|
GMD
has been active in Japan for over 20 years now. End of the 90's
the establishment of NEC's first European research center in GMD's
Technopark and joint projects between GMD and NEC, HITACHI and FUJITSU
shifted Japan more into the focus of GMD's increasing global orientation.
The City of Kitakyushu, meanwhile, as part of its Kitakyushu Science
and Research Park Development Project was looking to attract a research
center of international standards. The common interest of both Kitakyushu
City and GMD to further creative research led to the establishment
of the GMD-Japan Research Laboratory (GMD-JRL) which started its
activities in November 1998 in Kitakyushu.
|
 |
Current
research in GMD-JRL focuses on two fields: Robust autonomous systems
with its special application to underwater vehicles will enable
new technologies like the exploration of seabed topology, the monitoring
of the environment in the sea, the search for gas and oil under
water. Research results can also be applied in all industrial areas
where the processing of vague and changing data in real time must
be realized. The second field is telecooperation which looks into
the possibilities provided by the emerging high-speed network technology
and new ways for creative minds to use this technology in research
and cooperation.
|
|
The
challenge for GMD-JRL is to establish an open research environment
with English speaking researchers and with world wide interconnections
in a location in Kyushu which has been traditionally stamped by
heavy industry. The location of Kitakyushu very close to China and
Korea also makes it a natural connection point to the dynamically
developing East Asian regions. Together with the existing technical
infrastructure and the surrounding sea and mountain resort areas
the region can well change into a new center in Westjapan if it
successfully attracts young and internationally minded people.
|
|
