Social Conditions Regarding Data Utilization and Fujitsu’s Initiatives

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Trends in industry, government, and academia
• 3. Fujitsu’s Initiatives
• 4. Conclusion

1．Introduction

In recent years, various efforts have been made by industry, government, and academia regarding the utilization of data to increase the competitiveness of companies and enhance administrative services.

This article provides an overview of the Japanese government’s initiatives for data utilization, outlines the status of national projects and activities by related organizations, and introduces Fujitsu’s own activities in this area.

3. Fujitsu’s Initiatives

3.1 Cross-sector data exchange platform

As mentioned above, expectations for data utilization beyond sectors such as electric power and transportation are increasing. On the other hand, information on data, such as vocabulary and catalogs, is not standardized for each company or sector, so its utilization has not actually progressed. Therefore, as one of the issues in the second phase of SIP, research on a cross-sector data exchange platform started in FY2018 [11，12].The realization of this platform is expected to enable easy use of data in various sectors, to provide accurate and convenient information, and to allow the quick creation of new services.

Since this platform requires linking of data from various sectors that function independently, it is not expected to work with a centralized system that collects data in one place. Therefore, the SIP research team is designing the platform proper as a distributed platform. In a platform designed in such way, the catalogs, data, vocabulary, and so on, of respective fields are managed within these fields, but connectors linking these items are installed in each field, and data exchange is performed through these connectors.

Fujitsu’s research activities regarding this platform focus on the following three areas.

1) Emergent data recommendation

Fujitsu carries out research on data description, organization, and recommendation methods for the discovery of target data across sectors that employ different terms and concepts. These methods utilize IMDJ (Innovations Marketplace for Data Jacket) developed by the Osawa Lab of the University of Tokyo.

2) Originality assurance

To enable the safe and secure utilization of transferred data, it is necessary to ensure its traceability. This research applies Fujitsu Laboratories’ Chain Data Lineage technology in reliably connecting data usage histories individually managed in different sectors so that anyone can trace the history of the data they use to its source [13].

3) Equivalent term identification

A vocabulary platform for common use across sectors is being studied by the Committee for Promoting the Infrastructure for Multilayer Interoperability, established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry [14].Mutual conversion of the vocabulary of each sector is possible by mapping to common vocabulary. However, for example, “elementary school” in one sector means “temporary shelter” in another field, and the correspondences are not necessarily intuitive. For this reason, vocabulary conversion rule learning technology that utilizes machine learning and other technologies to learn vocabulary conversion rules and present appropriate vocabulary candidates to users is being studied.

An example of a demonstration of such technologies currently being developed by Fujitsu Laboratories is one linking the tourism sector and disaster prevention sector. We have created an application that allows users to check tourism information and disaster prevention information and are currently carrying out a demonstration experiment at large-scale sporting events. From FY2020, we plan to further expand the scale of this demonstration, adding in new developed technologies.

3.2 Information banks

The movement to return personal data sovereignty to individuals is gaining momentum worldwide. One such initiative is the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In Japan too, institutional system design and demonstration experiments are being conducted to allow third parties (other businesses) to use personal data safely and appropriately with the consent of the individuals concerned under the Information Bank (formal name: Personal Data Trust Bank) initiative.

In 2017, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry launched a study on the certification of information banks, and in June 2018, issued the Guidelines of Certification Schemes Concerning Functions of Information Trust ver. 1.0 (hereafter, Certification Guidelines). As a result, in September 2018, the Information Bank Promotion Committee was established under the Information Technology Federation of Japan. The committee has begun to operate an information bank certification system for auditing and certifying information banks based on the Certification Guidelines, and in June 2019 the first business operator was certified.

Fujitsu, for its part, has been working on information banks as follows.

1) Japan’s first demonstration experiment with AEON Financial Group

For approximately two months from August to October 2017, Fujitsu conducted Japan’s first demonstration experiment pertaining to information banks in collaboration with AEON Financial Group [15].In this demonstration experiment, about 500 Fujitsu employees provided their personal data regarding such things as personal hobbies, preferences, and behavior patterns, and they themselves set a disclosure range for that data. Then, other businesses such as AEON Bank considered use of the disclosed data for one-to-one marketing, life consulting, and the like, revealing a need for information banks. As an operator of an information bank, Fujitsu provided personal data as consented to by the individuals concerned to fulfill the personal data use needs of companies. Further, Fujitsu issued a virtual in-house currency called FUJITSU Coin specially created for this demonstration experiment and provided it to personal data providers according to the content, amount of information, and disclosure destination of the entrusted personal data.

2) Joint study of lifestyle design movement with Dentsu

In August 2019, we conducted a field trial using an application jointly developed with Dentsu, the largest advertising agency in Japan, based on the Personium service, Fujitsu’s personal data storage (PDS) service [16].In this trial, the participants were given lifestyle suggestions based on data from their Google Calendar, the use of which they consented to, matching this data with the data supplied by the participants about their personal interests and hobbies. In this field trial, Fujitsu evaluated a service for individuals that allows them to use their own personal data effectively and safely within the context of a data-utilizing society. The convenience and security of the service was also evaluated at the functional level.

3) Marunouchi Data Consortium

In September 2019, a consortium was established jointly by Mitsubishi Estate and Fujitsu to create value by sharing and utilizing data among companies in Marunouchi area, Tokyo [17].Further, as one of its initiatives for data utilization, Fujitsu launched also the Information Bank Service Demonstration Project. In addition to dissemination and education activities regarding information bank services through seminars, this project included demonstration experiments of multiple services in collaboration with leading companies such as Dai Nippon Printing, Dentsu, and JTB (a travel agency). These demonstration experiments were in line with the concept of information bank certification mentioned earlier. Through these demonstration experiments, we obtained useful knowledge for the social implementation of information banking services. For example, we were able to identify system-related issues, and gauge society’s acceptance of personal data utilization and what value it places on it.

4) Information bank system platform

Fujitsu has been working on the development of an information bank system platform for companies that operate information banking businesses [18].Incorporating the findings from the various demonstration experiments described above, this platform will provide various functions including consent management and traceability consistent with information bank certification. By providing this platform as well as support to help businesses migrate from their existing customer management system and acquire information bank certification, we will contribute to the spread of information bank services.