今から約４０年前，私は電機メーカーの研究所に入社しました．その頃は，半導体，大型計算機全盛時代で，利益の大半をDRAMが稼いでいました．その一方で，大学院時代に有機半導体をかじっていた私は半導体部門を希望したものの，計測器部門という「傍流の傍流」の部署に配属されました．担当する事業部も当時は社内で一番小さな事業部で，お先真っ暗でした．入社当時は課長にもなれないのではと悲嘆し，転職も何度か考えました．
　しかし，時は流れて２０年，１９８０年代の主力事業であった半導体と大型計算機の事業部は２０００年以降なくなりました．当該分野では優秀な連中が働いていたにも関わらず，有効な手を打てないまま事業は沈んでいきました．日本の電機メーカーがすべてそうでした．同期の連中も正直その後どうなったか良くわかりません．
　一方で，計測器部門担当であった私は，事業部に対していろいろと新規提案をしないと研究者として生きていけなかったので，若いときから，必死に研究テーマを提案しては研究資金を提供してもらうことでかろうじて生き残っていました．しかし，この間，上司のいう通りではなく，自分なりの工夫をしながら生きてきたことで，他のメンバーとは異なる深い経験を若いうちから積み重ねることができ，新たな能力を身につけることができたように思います．
　それが，「社内起業を起こす力」であり，その経験値を纏めたのが，「社内起業のすすめ」です．と言っても，社内に独立した企業体をつくるという大それたことではなく，しかも本体を支えるような大きな事業にしたわけでもありません．もしかするとその途中かもしれませんが．
　しかし，私が立ち上げに主体的に貢献した事業は，私が退職した後でも，別な人に引き継がれ脈々と継続しています．私がここで「社内起業」と言っているのは，①新しい研究テーマを立ち上げ，②ターゲット顧客を明確にして製品化し，③ニッチトップシェアを獲得し，④利益を出して事業を継続する下地をつくり，⑤次の世代に渡す，という一連のプロセスを言っています．
　ここで述べたプロセスだけでもあっという間に１０年が過ぎてしまいます．世間では，大きな企業のある事業の急成長に貢献したという方の話がたくさん出てきますが，事業自体が大きくなっていくと，その人の貢献度合いがはっきりしなくなりますし，それを定量化するのも大変です．この段階になると，いろいろな方が私が立ち上げた，いや私が立ち上げたのだと表舞台に登場してきます．しかし，開発の歴史をきちんと纏めない限り，眉唾のことが良くあります．一方で，研究初期の頃は，関与する人数も少なく，この人がいなかったら，絶対この事業は立ち上がらなかったということは明確にわかり，それがメンバーに共有されます．

　ここでは，私が立ち上げに貢献した事業の研究初期にフォーカスし，２つのケースを考えてみたいと思います．

　通常，研究者が新規提案をする場合，何段階もの「関門（課，部，所などにおける審査）」があります．どういう独自技術を用いて，どういう製品を立ち上げるか，そのときの顧客は誰で，競合企業はどこか，そしていつどの程度の売り上げになるのか，というのが定番の質問事項です．コアテクノロジーやらゲームチェンジングテクノロジーなど流行っている経営キーワードを駆使しながら，社内のエリート達が口角泡を飛ばして攻撃してくるので，私も，若いときは課や部の段階で早々に撃沈することがほとんどでした．特に，最後の売上予想など，研究をはじめた当初は，誰にもわかるわけはありません．こんなことを何段階か繰り返し，大幅に資料を書き直したところで，答えが出てくるわけではないことは誰もがわかっているとは思うのですが，この新規事業における審査プロセスを止める幹部はいません．さぞかし，気持ちが良いのでしょう．

　しかし，いろいろと提案していく中で，私も説得しやすい提案の仕方があることがわかってきました．それは，「顧客」との連携を踏まえた提案でした．それが，従来の重要なお客様であればあるほど，誰も何も言えなくなってしまいます．

　例えば，PCBモニタリングシステムの開発の場合を考えてみましょう．２０００年頃から，有害物質であるPCB（ポリ塩化ビフェニル）の処理が社会的な問題になっていました．その処理が法律で決められ，全国にPCB処理施設が建設されることになりました．しかし，建設地の近隣住民は当然のことながら大反対，このような中で，環境省が提案したのがＰＣＢの漏洩を２４時間監視するＰＣＢモニタリングシステムでした．結果として，世界的な開発競争が起きましたが，焼却ガス中の微量ＰＣＢをモニタリングすることはとても難しいことでした．このような中で，ダイオキシンの前駆体モニターの開発を終えていた私は，このシステムをＰＣＢモニタリングに展開することを思いつき，予算獲得に向け動き出しました．
　しかし，米国環境保護局，独国宇宙航空研究所など世界の名だたる研究機関が別方式で開発に名乗りを上げていることから，社内からは猛反対の声ばかりでした．これは十分予想されていたことなので，ＰＣＢ処理事業を管轄する環境省の研究所の著名な研究者と連携し，基礎的な検討を行っており，高い評価を受けての提案でした．提案の審査に当たっては，この点を強調し，資料に，著名な研究者のコメントを添付しました．
　作戦は見事成功，幹部はいろいろと言いたかったようですが，このコメントを見るなり，提案に対する批判はトーンダウンしていきました．結果，審査は無事通り，開発を行い，最終的には，全国のすべてのＰＣＢ処理施設に納入され，ＰＣＢ処理施設自体も無事建設されました．製品開発過程の苦労話はブログ（１０）に記載していますので，ぜひご覧ください．


　もうひとつの例をあげてみましょう．私が部長時代に強化した研究テーマである「指静脈個人認証技術」です．これは，指紋ではなく，指内部の静脈パターンにより個人を認証しようとする技術ですが，医療機器研究部の中で細々と研究されていました．指紋全盛の時代に，この技術をどうビジネスに結びつけるか，明確な答えが出ていなかったためです．
　この技術を見た時，「生体計測Ｘ情報」という新しい研究分野を思い付きました．そこで，医療機器研究部だけでなく，情報研究部の協力を得て，もっと大きな研究テーマに出来ないかと考えました．しかし，情報研究部には指紋の研究部隊があったため，同じ指静脈パターンがないかどうかを証明してあるかなど厳しい技術的質問がでる可能性があり，ある作戦を考えました．
　当時，グループ内にはクレジット会社があり，新しい技術が大好きな部長さんがいらっしゃいました．そこで，指静脈認証装置のモックアップを持っていき，発行しているクレジットカードに，将来この技術を入れませんかと提案したのです．作戦は大成功，誰も見向きもしなかった指静脈認証技術に，いきなり開発資金を出してくれたのです．技術の内容よりも，医療機器研究部がクレジット会社から開発資金を出してもらったという話題が先行し，研究所内で新たな開発提案をしても問題なく採択されました．指紋や他の生体認証技術と技術論を行っていたら，採択は厳しかったかもしれません．


　通常，社内エリートは，他人の提案には厳しいものの，自分の「輝かしい」経歴に傷がつくのを恐れて，自分では新規事業提案を行いません．これは企業における真実のひとつです．一方で，私の場合は，経歴に十分傷がついていたので，以上のような経験を若いうちからいくつか積み重ねることで，私は企業人として大きく成長できたような気がしています．このあたりは，ブログ（１０），ブログ（１３）を読んでください．


How to Win the Battle against the In-House Elite 2022/05/16

About 40 years ago, I joined a research institute of an electronics manufacturer. At that time, semiconductors and large computers were at their peak, and the majority of profits were generated from DRAM. On the other hand, I had dabbled in organic semiconductors during my graduate school years, and although I had hoped to join the semiconductor division, I was assigned to the measuring instrument division, which was a "by-the-numbers, by-the-numbers" department. At the time, this was the smallest division in the company, and I had a very bleak future ahead of me. When I joined the company, I was grieved that I would never be able to become a section manager, and I thought several times about changing jobs.
　However, 20 years have passed since then, and the semiconductor and large computer business divisions, which were the main businesses in the 1980s, have been gone since 2000. However, 20 years have passed, and the semiconductor and large computer divisions, which were the main businesses in the 1980s, disappeared after 2000. Despite the fact that there were excellent people working in these fields, the business sank without any effective measures being taken. This was the case with all Japanese electronics manufacturers. To be honest, I am not sure what happened to my classmates after that.
　On the other hand, as a researcher in charge of the measuring instrument division, I had to make various new proposals to the division in order to survive, and from a young age, I barely survived by frantically proposing research themes and receiving research funding. However, during this period, I was able to accumulate deep experiences different from those of other members from a young age and acquire new abilities by living my life in my own way, not by following the instructions of my superiors.
　This is the "power to start an in-house business," and I have compiled these experiences in "Recommendations for In-House Entrepreneurship. This does not mean that we have created an independent company within our company, nor that we have made it into a large business that supports the main company. I may be in the process of doing so.
　However, the business that I contributed to the establishment of has been taken over by someone else and continues to operate even after I left the company. When I speak of "in-house entrepreneurship" here, I am referring to a series of processes: (1) start a new research theme, (2) clarify the target customers and commercialize the product, (3) capture the top niche market share, (4) make a profit and lay the groundwork for the continuation of the business, and (5) pass it on to the next generation.
　Ten years can pass in the blink of an eye in just the processes described here. Many people in the world talk about a person who contributed to the rapid growth of a certain business of a large company, but as the business itself grows, the degree of that person's contribution becomes less clear, and it is difficult to quantify it. At this stage, many people appear on the stage saying, "I started it," or "I started it. However, unless the history of development is properly summarized, it is often a matter of eyebrows. On the other hand, in the early stages of research, the number of people involved is small, and it is clear that without this person, this project would never have been launched, and this is shared among the members.

　Here, I would like to consider two cases, focusing on the early research phase of the project that I helped to launch.

　Usually, when a researcher submits a new proposal, there are several "hurdles" (i.e., reviews at divisions, departments, offices, etc.). The standard questions are: what kind of proprietary technology will be used to launch the product, who will be the customers, who are the competitors, and when and how much sales will be achieved. The company's elites attacked me with frothing at the mouth, using such popular management keywords as "core technology" and "game-changing technology," and when I was young, I was almost always shot down early in my section or department. In particular, there was no way anyone could know the final sales forecast at the beginning of my research. I think we all know that the answer will not come out after repeating this process several times and rewriting the documents extensively, but there is no executive who can stop this review process for new projects. It must be a great feeling.

　However, as I have made various proposals, I have come to realize that there is a way to make proposals that is easy to persuade. It was a proposal based on cooperation with "customers. The more important the customer is, the less anyone can say anything.

　Take, for example, the case of the development of a PCB monitoring system. The law has decided on the disposal of PCBs, and PCB treatment facilities are now being constructed throughout Japan. However, residents living in the vicinity of the construction site were naturally very opposed to the project, and the Ministry of the Environment proposed a PCB monitoring system that would monitor PCB leakage for 24 hours a day. The Ministry of the Environment proposed a PCB monitoring system that would monitor PCB leakage 24 hours a day. As a result, there was a worldwide race to develop such a system, but monitoring trace amounts of PCBs in incinerator gases was very difficult. Having completed the development of a dioxin precursor monitor, I had the idea to deploy this system for PCB monitoring and began working to obtain funding.
　However, I was met with fierce opposition from within the company, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the German Aerospace Research Institute, and other world-renowned research institutes had already come forward with other methods of development. Since this was fully expected, we collaborated with prominent researchers from the Ministry of the Environment, which has jurisdiction over PCB treatment projects, to conduct basic studies, and our proposal received a high evaluation. In reviewing the proposal, we emphasized this point and attached the comments of the distinguished researchers to the documents.
　The strategy was a success, and although the executives wanted to say many things, the criticism of the proposal was toned down as soon as they saw these comments. As a result, the review was successful, the development was carried out, and eventually all the PCB treatment facilities in Japan were delivered, and the PCB treatment facility itself was successfully constructed. The PCB treatment facilities themselves were also constructed successfully. Please refer to our blog (10) for a story of the difficulties involved in the product development process.


　Let me give you another example. This is the "finger vein personal authentication technology," a research theme that I strengthened when I was a department manager. This is a technology to authenticate individuals not by fingerprints but by vein patterns inside the finger, and was studied in detail in the Medical Device Research Department. In an era when fingerprints were at the height of popularity, there was no clear answer to the question of how to link this technology to business.
　When we saw this technology, we came up with the idea of a new research field called "biometric X information. I wondered if I could make this a larger research theme with the cooperation of the Information Technology Research Department, in addition to the Medical Equipment Research Department. However, since the Information Technology Research Department had a fingerprint research unit, there was a possibility that we would be asked tough technical questions such as whether or not we could prove whether or not we had the same finger vein pattern, so we came up with a strategy.
　At the time, there was a credit company in our group, and there was a department manager who loved new technology. I brought a mock-up of the finger vein authentication device to him and suggested that he might want to incorporate this technology into the credit cards he was issuing in the future. The strategy was a great success, and the company suddenly funded the development of a finger vein authentication technology that no one had even considered. The fact that the Medical Device Research Department had received development funds from a credit card company was more important than the technology itself, and the new development proposal was adopted without any problems within the research institute. If we had been discussing fingerprints or other biometric technologies, it would have been difficult to have our proposal adopted.


　Usually, the company's elite are very critical of other people's proposals, but do not make new business proposals themselves for fear of damaging their "illustrious" careers. This is one of the truths of the corporate world. On the other hand, in my case, my career was sufficiently damaged, and I feel that I have grown a lot as a business person by accumulating some of the above experiences from a young age. Please read my blogs (10) and (13) for more details.