- Smart parks, camping grounds and new forms of entertainment such as forest cinemas will be developed in the city
- The partners will work together to upskill the local talent with software engineering skills in Japan
Tech Mahindra, a leader in re-engineering services and digital consulting recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tagawa City in Japan to accelerate digital transformation there. The focus of this partnership revolves around making Tagawa a smart city by leveraging Tech Mahindra’s expertise in technologies like 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR). The partners will work together to upskill the local talent with software engineering skills in Japan.
The current alliance will work on the expansion of local 5G with Multi Edge Computing (MEC), as well as the development of new hardware and software using AR and VR. Going by the officially released statement, Tech Mahindra will help Tagawa City in its vision for the digitalization of sports facilities, using technologies such as motion cameras and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance accessibility and provide better experiences for all.
On the collaboration, the president of Communications, Media & Entertainment Business, and CEO of Network Services of Tech Mahindra, Manish Vyas remarked: “Digital transformation has become one of the top priorities for organizations and governments today to keep pace with the ever-changing post-pandemic world. Japan is one of the most advanced and innovative countries in the world and our collaboration with Tagawa City is a major step forward in strengthening our ties with the country.”
Mr Vyas added: “With this partnership, we look forward to working closely with Tagawa City to develop new technologies and services that can enhance the quality of life of Tagawa City’s citizens. Further to this partnership, we foresee significant growth across various industries, including manufacturing, health care, telecommunications, and media and entertainment.”
Tourism Push
The partners also aim to digitally transform the tourism industry through the use of AR and other technologies, build smart recreational parks, and provide labour assistance using IoT, such as body temperature and physical condition management of cows using AI cameras. Tagawa City will also benefit from the development of smart parks and camping grounds, as well as new forms of entertainment such as forest cinemas, Tech Mahindra stated.
Tagawa City Mayor Kimito Futaba thanked Tech Mahindra for their cooperation in this public-private partnership. He said: “We will leverage their expertise in digital technologies to bring about positive change in our city. Further, this partnership will help us achieve our vision for a smart city and provide benefits to our residents and local businesses.”
NXT.NOW
It is interesting to note that under the NXT.NOW™ framework, Tech Mahindra is working for digital growth and a ‘Human Centric Experience’. The company expects the current collaboration to take this endeavour forward.
Tagawa City, located in Fukuoka Prefecture, used to be the centre of Japan’s coal mining industry and due to its importance in the country’s modernization, Tagawa was often called Japan’s ‘coal capital’. The city has been certified as a ‘leading inclusive host town’ as a result of its many efforts in the field of inclusion, like hosting camps for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
With a presence in over 90 countries, a $6 bn organization Tech Mahindra is a part of the 1945-found Mahindra Group and focuses on leveraging next-gen tech including 5G, blockchain, quantum computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, etc to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers. It claims to be the only Indian company in the world to receive the HRH The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta Seal for its commitment to creating a sustainable future.
