NEC Corporation launched NEC X, Inc. in 2018 to fast-track NEC R&D’s technologies into new businesses in Silicon Valley. NEC X invites entrepreneurs, incubates business ideas matching NEC’s technologies, and accelerates their launch by involving external players in the startups' ecosystem. Until now, NEC X has launched 7 businesses; 6 startups and 1 spin-in. In this session, Shige will discuss how successfully NEC X has launched businesses under large corporations. In addition, he will highlight how to provide spinout startups with IPs strategically and how to maximize the greatest outcome for the mother ship and group companies.

Shige Ihara is the CEO and President of NEC X. He manages NEC X Venture Studio team, and its startup project portfolio, and handles the overall operation.

Before joining NEC X, he was the General Manager of the R&D Planning Division at Central Research Labs of NEC. In his 5 years tenure, he developed the CRL midrange R&D strategy, budget plan, and R&D resource management to transform NEC Labs into a new direction.

Shige has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Engineering and Information Physics, a master’s degree in Arts & Sciences from the University of Tokyo and earned an EMBA from Rutgers University.