Biotechnology Business Development in Hitachi

OVERVIEW: Biotechnology harnesses the power of living organisms to perform useful work for people. It has been used for ages in the agriculture and brewing industries such as for food production. In the 1980s, a host of new technologies appeared beginning with genetic engineering that gave birth to the current age of biotechnology. These innovations are improving the QoL (quality of life) and they are having a big impact on industry. For example, in medicine and medical treatment, researchers are shedding light on drug efficacy and side-effect mechanisms and investigating individual characteristics at the genetic level. Soon we can expect preventative care and therapy geared to each patient. For environmental preservation, biotechnology is making contributions towards the development of safe materials, the efficient use of biomass, and the elimination of contaminants. Hitachi sees a lot of latent potential in biotechnology. To develop and to apply this potential towards life science businesses, Hitachi is converging its deep expertise in measurement, data processing, and molecular biology. Individually, these businesses have already produced excellent results in cutting-edge equipment for research in life science and medical imaging diagnostics. Hiroshi Sonoda Yoshinori Harada, Ph.D Hitoshi Matsuo Tetsuo Yokoyama, Ph.D