Bid to conduct Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Fiscal 2011 “Research project concerning the promotion of infrastructure systems exports” accepted

　A joint bid by The Japan Research Institute, Limited (The Japan Research Institute, Limited (President: Yasuyuki Kimoto; “JRI”), Hitachi, Ltd. (Representative Executive Officer and President: Hiroaki Nakanishi; “Hitachi”) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (President and CEO: Hideaki Omiya; “MHI”) to conduct a “Fiscal 2011 research project concerning the promotion of infrastructure systems exports (Research of the business potential of smart community, etc., in the global market)” (“the research”) for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, has been accepted and JRI has been appointed as contractor, with Hitachi and MHI as sub-contractors. The three companies will conduct the research in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city (“Tianjin Eco-city”) on enhancing the ratio of renewable energy used with a view to achieving local production-local consumption within the area. The research is due to be completed by March 2012.
　 The research will examine composite energy management methods, covering electric power and thermal energy among others, in the area around the lake in the center of Tianjin Eco-city, which will include a variety of housing, commercial buildings, waste water treatment facilities and amusement complexes, etc. and will therefore present a variety of energy needs.
　JRI, as representative proposer, will be responsible for overall coordination of the project and for market environment analysis. Hitachi will research supply-demand management systems for electricity and thermal energy, basic principles for demand-side systems and methods for the concretization of function specifications, etc., while MHI will research methods for the concretization of electricity and thermally energy supply-side systems. The three companies will also examine possibilities for joint Japanese-Chinese commercialization.
　Tianjin Eco-city is a large-scale eco-city development project that is being pursued as a joint venture between China and Singapore, and is based on the concept of saving resources and enhancing the efficiency of resource recycling. Construction began in the place that was a field of the salt before, in the suburbs of Tianjin City, in September 2008, and a city that will accommodate 350,000 people is expected to be completed between 2020 and 2025. Tianjin Eco-city is attracting interest worldwide as a model for environmentally friendly cities to be built in China and throughout Asia.
　JRI is involved in the establishment of other advanced “smart cities” in Japan and overseas. Among newly developing countries, JRI won the contract for creating a renewable energy plan and energy management plan for Tianjin Eco-city in 2009 and has been involved in smart city developments in Malaysia and Thailand since this year. In each case, it has been working with local governments and companies on smart city development from the concept stage, and actively supporting the participation of Japanese companies.
　Hitachi is focusing on three management themes: “global”, “environment”, and “fusion”. The company is aiming to grow through the global development of its Social Innovation Business, and is expanding its smart city business, which is a key area of that business. Hitachi believes that smart cities should use information and communications systems to coordinate energy, water, mobility, environmental, recycling and other social infrastructure, minimizing the burden on the environment by cutting CO2 emissions and helping to keep social costs down while still being safe and pleasant to live in. Hitachi has taken part in a variety of validation trials and business projects in Japan and overseas, and is pursuing commercialization work.
　MHI manufactures, sells and engineers a range of products including power generation plant, aircraft, space equipment, ships, industrial machinery and air conditioners, and is pursuing “smart community” business that integrates environment- and energy-related technologies. The characteristics of smart communities vary between countries and regions, and between developed and newly developing countries, but MHI is actively pursuing projects geared to their realization while responding to the varying local needs.
　On the basis of the knowledge obtained through the research, the participants aim to participate actively in the building of the environmentally friendly cities planned throughout the world.