The Hitachi Innovation Forum 2014 Singapore (HIFS) was held on 18 & 19 November 2014 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.\u00a0 Themed \u201cSOCIAL INNOVATION – IT’S OUR FUTURE: Empowering Business and Society with information\u201d, the event showcased Hitachi\u2019s Social Innovation in the global market through hosted exhibition, conference and seminars, presenting a wide range of services, systems and solutions that addressed challenges facing ASEAN cities and societies.<\/p>\n
This event marked the first time the Hitachi Innovation Forum was held out of Japan and in Southeast Asia, and celebrated Hitachi\u2019s 50 years of presence in Singapore.<\/p>\n
To express Hitachi\u2019s appreciation to the continuous support of our existing business partners and stakeholders, a dinner Reception was hosted on 18th November. The party opened with a video on Hitachi\u2019s 50 years of history in Singapore, followed by a welcome address by Mr Toshiaki Higashihara, President & Chief Operating Officer of Hitachi, Ltd.<\/p>\n
Guest of honour Mr S Iswaran (Minister, Prime Minister\u2019s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Trade and Industry) also gave a speech where he highlighted Hitachi\u2019s milestones as well as contributions to the Singapore community. He also added that the country welcomes and looks forward to further collaborations with Hitachi to build more smart-sustainable city solutions to meet the needs of an increasingly connected and complex world of the future.<\/p>\n
The reception party was a good avenue for the guests from Singapore and other countries to catch up with one another, as well as to network with new faces. The reception dinner ended with a hippo bus tour to view the Christmas Light-Up decorations along Orchard Road, which Hitachi Group has been the main sponsor of for the past 24 years.<\/p>\n
The Hitachi Innovation Forum commenced on 19th November with Mr Yutaka Saito, Representative Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Executive Officer, President & CEO of Information & Telecommunication Systems Group and Information & Telecommunication Systems Company Hitachi, Ltd., addressing the crowd of more than 300 guests. Other reputable speakers included Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, Mr Neville Vincent, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Asia Pacific, of Hitachi Data Systems, and Professor Neo Boon Siong of Nanyang Technological University.
\nFollowing the Conference session, a total of 14 seminars were conducted by representatives from various Hitachi business groups and group companies. The speakers spoke on a variety of topics, ranging from smart city to IT solutions, and introduced the existing solutions by Hitachi to meet the challenges in the region.
\nAt the exhibition area, visitors were able to find out more about how Hitachi\u2019s Social Innovation is used in businesses and society, as well as the products and services offered by various business groups and group companies from the Hitachi Group. The history of Hitachi in Singapore was also demonstrated through a timeline panel, inclusive of key milestones.<\/p>\n
The two-day event attracted a total of more than 1,200 visitors, including invited guests, media personnel and members of the public. Many commented that the event was a good insight to Social Innovation and gave them a better understanding of Hitachi and what the company has achieved in the region in the past 50 years.
\nAsia is one of the most important markets for the Hitachi Group; HIFS serves not just as a showcase of Hitachi\u2019s business portfolio and capabilities, but also a reaffirmation of Hitachi\u2019s commitment in Singapore and the ASEAN region.<\/p>\n<\/div>