Young faculty receive new Suematsu Digital Technology Award

October 9, 2018

Tetsuo Kodera, Ryohei Banno, and Norihisa Kawashima were selected as the first-ever recipients of the Suematsu Digital Technology Award by a panel of judges from both inside and outside the Institute on September 12.

Memorial photo of the ceremony

Tokyo Tech established the Suematsu Award "Fundamentals and Developments of Digital Technology" in 2018 to encourage young researchers interested in developing digital technology that will serve as foundational technology of the future. The award provides a broad range of support for researchers focusing on areas such as computers, robotics, and networks, and for research into applications of digital technology.

The award is funded by the Suematsu Fund, which was created within the Tokyo Institute of Technology Fund. In commemoration of the award's establishment, Special Awards for Remarkable Achievement were also presented to two other recipients.

2018 winners of the Suematsu Digital Technology Award

Name	Title	Affiliation	Research
Tetsuo Kodera	Associate Professor	School of Engineering	Development of fundamental technologies toward semiconductor quantum computers
Ryohei Banno	Research Staff	School of Computing	Coexisting load distribution and low latency in pub/sub messaging
Norihisa Kawashima	Assistant Professor	School of Environment and Society	Development of low-cost system with computational simulation, sensor monitoring, and networking technologies for nudging energy-saving behavior in buildings using passive design strategies

Tetsuo Kodera with award certificate

(from left) President Kazuya Masu, awardee Kawashima, Executive Vice President for Research Osamu Watanabe

(from left) President Kazuya Masu, awardee Kawashima,
Executive Vice President for Research Osamu Watanabe

Award-winning Ryohei Banno giving presentation

2018 winners of the Special Award for Remarkable Achievement

Name	Title	Affiliation
Satoshi Matsuoka	Specially Appointed Professor	School of Computing
Hidetoshi Nishimori	Professor	Quantum Computing Unit, Institute of Innovative Research

Hidetoshi Nishimori (right) receiving Special Award for Remarkable Achievement

Hidetoshi Nishimori (right)
receiving Special Award for Remarkable Achievement

Thank-you speech by Satoshi Matsuoka

Background to the award

Former Tokyo Tech President and Honorary Professor Yasuharu Suematsu was awarded the Japan Prize in 2014 for his contributions to the development of high-capacity, long-distance optical fiber communications through his research at the Institute, particularly his groundbreaking research related to dynamic single-mode lasers. He donated a portion of the prize money to Tokyo Tech in hopes of encouraging young scientists and engineers to pursue research in diverse fields, develop new technology systems, and delve into the unexplored domains of science.

Suematsu hopes to create a rising tide of activities that will reveal the now-hidden shape of the future. The Tokyo Institute of Technology Fund created the Suematsu Fund to promote research in line with Suematsu's wishes. President and Representative Director Hisao Taki of Gurunavi Inc., a Tokyo Tech alumnus and supporter of the Tokyo Institute of Technology Fund since its inception, also donated a significant additional sum, making the creation of this award possible.