In this issue, we interviewed Mr. Hiroyuki Watanabe, who was newly appointed as Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Nanophoton last November. Mr. Watanabe is the brain of Nanophoton, in charge of R&D, and is still active in many fields, including serving as a specially-appointed professor at Osaka University. (Newsletter Editor / Ryo Harada)

Hiroyuki Watanabe, Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer (CTO)　(2023.11~)

ー How did you come to join Nanophoton?

Watanabe – – I originally worked for Fujifilm for 38 years, the last time as an executive fellow, but when that ended two years ago, I went completely freelance. So I decided to go around to various companies and provide technical consulting services, so I started a small company and became independent as a sole proprietor. That is when I was approached by Nanophoton.

Actually, my relationship with Dr. Kawata goes back a long way. In 1988, when Dr. Kawata was still an assistant professor, we decided to do new data processing and data analysis of spectra of analytical instruments at Fujifilm, and I visited Dr. Kawata at Osaka University for consultation because he had published an interesting book. I then invited Dr. Kawata to Fujifilm, and we held study sessions for more than 10 years. Later, in order to take a doctorate as a working person while working at Fujifilm, I went to consult with Dr. Kawata and joined the Kawata Institute in 2002. Because of this, I was able to watch from the side when Nanophoton was established in 2003. In fact, I also had drinks and interacted with the first president, Mr. Ode.

I was originally at Fujifilm’s Analysis Technology Center, where I ended up as the center’s director, and we used Nanophoton’s equipment when we performed analyses, so my involvement with the company has actually been deep since my time at Fujifilm.

ー What kind of company is Nanophoton?

ー You are the CTO, a newly created position at Nanophoton, What exactly do you do at Nanophoton?

Watanabe – – I have responsibility for the entire Nanophoton technology. Specifically, I am responsible for R&D, IP, manufacturing, and quality control as a whole. Each of these areas is something that Nanophoton intends to strengthen in the future. Actually, I started out as the GM in charge of technology, taking on R&D work, but as I was doing it, I realized that areas other than R&D were weak, so I am now strengthening those areas. In the future, when we launch many products, it is important to know how to make the same product and how to guarantee the quality of each product. The cost we can spend is limited, but our current challenge is to make sure that we have good quality management in order to put them on the line. While doing these things, the scope of my work expanded from being the GM in charge of technology, and I was given the position of CTO because I am in effect the CTO.

While the CEO is fully responsible for the current company, the CTO is responsible for the future of the company. I recognize that the CTO’s role is to assure the top management that our technology is safe for the future.

ー Mr. Watanabe, you are also working at Osaka University now, What is it that you are doing?

Watanabe – – I am a specially appointed professor at Osaka University. Specifically, I receive money from JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency) to run projects within Osaka University. I am the leader of the commercialization strategy of the project. I was originally involved in commercialization promotion at Fujifilm, so I think I was approached by the university because they expected me to have a connection with the company.

Osaka University has a strong School of Medicine and a strong School of Engineering, but the problem is that they are weakly related to each other. For example, it is a waste that the results of the Faculty of Engineering do not lead to the Faculty of Medicine. Therefore, this project is to create a place for co-creation, a base to establish a place to create together in various faculties, and we are considering how to promote the commercialization of each. Specifically, we are trying to find ways to match the needs of the medical school with the seeds of the engineering school, which is exactly the same structure as a marriage activity application, so we are also trying to get venture capital to create such a system.

ー Finally, what are your future aspirations for Nanophoton 2.0?

Watanabe – – As CTO, I would like to make the technology sharper and create the next technology that will surprise everyone in the future. Therefore, I would like to focus on R&D in the future (assuming it is economically rational and commercially viable, lol).
Nanophoton has enough potential to create the next technology.

ー Please tell us a little about your personal life. What do you do in your spare time?

Watanabe – – I used to be busy raising my children, but recently my children have grown up and I have been able to take some time off from childcare. I have always loved music and played in a brass band, so I enjoy going to concerts.


ー Thank you, Mr. Watanabe.
I was impressed by his words, “While the CEO is fully responsible for the current company, the CTO is responsible for the future of the company.” As the brain of Nanophoton, he is responsible for ensuring the quality and technology of Nanophoton’s products into the future. When he talked about his desire to create even sharper technology, he was really lively. I got the impression that he really loves Raman spectroscopy technology.
Led by CTO Watanabe, Nanophoton will further refine the R&D field and strengthen intellectual property and quality assurance more than ever.

（Translated by DeepL）