Cross-Disciplinary Learning Promotes Individual and Organizational Growth

How do we ensure a stable supply of energy and raw materials in an era of rapid changes, such as the global movement toward carbon neutrality? We met up with two R&D professionals now pursuing a solutions-based approach known as scenario planning: Yuichiro Fujiyama, Senior Vice President of ENEOS Holdings, Inc. and ENEOS Corporation (hereinafter “ENEOS”), and Tatsuya Chiba, who works on research and development for the sustainable use of chemical products at the ENEOS Central Technology Research Laboratory. Both participate in the Green Phoenix Project (GPP), a joint industry-government-academia learning community comprised of the Future Co-creation Initiative, Waseda University, and external professionals.

What motivates these two busy individuals to engage so actively with the GPP? What value and appeal do they garner from the GPP and the Future Co-creation Initiative? We visited the ENEOS headquarters to hear Fujiyama’s perspectives first, as someone overseeing new business development, R&D, and next-gen leadership training.

*Insights shared in this dialogue are personal and not those of an official ENEOS representative.
*Affiliations and positions are current as of December 2024

 

Encountering Tamaki^*1 through future scenarios for the chemical industry

Fujiyama began working in R&D for Nippon Oil Corporation (now ENEOS) after studying polymer engineering at university and graduate school. As Senior Vice President, he currently supervises such diverse areas as corporate venture capital (CVC), hydrogen business, next-gen fuels, and R&D.

Fujiyama developed a business relationship with Yokogawa involving instrumentation and maintenance when he worked in oil refining process development. However, he met Nobuyuki Tamaki through a social gathering, not through business.

“I initially met Tamaki at a meeting of the chemical industry. The group decided on scenario planning as an approach with the theme of ‘Japan’s Chemical Industry in 2030,’ and I was introduced to Tamaki, who was described as ‘a skilled scenario planner.’”

^*1 Nobuyuki Tamaki: Founder and Project Leader of the Future Co-creation Initiative (project overview video)

 

The GPP appeal: meeting a diverse group of individuals

Fujiyama began by declaring that “the GPP appeal undoubtedly originates with meeting individuals from an array of industries. That networking afforded by the GPP and Tamaki is the project’s primary value.

“In Japan, there is a tendency for intra-industry firms to work on their own. In the West, however, national or regional firms unite under an All-American or All-European umbrella to elevate competitiveness and address social issues.”

“One often hears that Japan wins in technology but loses in business. Japan once overwhelmingly dominated the semiconductor industry. But we became distracted by domestic squabbling and lost it all to other countries. I firmly believe Japan needs lateral ties among industry, academia, and government, which explains why efforts such as the Future Co-creation Initiative and the GPP are crucial.”

Fujiyama added that Japan’s corporate and social development depends on a mindset based on co-creation rather than competition, and that one of the values of the Future Co-creation Initiative is that it fosters that philosophy.

 

A “mindset change” for management

The future is, of course, unpredictable. The same is true of corporate management. Fujiyama asserts that committing everything to a single chosen direction is extremely risky, which is why scenario planning is so valuable.

“Companies must envision multiple future scenarios and plan for each, ideally through exposure to the expertise of diverse individuals. The GPP creates a forum whose members are from various industries, enabling great learning opportunities. Dialogue among diverse individuals enables you to let go of your own assumptions. I think we should regularly question the validity of our own opinions.”

Fujiyama also addressed a few points regarding the mindset which leaders and executives should maintain.

“The ability to listen is key. It is difficult to address one’s superiors, so management should endeavor to listen to and solicit subordinates’ thoughts.”

He also cited an old Chinese proverb that says, “a true gentleman adapts.” This means that a true gentleman does not stick to what he once said. A wise man is willing to adapt and change his mind; a fool, never.

“I have long said that it is better to work from an elevated perspective, not for the sake of oneself or for one’s own department or company, but for society. In other words, our ultimate role is to serve society. If you firmly grasp that principle, you can change your opinion and methods at will.”

 

Beyond efficiency—seemingly insignificant experiences nurture talent

We tend to prioritize time and cost performance these days. Fujiyama challenges this.

“Watching e-learning videos at double speed is fine, but disregard time performance when participating in initiatives such as the GPP. In my experience, 8 out of 10 encounters might not be useful, but the remaining 1 or 2 will be extremely beneficial. In other words, accumulating seemingly insignificant experiences is key to individual growth in the long run.”

Fujiyama concluded by pointing to the remarkable growth achieved by Tatsuya Chiba, one of the ENEOS next-gen leaders. “He used to be rather reserved but has gained courage through participation in scenario planning and the GPP. I witnessed the tremendous growth he underwent after overcoming a difficult obstacle.”

This was the perfect point to delve into Chiba’s perspectives on the value and appeal of the GPP based on his own growth as a corporate researcher.

 

Emerging from the confines of chemistry broadened my horizons

A self-described “typical chemistry researcher,” Tatsuya Chiba majored in organic chemistry in university and graduate school before joining Nippon Oil Corporation (now ENEOS). He currently uses materials informatics (MI) in developing catalysts to create chemicals from bio-based raw materials. MI accelerates materials R&D by leveraging big data, AI, and molecular simulations, and is garnering considerable attention as a groundbreaking approach which will greatly alter the R&D process.

Chiba thoroughly enjoys reading technical papers and declares that “one of my greatest pleasures comes from pondering novel methods like reaction mechanisms and MI computational approaches.” What, then, led to his assertion that “scenario planning has changed my life”?

“The first step in scenario planning is reading books across disciplines to amass information. I read many recommended by Mr. Tamaki, including Sapiens, written by the Israeli historian and philosopher Yuval Noah Harari, and The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future by Kevin Kelly, founding Executive Editor of Wired magazine. These books broadened my horizons enormously. Until then, I had only been able to see myself as a chemistry specialist who should master that discipline. I was oblivious to the fascination of other fields.”

 

Blossoming through scenario planning—changing career directions

Chiba learned a great deal about scenario planning from Tamaki, who—at the time—often traveled overseas yet immediately met his coaching responsibilities despite being jet-lagged, which Chiba found to be “cool.” He was also inspired by the energy displayed by female members at foreign-affiliated companies who progressively read English-language materials and exhibited independence as professionals without leaning on the organization. That spurred Chiba to begin studying English with similar fervor.

“You can read research articles in English after a couple of years’ study in university and graduate school, but that doesn’t carry over into the business world. Thanks to online English conversation classes, my score for TOEIC, a widely recognized measure of English proficiency, has gone up by 400 points since I began working for ENEOS.”

Scenario planning focused Chiba’s attention on MI; mastering that broadened his future research options. Previously focused solely on research, Chiba’s life suddenly changed direction, and career options blossomed.

 

The GPP’s allure in the eyes of an emerging next-gen leader

Chiba, a solid addition to the future of the materials industry, asserts that the GPP is attractive for many reasons.

“First of all, individuals drawn to the GPP are themselves fascinating. Discussions are incredibly enlightening. There are also lectures and free discussions afterward. Moreover, Dr. Jusuke Ikegami^*2 , Professor and Dean of Waseda Business School, summarizes the entire exchange at a higher level of abstraction. The social events afterward are also fun.”

Unlike chemistry and other scientific disciplines, scenario planning provides no clear answers. Moreover, participants discussing future scenarios belong to different companies and represent diverse areas of expertise.

“I get the opportunity to communicate my foggy ideas in a way that is easy to understand for people with different expertise. Experience has certainly elevated my verbalization, conversational, and noncognitive skills.”

Both men continue to support Japan’s energy and materials industry while keeping a close eye on where the future leads. When questioned about the essential factors for future corporate development, both offered the same answer: “Leverage individual strengths, and ensure fair evaluation of diverse human resources.” They also referred to the important role of boundary spanners.

“We need super researchers who can explore topics in depth, but we also need one or two ‘hub’ individuals who can link the organization laterally with external sources. Having both types of individuals strengthens the organization considerably.”

The Future Co-creation Initiative is working toward this very goal.

This interview explored values inherent in the Future Co-creation Initiative and the GPP from an external perspective. Yokogawa is leading the way in creation of new value that addresses solutions to social issues while continuing to nurture next-gen talent.

^*2 Professor Jusuke Ikegami: GPP supporter (interview with Professor Ikegami)

From left to right: Jun Kobayashi (Yokogawa), Tatsuya Chiba (ENEOS), Yuichiro Fujiyama (ENEOS), Nobuyuki Tamaki (Yokogawa)