JST launched Cutting-edge Research and Development on Information & Communication Sciences (CRONOS) in FY2024 with the aim to create innovative information and communication technology based on new ideas and develop human resources. Program Director (PD) Hiromichi Shinohara, Program Officer (PO) Akihiro Nakao, and PO Yoshihiro Kawahara discussed the future prospects of "Grand Challenge 2025," now in its second year, and shared messages for researchers.
Essential infrastructure for social development — Aiming for evolution and deepening through synergy
Shinohara: Information and communication systems are indispensable infrastructure for the future development of society and economy. In Japan, information and communication science fields, such as information communication and information processing, have traditionally been separate research areas. However, to build innovative information and communication systems that will bring about transformative changes to future society, we must establish a system where both fields advance research together. Based on this philosophy, CRONOS has set "Grand Challenges" (Fig. p.13), challenging goals that will have a significant impact on society. Also, CRONOS is promoting research and development based on new ideas by facilitating collaboration between information communication and information processing and linking fundamental research with applied technology.
Kawahara: Computer science-based academic societies, especially in the West, have successfully overlapped and integrated information and communication. When I studied at a U.S. university in 2011, their curriculum comprehensively covered both information communication and information science, and incorporated social sciences to conduct research that predicted our future society. Meanwhile, in Japan, these fields have been separate, so I was a bit surprised when I heard that JST was establishing a new program in the information and communications field. Now, I expect that CRONOS will help open new horizons for Japan's information and communication science by transcending barriers to connect with other fields.
Nakao: One significant concern for me is the declining number of young researchers entering the information and communications field over the past two decades, including among members of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers to which I belong. Talented human resources are essential for the development of new technologies. I believe CRONOS's strong emphasis on human resource development sends an impactful and encouraging message to young researchers.
Shinohara: From the 1990s to the 2000s, Japan led the world in building high-speed, high-capacity broadband networks, represented by optical communications. Meanwhile, the United States focused more on application development, which fostered businesses symbolized by GAFA. Given this background, more researchers in Japan began to pursue applications, and relatively fewer researchers remained in communications infrastructure.
Kawahara: With the widespread use of the internet today, developing innovative information and communication systems utilizing AI (artificial intelligence), for example, requires more than application researchers — it is increasingly important for them to collaborate with researchers tackling advanced communications infrastructure technologies.
Shinohara: The focus now is on how to bring together researchers' wisdom. We need synergy where the development of communications technology advances information processing systems and vice versa. This is what CRONOS aims to achieve.
Concept of the Grand Challenge
Workshop Held at the End of Last Year: Researchers Participated Widely to Deepen Mutual Understanding
Shinohara: In the projects first year, "Grand Challenge 2024", we received 147 proposals, and both POs cooperated to select 18 of them.
Nakao: During the selection process, we prioritized criteria including alignment with the Grand Challenge objectives, awareness of the overall evolution of information and communication, technological feasibility of visionary ideas, and perspectives on human resource development and social impact. We received numerous applications from researchers in their 30s and 40s, and I was impressed by their enthusiasm to address groundbreaking themes.
Kawahara: There were many attractive proposals, which made selection difficult. The ones we adopted seemed to share characteristics such as clear and expansive challenge content, exciting and interesting ideas, and persuasive clarity.
Shinohara: Based on our previous efforts, we identified improvements for "Grand Challenge 2025." In December, we held a workshop with experts (see p.14), also taking into account the call for information conducted on the CRONOS webpage from late October to early December 2024.
Nakao: The workshop brought together researchers from diverse fields. In my session, participants exchanged insights around three key themes: (1) communication architecture, (2) communication elemental technologies, and (3) applications and security in communications, significantly enhancing mutual understanding. It was a highly productive discussion that helped clarify directions for this year's application themes.
Kawahara: Recent information system research, exemplified by the development of large language models in AI, requires collaboration among researchers from various fields. In my session, we discussed two themes: (1) modeling and benchmarking problems that tackle important social issues, and (2) innovation in information and communication systems driven by new needs. I expect these discussions to expand networks among researchers across different domains.
Expectations for proposals that will add value to the future: Let's all tackle the "Big Mountain" together
Shinohara: For "Grand Challenge 2025," for which we began accepting applications in March, we hope to receive proactive proposals for new challenges that will lead to a transformation of the society of the future.
Nakao: CRONOS is also a gateway to success for young researchers. I look forward to challenging proposals that will provide value to future society, based on the innovation of (1) architecture, (2) elemental technologies, and (3) services and security that support cyber infrastructure, utilizing human networks that transcend research domains.
Kawahara: New possibilities emerge only when advances in AI, high-speed computing, etc., are linked with the development of communication infrastructure technologies. To stand at the forefront of this, I'd like researchers to consider three pillars with insight into the demands of the next era: (1) new mechanisms for basic architecture and applications, (2) data-driven decision support and overcoming forecast uncertainty, and (3) development of information processing that evolves through the accumulation and analysis of benchmark data. The goal indicated by the Grand Challenge is the vision of society expected to be realized in the future. No researcher can climb this big mountain alone. I look forward to the emergence of researchers with leadership who can call on "everyone to climb together" and involve people from other fields to accomplish this.
Shinohara: CRONOS is a great opportunity. I hope you will envision a "great dream" with innovative ideas not bound by common sense and take on the challenge of realizing it.
(Article: Shinji Moribe, Photography: Hideki Ishihara)