R&D Focus Area: Service Science, Solutions and Foundation Integrated Research Program
PUBLIC NEEDS
Area Director:
Norihisa DOI,
Professor Emeritus,
Keio University
Approximately 70-80% of the entire industrial composition is said to relate to the service sector nowadays. Although efficiencies are indeed important, if we put too much emphasis on them, services can become de-humanized and one might forget the people for whom these services are intended in the first place. Under our program, we always keep in mind that recipients of services are human beings (clients). We take raw data in to examine a phenomenon from various perspectives, combining natural, cultural and social sciences for analysis. What is the definition of service? What can be done to make a service better? Through our Program, we will pursue the answers to these questions.
Program Outline
1. Service Science, Solutions and Foundation Integrated Research Program
"Service Science Solutions and Foundation Integrated Research Program" is one that identifies the specific and latent needs of society and uses actual data and case studies to develop technologies, methodologies etc. for solving problems based on a multidisciplinary approach, as well as pursuing research designed to establish "Service Science" research infrastructure.
2. The Approach to "Services" and "Service Science"
The role of services is to produce social and economic value. There are many different types of services, ranging from financial, retail and information services, to environment and energy, administration, social welfare and medical care, and other public services. In Japan, services were once considered to be something added on to products, or commoditized in the service industry as opposed to the manufacturing industry.
However, the value created by services does not consist only of that produced through the exchange of services for currency (exchange value); it also includes the value produced through the use of objects and services (utility value). In recent years, the view that services (the service industry) and products (the manufacturing industry) are inseparable is becoming prevalent worldwide. One of the differences between "Service Science" as used in this Program and the conventional scientific and service-related research is the introduction of a scientific approach to existing services in an effort to make them more efficient and optimal. Another difference is the approach to the various services in society that includes both service providers and beneficiaries. This will produce scientific knowledge regarding concepts, theories, technologies and methodologies that will be used to establish a new academic foundation, as well as improving existing value and creating new value.
Here "science" includes the natural sciences such as mathematics and information and communications engineering and so on as well as the humanities and social sciences such as management, marketing, and cultural anthropology. Based on the above description, "Service Science" will be defined in this Program as "academic activities for the establishment of service-related scientific concepts, theories, technologies and methodologies and the use of the results from these activities."
GOALS:
- (1) Develop technologies, methodologies etc. that are effective in solving problems
- (2) Establish a research foundation for "Service Science"
- (3) Contribute to society through the use of the results of the research in various services to resolve specific problems
- (4) Help create a community of "Service Science" researchers and practitioners (activists) for implementation
Two Research Approaches: A) Solution-oriented "Service Science" Research and B) Foundation-oriented "Service Science" Research
In order to achieve the above objectives, two approaches to research have been established:
A) Solution-oriented "Service Science" Research, in which the research starts with the resolution of specific service-related problems
B) Foundation-oriented "Service Science" Research, in which the research starts with the "Service Science" research element
The solutions from research approach A and the creation of scientific concepts, theories, technologies and methodologies created by research approach B are expected to complement one another, resulting in the generalization and systematization of "Service Science" research elements and helping to create a research foundation for "Service Science".
R&D Research Projects
FY2011
A) Solution-oriented "Service Sciences" Research, in which the research starts with the resolution of specific service-related problems
- Quantitative Valuation and Demand-oriented Provision of Irrigation Service
Toshiaki IIDA [Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo] - Realizing Multilingual Communication Environments based on Service-Oriented Collective Intelligence
Toru ISHIDA [Professor, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University]
B) Foundation-oriented "Service Sciences" Research, in which the research starts from "Service Sciences" research element
- Analyzing Fundamentals of Japanese Creative Services and Its Application to Global Service Enhancement
Kiyoshi KOBAYASHI [Professor, Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University] - Research on the Service Science of actualizing Altruism-driven Society; focusing on the suicide prevention activities
Yasuo TATEOKA [Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Shizuoka縲University] - Research on Patient Satisfaction with Medical Care Services in Consideration of 'Benefit Delay' Effect
Kazuhiro FUJIMURA [Professor, Faculty of Economics, Kagawa University ]
FY2010
A) Solution-oriented "Service Sciences" Research, in which the research starts with the resolution of specific service-related problems
- Innovation for Service Space Communication by Voice Tweets in Nursing and Caring
Naoshi UCHIHIRA [Senior Fellow, Corporate R&D Center, Toshiba Corporation] - Visualization and Support of Value Co-creation at Industrial Clusters by Service Systems Modeling
Kyoichi KIJIMA[Professor, Department of Value and Decision Science, Graduate School of Decision Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology]
B) Foundation-oriented "Service Sciences" Research, in which the research starts from "Service Sciences" research element
- Architecting Service with Customer Participation Based on the Analysis of Customer Experience and Design Processes: Sophisticating Tour Design Processes as a Case Study
Tatsunori HARA[Assistant Professor, Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo] - Context Management Approach to Service Value Co-Creation Model
Yoshinori FUJIKAWA [Associate Professor, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University]
