspectives of consumers, NGOs, and art in order to gain insight into the future, present a vision, gather allies, and contribute to the creation of a society that leads to the future.
I intend to build on my existing networks and additionally expand activities in order to further foster empathy for the future.
I count on your support.
Soichi Noguchi
Executive Chief Fellow and CTO (Chief Technical Officer)
I am Soichi Noguchi, and I was appointed as an Executive Chief Fellow in July 2022.
I am engaged in the Green Thought Leadership efforts, which among other things, aim to promote carbon neutrality, to support the NEC group's leadership role in setting forth a vision of the future, creating new values and nurturing empathy among people.
Today, the global environment is undergoing unprecedented changes, and I feel that we as humans must adapt to these changes.
The NEC Group has a great deal of knowledge and solutions on the environmental issues, and I would like to use my experience to help promote the NEC Group's Environmental Thinking.
I also intent to actively incorporate themes related to space, my area of expertise, into IISE activities.
I would like to ask for your warm support and encouragement.
Hiroya Tanikawa
Executive Chief Fellow
I am Hiroya TANIKAWA, and I joined IISE as an Executive Chief Fellow in May 2024.
Since 2020 the world economy has encountered harsh economic downturn and supply-chain damage caused by the COVID-19 tragic event. Furthermore, the Ukraine-Russia war suddenly broken out in 2022 has caused tightening Oil & Gas market together with tense international political situation. Under this context, it seems that the world is facing with an emerging era of drastic change in international political & economic regime.
In the era, fundamental and/or structural change is expected to occur in the interstate relations not only among the traditional powers, such as US, EU, PRC and Russia, but also between emerging BRICs and so-called Global-South. Countries. This may mean, at the same time, no one can take it for granted that legitimate and stable business environment, sustained by the solid international political & military equilibrium, will last long. Against this background, all business entities, which acts in international business arena, will need more fundamental and realistic capability to collect, assess and deal with various information related to "Economic Security."
On the other hand, given the urgent tasks to address "Global Warming" and/or "Diversity & Inclusion", Japanese companies, which possess excellent IT technologies, seem to be able to play much more constructive role. "Thought Leadership" projects aim to meet or create such potential, valuable social demand through designing and producing proper and effective products/services.
Since I graduated from university, fortunately as a government official and a business person, I have had diverse experiences which include "Energy, Environment and Space/Aero Industries," "ASEAN, EU and Middle Easter Affairs" and "Industrial/Economic/Financial Research." It is of my greatest honor to be able to join and contribute IISE, possessing significant missions of "Economic Security," Thought Leadership," and "Basic Research".
Others
Business Overview
Examples of IISE's thought leadership, top research highlights, and efforts to support economic security
IISE Official Social Media Accounts
