What is Hitachi Social Innovation?

The data-driven ways your city keeps you safe.

Times are getting tougher for criminals, thanks to technological advancements in public safety. Public spaces today are protected by surveillance systems, from security cameras to gunshot detectors, which form a digitized infrastructure that makes it easier to detect and prevent crimes, or catch offenders faster when crimes occur. However, for most public safety and security organizations, it can be difficult to manage and extract insight from all the resulting data and video streams - human operators often can't keep up. Hitachi has developed a comprehensive portfolio of public safety and security solutions to address these challenges, helping private enterprises, law enforcement, and governments agencies to keep their workplaces, communities and assets safer and make them smarter and more efficient.

Advancing medical technologies and pioneering tomorrow’s breakthroughs

We are dedicated to advancing the quality of healthcare for society, our industry, our clients and the communities they serve. We do this by designing, developing and delivering some of the world’s leading medical technologies and information solutions to improve healthcare efficiency and effectiveness. Leveraging over 100 years of engineering excellence, we are advancing today’s most complex medical technologies and pioneering tomorrow’s breakthroughs. Together with our partners, our efforts in Particle Therapy provide caregivers with the most precise and advanced form of radiation therapy available today. It is a painless, non-invasive treatment that allows patients to maintain their quality of life and quickly resume normal activities. Hitachi Social Innovation healthcare solutions help providers deliver better patient outcomes when it matters most.

The IoT revolution is underway. We’re made for IoT.

You’ve heard about the Internet of Things (IoT) – the network of physical objects embedded with electronics, software and sensors that enable the collection and sharing of connected data. But how will IoT transform the way in which we work and live? For nearly a decade, Hitachi has been working to answer this question with a robust portfolio of IoT data-driven solutions. As one of the few companies specializing in both OT and IT, Hitachi is uniquely poised to drive Social Innovation solutions to deliver smarter, safer and healthier societies. We have the people, capital, patents and partners to pioneer a bright future with IoT solutions that enable us all to thrive as never before. One example is Hitachi Video Management Platform, which was designed to specifically enable data-intensive video security and monitoring, analytics and visualization innovations. It allows companies to improve operations and safety with insights into performance, process and utilization around the clock – and around the globe.

The next-generation grid that will keep power on during blackouts

Power outages cost the U.S. economy between $104 and $164 billion each year. Understandably, communities and businesses are seeking new localized strategies to prepare for shocks to their energy supply. Motivated by the outsized impact of power disruptions on families and communities, Hitachi Social Innovation Business is developing local solutions. Hitachi has become a leader in the use of microgrids to enhance the energy resilience of local communities. Working closely with 12 New York communities, Hitachi is helping to identify critical facilities, plan the development of on-site energy generation and design a microgrid that will allow these facilities to stay powered when regional grids go down. As other states and countries look to replicate the success of early adopters like New York, the power grid may finally be the beacon of hope we’ve been waiting for.

Rail projects are driving mass transit in the U.S.

What to do when your city’s mass transit cars are past their prime? You call Hitachi. Hitachi Rail USA, Inc. opened a Metrorail manufacturing facility in Miami- Dade County in 2016. The facility will manufacture 136 rail cars needed to replace the county’s aging Metrorail fleet. The new metro system will be equipped with low energy consumption capabilities and Wi-Fi connections for passengers. The rail cars will also include sensors to alert operators to maintenance issues, which will reduce downtime. The first cars will be completed by the end of 2016. In addition to the Miami-Dade project, Hitachi is also building rail cars for Honolulu, Hawaii in its Pittsburg, California manufacturing facility. When the system begins operations in 2018, it will be the first driverless rail transit system in the U.S.

Next road trip, let the car drive you

Think you’re a good driver? Well, your car might just be better at it. With an average of 20,000 components in today’s automobile – most of them potential sources of data – software, data analytics, and digital technologies are becoming as crucial to car design as engines and interiors. Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas is creating new technologies for next-generation automobiles, including tools that assist autonomous vehicles in parking, lane changing and braking. These systems also provide analytics that can help automakers measure wear and tear and alert car owners of the need for maintenance. Hitachi is also an Affiliate Member of the University of Michigan’s Mobility Transformation Center, which operates Mcity, a unique test facility that simulates a broad range of complex driving environments, and allows users to test new technologies in a variety of challenging situations. Hitachi leverages Mcity to advance its development of connected car and autonomous driving technologies that can contribute to vehicle value, safety and comfort. So, on that next road trip, you may just want to let go of the wheel and enjoy the ride.