President’s Message at the Welcoming Ceremony of New Employees

Hello, everyone. Congratulations on joining ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation. On behalf of the ITOCHU Techno-Solutions ("CTC") Group, I offer a sincere welcome to you all.

You will probably work for about 50 years from today. The world’s population is about 7.7 billion people at present and is projected to grow by around 30% to 10 billion people in 2070, which is 50 years from now. On the other hand, it is forecast that, in 2070, the total population of Japan will have shrunk to 80 million from the current 126 million people, which is a decline of around 30%. People say that IT and AI (artificial intelligence) will deprive us of jobs. However, Japan needs to increasingly make use of IT in order to survive.

When it comes to IT and science, the speed of advances is an important factor. 5G, which has now begun rolling out worldwide, has many advantages over 4G, such as high speeds, less latency and capacity for a larger number of connected devices. 5G will be at least 100 time if not 1,000 times faster than 4G. Advances in IT do not follow the straight line Y=aX but rather the curve Y=aX2, and you are all now part of this fast-changing world.

Although IT has unlimited potential, it will have a significant impact on society, whether good or bad, such as singularity and cyber-attacks, depending on how it is used. Our mission is "Leveraging IT's potential to change the future for the Global Good." Please keep in mind that IT should always be used with a sense of ethics for the Global Good.

I would like to ask two things of you.

First, please aim to become an undisputed professional in the area to which you are assigned. No matter what area you are assigned to, once you come to be recognized by the people around you and the customers in an area of which you are in charge, the way to your next step as a member of society will be paved. This is what working in society means.

And when you encounter an obstacle, please consult with your senior colleagues in each case. A company is a place for team play, and your individual problems are those of the organization.

Some 8,500 senior colleagues are looking forward to working with you. Please take on new challenges without fear and leap into your role as new colleagues.