Company announcements
Cambridge Consultants partners with Hitachi Central Research Laboratory to address the global challenge of plastic waste
Breakthrough innovation specialist Cambridge Consultants today announced that it has joined the Kyōsō-no-Mori Partnership Program (“Partnership Program”), an ambitious new framework under the Kyōsō-no-Mori initiative launched on 11th April 2019 at the Central Research Laboratory by the Research & Development Group of Hitachi, Ltd. Kyōsō-no-Mori, which means co-innovation forest in Japanese, embodies Hitachi’s vision “to deliver innovations that answer society’s challenges” by accelerating innovation through open collaborative creation and realize a human-centric sustainable society. The project selected by Cambridge Consultants will investigate the applications and business models for applying synthetic biology to address the global challenge of plastic waste.
The unprecedented spotlight on the environmental damage caused by plastics is driving businesses to consider the full lifecycle impact of products, processes and packaging. Cambridge Consultants has a long-established research programme that aims both to introduce sustainable bioplastics into the product design toolkit and to harness the tools of synthetic biology to speed the decomposition of plastic waste. Hitachi too has been investigating the application of synthetic biology to tackle the issue. Under the Partnership Program, Cambridge Consultants and Hitachi will study the business case together, applying technology from both companies in an initial three-month phase.
Business success from world-changing science
Dr Miles Upton, Asia General Manager at Cambridge Consultants, commented: “We’re proud to be a partner in the Kyōsō-no-Mori initiative. We’ve worked with Hitachi on radical innovation since 2014 and see this collaboration as the next step on this journey. We’re particularly excited to see Hitachi open itself up to new models of innovation, including partnering with diverse external companies that share its vision.”
Yuichi Yagawa, General Manager of the Central Research Laboratory, added: “The Central Research Laboratory was established in 1942, with the mission of pursuing research for society 10 to 20 years from now, as well as addressing the needs of present society. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, tomorrow’s innovation will require strong relationships with world-class technology partners. We look forward to working with Cambridge Consultants as we apply Hitachi’s cutting-edge technology and vision design to contribute to the realization of a human-centric, sustainable society.”
Notes to editors
About Cambridge Consultants and Capgemini
About Cambridge Consultants
Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, services and intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology-critical issues for clients worldwide. For more than 60 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of more than 800 team members, including engineers, scientists, mathematicians and designers, in offices in Cambridge (UK), Boston (USA), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore, Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, digital health, energy and wireless communications.
About Capgemini Invent
As the digital innovation, design and transformation brand of the Capgemini Group, Capgemini Invent enables CxOs to envision and shape the future of their businesses. Located in nearly 40 studios and more than 60 offices around the world, it comprises a 10,000+ strong team of strategists, data scientists, product and experience designers, brand experts and technologists who develop new digital services, products, experiences and business models for sustainable growth.
Capgemini Invent is an integral part of Capgemini, a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of over 325,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported in 2021 global revenues of €18 billion.
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