Deployment of Restar Group Technologies

What is the future that Restar Group will pursue in the electronics industry where its environment changes rapidly? Shimizu (Restar Electronics) and Sudo (Privatech) will discuss on objectives and synergy of “co-creation” between partner and group business entities, requirements of our clients/customers, and required human resources.

Profile

Mr. Shimizu: Manager , Engineering 1 Department,
Restar Electronics Corporation; He has joined the corporation after working as an engineer with an electric appliance manufacturer. Currently, he makes proposals of semi-conductor products from the standpoint of technology and provides technical support in Field Application Engineer (FAE) group entity, a foreign capital semi-conductor manufacturer. Moreover, he focuses on co-creation in cooperation with group entities for the sale of system boards.
(Hereafter referred to as “Shimizu, Restar Electronics”)

Mr. Sudo: Vice President, Privatech Inc.
Executive Officer , PCI Holdings Inc.; Formerly, he worked with a software development company and made a remarkable contribution. Currently, he works to facilitate the relationship between Restar and PCI groups as the vice president of Privatech Inc.(*)

(*) Technology entity co-funded by Restar and PCI groups for LSI designing, development of embedded software and various products, and technical support.
(Hereafter referred to as “Sudo, Privatech”)

The future which Restar Group pursues.
The necessity of “transition to a company offering a package product of system & platform.”

―What kind of future will Restar Group pursue in the electronics industry?

Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: We, Restar Group, have been operating as a “semi-conductor trading company” for a long time. However, the traditional business of “selling only semi-conductors with limited resources for designing” is now facing difficulty in satisfying demands of our clients/customers, due to the recent environment of short development span required by them and, in addition, shortage in workforce of engineers.

Considering such environment, we are now working to make “transition to a company offering a package product of system & platform” happen, casting off the traditional business of selling only semi-conductor devices and electronic device components. It means that we will sell not only “semi-conductor” as an independent component but also complex products of semi-conductor and other various components which we handle. We will also embed software in those products. Our target is to raise our added value as a trading company, for example, by developing “system board” which is closer to a final product for end user than a component and proposing such a product from our end to our clients/customers.

In the aspect of software development, we are now working to realize the “co-creation” in cooperation with PCI Group, other group entities and third party companies.

―What is the synergy that the “co-creation” delivers?

Sudo [Privatech Inc.]: Restar Group has already built good relationship with many clients/customers. On the other hand, PCI Holdings is relatively new entity which was listed on the 1st section of Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2016. We need to increase the number of clients/customers. Restar and PCI Holdings has been entered into a capital and business alliance. PCI Holdings is planning to take the advantage of a large client/customer network of Restar Holdings.

PCI Group mainly handles development of software, which is materially invisible and difficult to be recognized by our clients/customers even if it is applied to various products. Indeed, it is difficult to have them satisfied. As Mr. Shimizu has spoken, we feel the change in electronics industry that what our clients/customers demand is now not a simple “semi-conductor as a component” or “software”.
Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: Restar Group’s target is to provide a business platform which can combine hardware and software products to deliver package service.

“Development of system board”, the first step to offer the system/platform

―Tell us about efforts/attempts for your target.

Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: As an example for the “transition to a company offering system & platform”, Mr. Sudo’s group is now working on a project to develop a system board using our semi-conductor produced by a foreign capital manufacturer. Being discussed is the development of system board using the products we handle such as microcomputer, processor, memory, power supply device and connector.

Our FAE collects demands of our clients/customers, based on which PCI Group develops the system board. It can be said that Restar Electronics supports sale and PCI Group supports development.

―What do you focus on upon building a cooperative relationship between the both groups?

Sudo [Privatech Inc.]: The point is how Restar and PCI groups can smoothly align, and we, Privatech Inc., intervene them to facilitate the alignment.

Currently, we are given various business opportunities from Restar Group. To take its advantage and reinforce our human resources all the more, we have reformed the organization of PCI group and added value of total solution technology on semi-conductor in the development/manufacturing processes from semi-conductor design to mass production test. As a result, further reinforcement of the alignment is expected between Restar and PCI Groups.

―Vitec Vegetable Factory is an example case of their alignment.

Sudo [Privatech Inc.]: PCI Group has developed systems for data collection utilizing IoT, production management and sales management. Moreover, it is going to consider development of a system utilizing AI to enhance manufacturing efficiency.

Progress of the co-creation. Technology which is required now.

―Perspective on technology that Restar Group targets to achieve.

Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: We need to start with considering “upper stream stage”, that is, end users, to move forward to achieve “transition to a company offering system & platform” and define requirements for the development of platform. Since we have mostly been handling semi-conductor devices to date, we are relatively used to the scheme of considering “middle stream” and “lower stream” stages. However, we have to change it to the scheme of approaching “upper stream” clients/customers in cooperation with co-creation partners and PCI Group.

Recently, co-creation is attempted among co-creation partners including our group entities in the field of AI. Considering the latest environment of electronics industry, we will need to provide systematic service utilizing AI to grasp actual environment and difficulties of the “upper stream” clients/customers and settle the issues in cooperation with our group entities and co-creation partners who have relationship with those “upper stream” clients/customers.

―Are opportunities of co-creation likely to increase?

Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: Needs of our clients/customers cannot be fulfilled by us alone. Depending on a category they belong to, they may not be fulfilled only with our current services. To live up to the demands of our clients/customers, I think opportunities of co-creation are likely to increase further.

―Is there any particular field that you want to focus on, concerning co-creation?

Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: I would pick the field of communication, considering the fact that AI and 5G (5th generation wireless communication system) are drawing high attention. I also think it is essential to reinforce engineers in the communication field as well.
Sudo [Privatech Inc./PCI]: AI is a tool. For instance, Task efficiency can be enhanced by far by replacing a task of check by human eyes with combined technology of AI engine and cameras in factories. There may well be tasks which AI cannot implement and needs to be done by human hands. I think required personnel is who can grasp surrounding environment and various means and come up with optimal and realistic solutions for clients/customers’ requirement.
Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: In that sense, required is the personnel who has technical knowledge and can give advice to our clients/customers. Especially, the needs for such personnel as data scientist is high for proposal of business strategy base on big data.

Advantage of a trading company: exposure to the latest technology and products

―What kind of environment can Restar Group provide for engineers?

Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: Since engineers will always be involved in the latest technology and products as a member of our trading company, it must be attractive to those who are interested in a wide variety of technologies. It would be the merit of a trading company that engineers can be involved in the latest and most hot field of technologies such as AI, 5G and IoT and have infinite opportunities of learning and obtaining added values.
Sudo [Privatech/PCI]: Even from our standpoint of view, it is attractive that we can deal with various business entities and there are a lot of opportunities of business. The strength of a trading company is that it is not dependent on particular things.
Shimizu [Restar Electronics]: Our opportunities lie in various fields, as our target range of clients/customers is wide and big. Even if there is no environment you want now, there is a possibility of its creation depending on your passion. Restar Group is willing to live up to all the demands for electronics from our clients/customers. The area of our business will expand and, thus, our opportunities are infinite.