Fuji Xerox establishes Innovation Office in Singapore

Accelerates Research by Virtually Connecting Japan, Singapore and Silicon Valley to Provide Solutions and Services That Meet Global Needs

 Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. announces the establishment of a research organization in Singapore—the Innovation Office—beginning full-scale operation on October 1. As Fuji Xerox’s new research base of the Asia-Pacific region, the Innovation Office aims to quickly correspond to global customer needs collaborating with Fuji Xerox’s existing two research facilities—Japan’s Fuji Xerox R&D Square in Yokohama and FX Palo Alto Laboratory Inc. in the United States—by conducting research activities with a mid- to long-term perspective in aims of commercializing them as Fuji Xerox’s solutions and services.

With an aim to ultimately deliver technologies that resolve customers’ business challenges, the Innovation Office will create new values by verifying Fuji Xerox’s technologies—including its latest technologies under research—through working closely with customers and partner companies in the Asia-Pacific region excluding Japan. Following the verification, Fuji Xerox researchers and technical staff in Japan who are specialized in areas such as image processing and text analysis will be assigned accordingly to commercialize those values by developing specific solutions/services to offer to customers.

Further, Fuji Xerox will create a virtual showcase, which is a three-dimensional (3D) modeling of some of the research activities taking place at Fuji Xerox’s R&D locations in Japan, the United States and Singapore. Visitors at the three locations can view the latest researches being conducted under a long-term perspective at FX Palo Alto Laboratory, such as Multimedia Processing and Computer-human Interaction Technology, as well as global case studies reflecting the localities of the Asia-Pacific region including Japan and Singapore. The virtual showcase is created incorporating Fuji Xerox’s multimedia technology ^{Note 1} and remote communications technology ^{Note 2}, allowing its customers and research staff working remotely in Japan, Silicon Valley and Singapore to jointly experience the technology and verify its values, as if they are working in the same room.  

“We are pleased that Fuji Xerox has chosen Singapore to establish its new research hub, the Innovation Office,” says Mr. Beng Kong Pee, director of Electronics at the Singapore Economic Development Board ^{Note 3}. “By being in Singapore, Fuji Xerox’s Innovation Office will be able to leverage on our multi-disciplinary R&D environment and diverse talent pool to co-create solutions with the large base of clients and partners headquartered here.”

To date, Fuji Xerox has promoted R&D focusing on solving customers’ business challenges at its main R&D site in Japan, Fuji Xerox R&D Square, while working closely with FX Palo Alto Laboratory that conducts advanced researches in the innovative climate of the Silicon Valley.

Now with the establishment of the Innovation Office in Singapore—which is not only a geographical center of the Asia-Pacific region but also a leading country in terms of commercial distribution, logistics and latest technological research activities—, Fuji Xerox will enhance its R&D structure by incorporating (1) a global perspective to tackle customers’ challenges, (2) latest technologies and (3) business models, to further accelerate its solutions and services business.

Note 1:       Technology that enables, for example, images and videos of the real world to be built into a virtual three dimensional world. Another example is to enable a real sensed information to be reflected onto a model.

Note 2:       Technology that enables several locations to be connected with a remote conferencing system via web interface. 

Note 3:       Singapore's lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business center.https://www.edb.gov.sg/content/edb/en.html

The Speaker 

The speaker for the press event was Michael Chong, General Manager, Fuji Xerox Innovation Office.  As part of the global Fuji Xerox organization comprising R&D and technology management centres in Japan and in the US, Michael will lead Fuji Xerox's drive for innovation and customer value creation from and within the rapidly growing Asia Pacific Markets.  Michael has spent more than 20 years in the telecommunications and infocomm technology businesses, He has extensive professional and management experience in roles ranging from product management, business development, strategic planning, new emerging businesses to corporate venture capital and innovation program management. 

Michael holds a Bachelor's degree with Honours in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore and has attended the Executive Development Program at The Wharton School, Unviersity of Pennsylvania. 

Michael is based in Singapore, the regional headquarters for Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific.

During the presentation, a slide showing the word "Genko-Itchi" in Japanese. Michael explained that Fuji Xerox adhered to Genko Itchi principle which means to match words to deeds and actions. 

About Fuji Xerox

Founded in 1962, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. is a leading company in the Document Services & Communications field, offering solutions and services to help customers resolve their business challenges. Underlying our solutions and services are our world-class office multifunction devices, printers and production printers that we develop and manufacture for worldwide distribution.

Together with cloud and mobile solutions, Fuji Xerox builds a communications environment that enable our customers to access the right information, at the right time, and in the right form—thereby contributing to their valuable communications. Fuji Xerox is a 75-25 joint venture between FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation and Xerox Corporation, and its direct sales force covers Japan and the Asia-Pacific region including China. We employ approximately 45,000 people globally, with more than 80 domestic and overseas affiliates / sales subsidiaries.

http://www.fujixerox.com

About FX Palo Alto LaboratoryFX Palo Alto Laboratory is a leading multimedia research lab established in California, the United States by Fuji Xerox in 1995, conducting long-term research in the Document Services & Communications domain. Its research expertise is in the areas of multimedia, human computer interaction, and information systems. FX Palo Alto Laboratory inherits the innovative culture and far-sighted technological background of Fuji Xerox and honors that tradition by fostering an open and collaborative environment of intellectual exchange. Researchers of FX Palo Alto Laboratory are from diverse professional and academic backgrounds and unite their expertise on multi-disciplinary projects. http://www.fxpal.com/

Photos / Blog by Derrick See