I would like the new technologies developed in Japan to contribute to the development of society. In order to win the competition in international developments in the field of information technology (IT), it is necessary that officials and the people rally their forces. The Japanese telecommunications company NTT, the National Institute of Informatics and others have developed a prototype of a quantum computer. From this week, researchers will be able to freely use it via the Internet.
A quantum computer uses the principle of "quantum mechanics" in its work, which deals with such physical phenomena as a molecule and an atom. There is even evidence that it can calculate tasks in certain areas ten million times faster than a conventional computer. We can say that this is one of the promising "dream techniques". He is especially good at choosing suitable combinations from various options. This is expected to be useful in eliminating congestion in high-traffic cities and improving the efficiency of logistics networks, as well as developing new medicines.
NTT has launched optical fiber technology for communications. This technology is believed to have outstanding computing power and help to dramatically reduce electricity consumption. I would like to fully implement the use of the prototype and accelerate the development of a product that will have universal application in practice.
Japanese high-speed train "Shinkansen" in Tokyo.
There is a well-known technique for bringing a quantum computer to life, based on the theory of Professor Hidetoshi Nishimori of the Tokyo University of Technology. Despite the fact that this idea was born in Japan, the Japanese product lags behind in the pace of development from other countries. Thus, a Canadian company that used Mr. Nishimori's theory was ahead of Japan in introducing this computer into practice. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also begins to use it. China also continues to invest large sums in research and development in this area.
NTT was involved in planning the government's "Innovative Research Development and Development Program" (abbreviated as "ImPACT") and worked on the project with financial support from the government. The Kei supercomputer, invented by the Institute of Physico-Chemical Research and Fujitsu, was successfully ranked first in the field this month.
In order to bring innovative research results to the immediate implementation, one cannot do without further cooperation from industrial and academic structures. The trend towards the use of IT technologies in industry is noticeably increasing, for example, artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the Internet of Things (IoT), linking various phenomena with the Internet.
According to the world rankings, over the past ten years, Japan has fallen from fourth place in 2007 to 14th. It cannot be denied that the presence of Japan as a power of science and technology is becoming less visible. Japan has demonstrated its strength in manufacturing products with high quality and productivity indicators, such as cars or electrical appliances. Going forward, Japan will need to take the lead in developing IT and various other technologies, as well as creating a new business model. I would like the government to find the key to solving various social problems using a flexible approach.
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