Uhuru has been Commissions by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to Conduct Smart-City Related Research Work

In the first Proof of Concept of its kind in multiple municipalities aimed at creating a system that enables residents to provide their data with peace of mind, the research will focus on the utilization of data in smart cities using information trust functions.

Uhuru Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takashi Sonoda; hereinafter “Uhuru”) is pleased to announce that it has been commissioned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to conduct research on data utilization in smart cities employing information trust functions.

The use of residents’ personal data plays an important role in promoting smart cities that solve regional issues and make cities more livable for residents. In recent years, the social role of information trust functions (so-called “information banks”) that safely and appropriately manage, store, and utilize personal data has been expanding, and it is expected to serve as a mechanism that balances the protection of individual privacy with the utilization of information. However, there are challenges in terms of how City OS, which manages and controls cities and services in an integrated manner, and data connectivity platforms should be connected, as well as with residents’ understanding of how their personal information will be handled. There are still insufficient examples of data utilization in smart cities. As a result, major IT companies and financial institutions have been conducting studies to verify the creation of such systems and data utilization.

Based on our corporate philosophy “Create a sustainable society with technology and outside the box thinking”, by promoting utilization of data, Uhuru enables digital transformation (DX) by businesses and society. Uhuru has developed a data and service orchestration platform, CUCON, which can also handle personal data, and we have built up a track record of driving smart cities across Japan. Uhuru will conduct PoCs in multiple municipalities, utilizing residents’ personal data in a variety of fields employing the information trust functionality, marking the first time such research has been conducted across multiple municipalities. The company will verify functions related to data utilization, such as data utilization methods, the resident consent process, and data tracking methods, in order to explore mechanisms that allow residents to provide their personal data with confidence and to determine the optimal service content that encourages data provision. Furthermore, Uhuru plans to propose guidelines concerning the handling of residents’ personal data in information banks, with advice and supervision from experts.