Monozukuri MBA

Introducing the live virtual "Manufacturing MBA" by Professor Kazuhiko Kato.

Course Mission

In our country, which is at the forefront of a declining birthrate and a super-aging society, people are calling for the importance of working from a long-term perspective, such as extending the retirement age and lifelong active service. On the other hand, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and bioengineering are having a great impact on our lives and work. It is said that "Industry 4.0" is just around the corner, where manufacturing will be revolutionized by digitalization and computerization. Now, people working in manufacturing companies are faced with the need to develop their careers from a long-term perspective into this kind of era.

Manufacturing Awakened by Servitization Professor Kazuhiko Kato

Until now, Toyota has expanded its global sales volume by providing vehicles (vehicles) based on the "Toyota Production System" and having its internal parts manufactured by partner companies (group companies). Automakers in various countries have been competing for market share by improving their products and promoting improvement activities. This course fosters strategic thinking about globalization with a theme of new values, including automated driving technology.

• Can Toyota survive as a leader?
• Can the auto industry survive in the future?

Participants were filled with enthusiasm as they thought and debated about everyday questions that are familiar to us through cases.

After working at DDI (now KDDI), a venture company born from the liberalization of telecommunications, he opened a new office and worked on domestic sales planning. After returning to Japan After returning to Japan, he was in charge of the competitive strategy for servers as the Japan representative of the Competitive Strategy Office (WarRoom) at Sun Microsystems, a Silicon Valley IT company in the U.S. He also held positions at the Japanese subsidiaries of global IT companies, including the promotion of new IP-based solutions in the Japanese market at Cisco Systems. After working as a coordinator of medical-engineering and industry-academia-government collaboration in Chukyo area, he has been in his current position since 2016. Completed the doctoral course at Waseda University Graduate School (Doctor of Commerce, Waseda University). He specializes in "Management Strategy," "Management Information Theory," "International Management Strategy," "Venture Business Theory," etc.