Interviews with experts and opinion leaders from our research network
As challenges surrounding modern society, such as climate change and pandemics grow more complex, global efforts to explore sustainability persist. In July 2022, Hitachi, Ltd. and Imperial College London (Imperial) signed an agreement establishing a joint research centre for developing decarbonization and natural climate solutions. We interviewed Hugh Brady, President of Imperial and a leading healthcare and biomedical expert, about multi-stakeholder collaboration ecosystems and the development of talent for addressing global societal issues and achieving well-being. (Interviewer: Norihiro Suzuki, Chairman of the Board of Hitachi Research Institute.)
Professor Hugh Brady is President of Imperial College London. Prior to his appointment in August 2022, he served as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bristol from 2015 to 2022, and President of University College Dublin (UCD) from 2004 to 2013.
A graduate of UCD, he trained in general medicine and nephrology, and was awarded PhD and MD degrees for research in renal physiology and molecular medicine, respectively. His academic career as a physician-scientist included positions at Harvard Medical School, the University of Toronto, and UCD. He is an international authority on the pathogenesis of renal inflammation and diabetic kidney disease.
He is a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the Queen’s University Belfast, an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Anaesthetists in Ireland, and the Robert Menzies Medal from the University of Melbourne.
He is a member of the Council of the Royal College of Art and the League of European Research Universities (LERU), and chaired Ireland’s Public Health Reform Expert Advisory Group. He has also served as a member of Ireland’s Higher Education Authority, and was a non-executive director of Kerry Group plc, and ICON plc.
Suzuki: Today's theme is global challenges and innovation toward well-being and a sustainable future for humanity. In Japan, the government and businesses are promoting "Society 5.0," aiming to create a human-centric society that integrates cyber and physical systems to achieve economic development and solve societal issues by 2030. Hitachi aims to contribute to a sustainable society with data and technologies through its Social Innovation Business and its long-term environmental target, Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050.*1 I believe that there are commonalities among the concepts of Society 5.0, social innovation, and Imperial's “Science for Humanity”.
Let us start by discussing climate change and sustainable transformation, two of the biggest challenges facing humanity. I would like to discuss Sustainable Imperial's strategy*2 for enhancing research and talent development in these areas, and hear your views on Imperial’s role and vision in addressing global challenges for a sustainable society.
Brady: It is inspiring to see the similarities between Japan and the UK in terms of the importance placed on the sustainability agenda by universities, major industries, and governments in both countries. There is a commonality in the approach and openness to partnership. You mentioned our new strategy, titled "Science for Humanity," which has sustainability and a sustainable society at its core. It envisages how we can use our education programs to produce climate science-knowledgeable graduates, advocates, ambassadors, and leaders of the future. Here, we take a multilayered approach. First, our ambition is that all graduates, whether in medicine, engineering, business, or natural sciences, will be literate in climate science and therefore serve as powerful advocates in society and their workplaces in the fight against climate change. Second, we offer an extensive menu of more specialized undergraduate and master's courses that address the causation of climate change and the knowledge and technology needed to mitigate and hopefully reverse climate change and biodiversity loss. Third, we are establishing a new Imperial Institute for Extended Learning, providing workplace individuals, particularly middle and senior managers and executives, with opportunities to acquire deep-dives into climate science and cleantech through bespoke short courses that will advance their own careers and future-proof their host organizations – all focused on addressing the existential threat of our time.
Our strategy also prioritises research and enterprise activity addressing climate change. For example, one of our four new Schools of Convergence Science, which will be established by 2025, will focus on climate, energy, sustainability, and resilience, and will bring together almost 1000 researchers investigating various aspects of climate science. Our strategy will also see the further development of Undaunted,*3 our cleantech incubator and accelerator, which is a partnership between Imperial and The Royal Institution.
Finally, but very importantly, our new strategy places a major emphasis on how we mainstream sustainability into our everyday campus activities and operations – addressing everything from the food we offer to our travel and investment policies to how we construct and manage our estate.
Suzuki: To realize sustainability, it is crucial to foster innovation that simultaneously solves complex issues in the fields of decarbonization, circular economy, and biodiversity. What are your thoughts on the role of collaborating with academic partners or private companies in driving innovation?
Brady: I think the threat of climate change, the challenge of sustainability, and the challenge of biodiversity loss require us to act at unprecedent speed and to employ innovative approaches that challenge traditional methods. That is why our collaboration at the joint research centre is so important. Through collaboration, we not only achieve greater scale but also view the problem through different but complementary lenses Imperial naturally views the problem through a more academic lens and an enterprise, like Hitachi, through a more commercial lens. Our collaboration with Hitachi is a wonderful example of how we should work and can work with the world's leading companies, particularly science and technology-based companies toward climate change mitigation. Through our collaboration with Hitachi, we also strengthen collaborations and conversations with academic institutions such as the University of Tokyo, the Japanese government, and the UK government.
Suzuki: Looking at the reality, achieving the 1.5°C target*4 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions is becoming increasingly difficult. Although there is global consensus on continuing decarbonization efforts, there is also a conflict regarding pathways and countermeasures between European countries and the Middle East and India, focusing on balancing decarbonization with economic growth to achieve the 1.5°C target. To achieve a sustainable energy transition, we should consider multiple approaches, including technology breakthroughs like hydrogen technology, carbon dioxide capture utilization and storage (CCUS), and small modular reactors (SMR). Collaboration among academia, industry, and government is essential.
What is your opinion on this?
Brady: This is where universities can add something valuable: their ability to convene and create a trusted and safe space for difficult conversations between different parties, including academia, government, regulators, industry, and even different countries. Also, many of our academic staff play very important roles in policy development, advocacy, and public engagement. For example, Professor James Skea, one of our emeritus professors, is now the new chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Universities, as trusted and honest brokers, can play a convening role on both their campuses and through the organisations they are involved in. These challenging conversations, which are too often portrayed as black and white, are more often than not nuanced and complex, with multiple shades of grey. I anticipate that the convening role of leading research universities will become increasingly important in the future.
Suzuki: As you mentioned, collaboration between academia and business will become increasingly important. Therefore, collaboration such as that between Imperial, Hitachi, and the University of Tokyo, will play a vital and significant role in realizing net zero.
Suzuki: Significant advances in biomedical science, along with the impact of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and robotics, have greatly influenced the healthcare industry and the ecosystem, in leading healthcare innovation and improving quality of life. As you mentioned at the exhibition of biomedical science in Yokohama, October 2023, messenger RNA (mRNA) and gene therapy are some typical examples. From the perspective of biomedical science, your area of specialty, what are your views on the technologies that you are watching in the healthcare field, and their impact on the industry?
Brady: It is astounding how technology has transformed all aspects of medicine in such a short period of time. The Human Genome Project*5 along with advances in genome sequencing and the dramatic reduction in its cost, have provided us with an incredible repository that is yielding so many breakthroughs in our understanding of disease susceptibility and pathophysiology. Advances in various ‘omics’ have enhanced this armamentarium. AI is rapidly transforming the speed and accuracy of diagnostics – transforming areas such as pathology, histology and radiology. AI is also very important in drug discovery, and mRNA technology has spawned new therapeutics, including the COVID vaccines.
The UK has an important initiative called the UK Dementia Research Institute,*6 which looks at the use of complementary technologies to help dementia-affected individuals and exemplifies the importance of multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding, diagnosing and treating common diseases. Imperial is the only UK university to host two constituent centres of the UK Dementia Research Institute. One is predominantly life sciences-based and focuses on disease pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. The second utilizes leading edge data and computational science, and engineering approaches to enable patients live higher quality independent lives with the disease for longer. However, while the primary focus and disciplinary emphasis differs in each centre, it’s a sign of the times that both involve close collaboration between medics, scientists and engineers, learning and sharing each others scientific languages and research approaches.
You specifically mentioned robotics, and I want to highlight that Imperial is one of the leading centres in the UK for MedTech, including the field of surgical robotics. It is amazing how surgical robotics has reduced morbidity and mortality rates while boosting the effectiveness of surgical intervention. This technology benefits not just the patients in our academic teaching hospitals in London but also enables our surgeons to participate in remote surgeries across the globe.
And, of course, the two major themes we’ve discussed, namely healthcare and climate science, are becoming intimately linked. Climate change is causing changes in the patterns of disease we see in our own countries. This includes the direct effects of excessive heat, cold and unpredictable and extreme weather events on human health in our respective nations. Equally worryingly, climate change is facilitating the spread and survival of pathogens across borders either directly or indirectly through different vectors and carriers. If anything, this further highlights the increasing importance of interdisciplinarity, convergence science,*7 and cross-sectoral collaboration. It requires climate scientists, behavioural scientists, life scientists and health scientists, among others, to collaborate at unprecedented scale if we are to fully understand the full extent of climate-health risks and develop mitigations. It requires us not just to work across disciplines but also to learn each other's disciplinary languages and models of exploration, and to work collaboratively to develop new models. These are the core components of so-called convergence science which lies at the heart of Imperial’s new strategy. We will be much more effective in addressing these global challenges by working in partnership with industry, governments, regulators, citizens, and patient groups. It will also give us the scale and the speed that the public expects if we are to solve the challenges of chronic diseases such as diabetes and dementia.
Suzuki: In the healthcare field, Hitachi develops and deploys operational technologies and solutions through co-creation with customers. These solutions are based on industry-leading products in diagnostics, therapy, and regenerative medicine, such as biochemical immunology devices, proton beam therapy, and automated cell culture equipment for iPS cells. The next step is to leverage IT to develop seamless, comprehensive solutions across the value chain, thereby improving patients' quality of life and reducing the burden of medical expenses. I believe that fostering an innovation ecosystem is essential to achieving this goal. Imperial is vigorously promoting the establishment and growth of university-centered ecosystems like the Imperial West Tech Corridor.*8 How do these initiatives differ from previous collaborations between industry, government, and academia?
Brady: Even 10 years ago, different types of research organizations tended to operate in separate silos, not just universities and industries but also local and national governments. However, over time, more dynamic and open partnership models have evolved for the better. Another important element you alluded to is the need for organizations to earn the trust of customers, patients, and citizens. For example, our new White City Deep Tech Campus, which opened in 2012, is not only a blueprint for interdisciplinary and convergence science, but a model for engagement with citizens and community organizations to build trust and co-create research projects. A particularly productive area of research focus with our local community has been the triangulation of environmental change, pollution, and the health with citizens.
A parallel focus has been to use our graduate pipeline, research, innovation and convening power at White City to fuel a new innovation ecosystem, both to start-up and scale-up new companies, and to serve as a research and innovation partner for industry. Here again, the support of the local community has been a key ingredient of success – as has strong engagement with and support from local government.
The success of our White City Deep Tech Campus was the inspiration to go further and bring together a number of Imperial’s innovation assets in West London to create the Imperial West Tech Corridor. Rather than letting them to develop organically, we have engaged in conversations with multiple stakeholders to explore how we can work together to achieve an innovation ecosystem that is greater than the sum of its parts. Our goal is to both compete with and ultimately partner with the other great innovation ecosystems of the world.
We are not trying to duplicate or replicate existing great ecosystems such as Silicon Valley. Instead, we aim to learn from them and combine those learnings with our own ideas to create a unique Imperial ecosystem in London.
The reaction we have received from citizens, community groups, local government, the Greater London Authority and industry has been very encouraging. There is a shared ambition to create a powerful new engine for inclusive economic growth, job creation and wealth creation.
Suzuki: Creating an ecosystem with the local community is critical. With my technical background in digital signal processing, I am particularly interested in the digital impact on healthcare. In March 2021, Imperial launched the I-X Initiative,*9 which aims to tackle societal issues using AI and data science. Last year, we witnessed the rapid evolution of generative AI technologies like ChatGPT. How will AI and data contribute to solving healthcare challenges?
Brady: AI should play a central role in our efforts to solve healthcare problems, as well as challenges in many different areas. AI is one of Imperial’s major strengths. In total, Imperial has almost 1000 researchers working on various aspects of AI spread across Imperial’s academic departments and schools. A landmark development to harness the full potential of this expertise was the establishment of I-X, our AI-focused digital foundry. This initiative provides a modest physical space to co-locate early career AI researchers at Imperial as well as bringing AI communities together virtually focused on priority areas – healthcare being one of the latter. The success of the I-X initiative prompted us to build further scale by focusing one of our new Schools of Convergence Science on Human and Artificial Intelligence. There should be multiple benefits from the creation of these new cross-cutting Schools of Convergence Science. First, they should provide the external world with a better shop window for Imperial expertise. Second, they should allow us to make better use of our convening power to bring together academia, industry, regulators, governments, and investors to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by areas such as AI. Third, the new cross-cutting schools will give us an opportunity to create a space for academic colleagues from different disciplines to collaborate and explore significant research and innovation opportunities of scale, importantly, in collaboration with industry and other knowledge partners. Fourth, our new schools seek to address requests from our PhD students for more interdisciplinary experience. Finally, and importantly for industry, in areas such as AI, the new cross-cutting School will create a much larger AI community through which to scan the skills horizon - identifying the skills and leadership capabilities that academia, industry, and governments will need in the future.
Suzuki: Before the next question, let me introduce Hitachi Research Institute (HRI), established around 50 years ago in 1973 by Kenichiro Komai, then chairman of Hitachi, Ltd. At that time, Hitachi was navigating the reconstruction of the world economic order amidst the chaos of events like the acknowledgment of planetary limits and the uncertainty brought about by oil shocks and economic crashes. HRI began conducting research in social sciences and related fields, including economics, society, the environment, and industry, functioning as an in-house think tank. One of HRI's missions is to foster cohesion within the Hitachi Group and to nurture leaders who think comprehensively and holistically using a total systems approach. The question I would like to ask you is: Based on your experience, what mindset and qualities do you believe are essential for top and middle management, as well as research leaders, to effectively address global challenges such as climate change and increasing geopolitical complexity?
Brady: First and foremost, I must commend the remarkable vision of the Hitachi leadership in establishing HRI in 1973, a vision that is still applicable today. At Imperial, we take pride in producing the future leaders in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and business. This requires that our graduates become experts in their respective disciplines, whether that's medicine, natural sciences, engineering, or business. However, it is increasingly important for them to work across disciplines, having both disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge, as well as communication and interpersonal skills to work across sectors. Moreover, our graduates must be global citizens capable of working across borders, as many of the challenges we face as a society are global in nature and can only be mitigated and solved through international collaboration. In many ways, HRI‘s mission statement from 1973 articulated the importance of taking a systems approach to big societal problems. If one only looks narrowly at a single aspect of a problem, for example carbon in the context of sustainability, there is a danger of overlooking other important contributors to our planetary crisis such as non-carbon pollutants or biodiversity loss. What we are learning is the importance of taking a systems-approach with convergence science at its heart and underpinned by cross-sector and transnational collaboration.
I stress again that this new paradigm must also involve citizens and customers. The discussions surrounding the pandemic and climate change have highlighted the importance of earning the trust of the public and our customers. Without their trust, it will be difficult to gain the traction we need and to achieve the required impact at speed to address these great challenges of our time. We emphasize to our students the importance of graduating with a holistic view of the world, enabling them to play their full part as citizens, rather than solely as STEM or business leaders.
Suzuki: In Japan, many universities recognize the importance of STEM or STEAM education, which includes the liberal and fine arts. In your President’s Address last month,*10 you highlighted the concept of STEM + Business (“STEMB”). Could you share your thoughts and rationale for emphasizing STEMB and its significance?
Brady: Imperial is already a STEMB institution with four faculties: natural sciences, engineering, medicine, and business. Our four schools of convergence science will build on that STEMB focus. Our Business School deserves special mention. While many business schools in the world talk about collaboration with STEM, they often operate as independent empires within their host universities. Imperial Business School has collaborations with STEM imprinted in its Scientific solutions require strong business cases for maximal impact. Our Business School academics collaborate with STEM colleagues with an intensity and success that I have not witnessed elsewhere. This unique strength attracts a different type of students and staff to Imperial, and it underpins many of our most successful national and international research collaborations, as well as much of our policy work. We are eager to further develop this area through partnerships.
Suzuki: As technology, particularly AI, advances at a rapid pace, the importance of ethics and philosophy has never been greater. Ethical conduct and business practices are essential for both individuals and organizations striving to create a sustainable and healthier world. Leaders and researchers must consider the potential negative aspects and ethical issues related to the societal implementation of technologies like AI and biotech. What kinds of ethical frameworks or philosophies should next-generation leaders adopt to effectively address societal and environmental challenges?
Brady: World-leading education and research institutions such as Imperial, with a strong STEMB focus, need to ensure that students don’t just acquire the necessary technical knowledge and skills to thrive but also develop understanding of the wider implications and ethical considerations associated with technology. Equally, in basic or applied research, as well as commercial development, we must consider not just the upsides but also the potential downsides of new technology, ideally at an early stage. We should aim to consider the ethical and regulatory aspects before we roll out these technologies, rather than addressing them after they have been brought to market. That requires us to work in partnership with experts in ethics, law and social sciences, as well as with governments and regulators.
As an example, we are currently in discussions with the World Economic Forum (WEF), which hosts the Center for the 4th Industrial Revolution, to establish a Centre for AI-driven Innovation at Imperial with a view to using our convening power to facilitate the development of ethical frameworks for the responsible and productive rollout of AI to deliver accelerated innovation. The UK government is supporting us, and we have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the WEF President.
Suzuki: Yes, safely deploying innovative technologies in society requires us to consider their potential downsides, and establishing partnerships with various stakeholders is increasingly important to achieve this.
Suzuki: I would like to conclude by asking for your advice or expectations for Hitachi and HRI. But first, let me highlight some of Hitachi’s activities in the UK for our readers. For example, Hitachi has a significant presence in the UK railway sector, with many of its rail carriages running on lines such as the East Coast Main Line. Additionally, Hitachi Energy has been selected as a preferred technology provider for the UK's longest high voltage direct current (HVDC) project.
Could you share your vision for the future, particularly from 2030 to 2050, with a focus on sustainability and healthcare?
Brady: Hitachi researchers should be proud that they are part of one of the world's great technology companies, with a long history of visionary and groundbreaking work. In the modern era, unprecedented cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral and transnational collaboration is required between likeminded partners if we are to make our world healthier, safer, smarter, more prosperous and more sustainable. Organizations like Hitachi and Imperial have a special part to play. This is why our new joint research centre has such enormous potential. The combination of our joint ambition, bravery, hope, and technological expertise bodes well for its future success.
Suzuki: To create a greater impact for the society, could you please share your expectations and the role you believe Hitachi should play?
Brady: I am greatly impressed that Hitachi thinks deeply not just about the technologies it develops and their applications, but also about how to work with customers, regulators, research partners and governments to build trust and consider its wider societal obligations. It is one of the world’s great technology companies and can be a key player in addressing the grand challenges facing humanity and our planet. Speaking on behalf of the entire Imperial community, I can say that we have greatly valued our collaboration with Hitachi over the past few years. Our ambition is to scale up our partnership over the decades ahead, so that we can together make the world smarter, safer, healthier, and more sustainable and prosperous.
Suzuki: Thank you very much for your kind words. I am truly honored and proud to be a part of Hitachi. Your encouragement has strengthened my resolve to actively engage in our grand challenges toward achieving Well-being and a Sustainable Future. Thank you again for today’s wonderful conversation.
The importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration is growing as humanity faces increasingly complex, intertwined, and global challenges. This collaboration must include not only industry, government, and academia, but also local communities and residents. As Professor Brady highlighted, it is essential to have experts with interdisciplinary research literacy and to create an ecosystem that harnesses their collective knowledge and skills to maximize the impact, efficiency, scale, and speed needed today. One of the objectives of the Imperial-Hitachi joint research centre is to produce the next generation of scientists, engineers, and business leaders capable of advancing efforts to combat climate change. Additionally, Hitachi Research Institute will engage in open research activities with its partners to foster a collaborative environment aimed at achieving a sustainable world.
Norihiro Suzuki, Chairman, Hitachi Research Institute
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