The interview was conducted by Jana Vennegerts
How did you get in touch with inIT?
Contact was established for the first time in the fall of 2017. TIRI sent a delegation to Germany to find out about the state of Industrie 4.0 and IoT model factories. They visited the Smart Factory OWL in Lemgo and learned a lot about the projects from inIT. The contact person for the visit was Professor Röcker. After I joined TIRI in 2018, Professor Röcker visited our institute in Tokyo and discussed further possibilities of exchange between the two research institutes, such as just the exchange of scientists. Since Professor Röcker and I have the same research interests on IoT and Human-Centered Design, I wanted to take the chance and collaborate with him. In November 2018, I then visited the inIT together with my colleagues and Professor Röcker showed me their research environment. As a result, I then decided to work at inIT for a certain period of time in October 2019. So I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who helped me to take advantage of such a great opportunity.
What are your main tasks?
The most important thing is joint research with the OWL University of Applied Sciences. I am expected to deliver concrete results, in the form of scientific publications. Based on this, I would like to find organizational possibilities that make long-term cooperation possible. To achieve this, it would be important to obtain funding for international research. In addition to research, I participate in some industry exhibitions and conferences to report on the current state of technologies and their social acceptance in Europe.
How long will you be at inIT and what do you like most about your work?
I will be here until the beginning of March, so five months in total. I am quite surprised that half of the time is already over now. I spend most of my time reading scientific articles and discussing research topics with professors and students. Currently, I am working on how service design can contribute to human well-being even in the age of digital technologies. Here I am working with other research assistants on two different research topics. The first topic, which I am working on with Professor Röcker and my colleague Hitesh Dhiman, is a study of how
product/service design expectations change in relation to issues of trust and well-being. The second topic is about employee well-being and organizational performance. For both topics, we would like to explore and discuss the cross-cultural differences between Germany and Japan.
What differences do you see here, compared to your work in Tokyo?
Here in Japan, sometimes our job responsibilities are not clearly defined. In comparison, people working here seem to focus exactly on their own job. Also, Germany and Japan have very different education systems. In Japan, the majority of engineering students first do their master's degree before they start working in a company. So this system describes a clear direction from studies to industry. In Germany, both directions seem to be possible. I have heard that in Germany people with work experience still do a master's or PhD while still being employed by professors as research assistants. That sounds like an excellent system to me. I also feel that the maturity and skills of the students are quite different compared to the students from Japan.
How would you describe the working atmosphere at inIT?
The inIT is located in the CENTRUM INDUSTRIAL IT (CIIT) and it is very creative and pleasant there. There are table tennis tables and foosball, but also sofa corners and places to retreat. In this atmosphere, everyone can super concentrate on their work and keep a clear head. I also felt the openness of the building and the people when I saw some employees having lunch together with their family in the cafeteria at work. There would be nothing like that in Japan.
Could you imagine staying here longer?
I think so. If I get the opportunity, I would stay here longer.
What do you like most about Lemgo? Is it a big change to live here?
Lemgo is a compact city with a lot of nature. Although I sometimes have language problems, of course, life here is very pleasant and stress-free for me. I now live in Lemgo in an apartment near the old train station in Brake. I like the area there very much. I enjoy going for walks because it is very green here. My apartment in Japan is in a crowded residential area and is not close to nature at all. I have also thought about moving to a place with more nature in Japan.
What do you do in your free time?
I came here with my wife and 11-month-old son, fortunately. So I spend a lot of time with the two of them. I also have more time for my son here than I did in Japan. I am very happy about that.
Have you visited a few other German cities? Which one did you like best?
Since I've been in Germany, I've been to Düsseldorf and Bielefeld. I plan to travel to Münster, Berlin and Frankfurt by the end of my stay. Although each city has its own advantages, I prefer living in Lemgo.