14 September 2015

Eric Hibbard, Chief Technology Officer, Security and Privacy, Hitachi Data Systems to Speak on Public-Private Collaboration to Combat Cyberthreats

Tarrytown, NY, September 14, 2015 --- Hitachi America, Ltd. today announced that the company will sponsor Borderless Cyber 2015 on September 15 – 16 in Washington, DC. The conference is being organized by OASIS, the international open standards consortium, and the World Bank Group. Additional conference sponsors are IBM and IDtrust. On September 15^th, Eric Hibbard, Chief Technology Officer, Security and Privacy, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), will serve on a panel that will address how the growing sophistication of and potential damage that can be caused by cyberthreats has created a new paradigm for public-private collaboration. On September 16^th, Mr. Kazuo Noguchi, Senior Manager, Hitachi America, Ltd., will facilitate a session on mitigating potential threats at large-scale special events including the Olympics and the Super Bowl.

“We are very proud to be a part of this important upcoming event,” said Mr. Noguchi. “The purpose of the conference is not selling solutions that Hitachi has to offer in this area. Rather, we are looking to raise the prominence of this important need to protect critical data infrastructures by communicating directly with governments (including the United States, Japan, UK, the EU) as well as industry participants in order to discuss best practices, global standards, and knowledge sharing.” 

The Hitachi Group manufactures, develops and sells software solutions, security cameras, and biometric and other devices that give the company a unique position within the security/public safety sector. Today, Hitachi is combining its expertise in building social infrastructure that generates big data with its IT hardware and software products that capture manage and analyse that data to create predictive and prescriptive analytics solutions as part of its Social Innovation business strategy. This approach offers promise for public safety officials who need to be able to analyse data from diverse sources, including video surveillance cameras and infrastructure system sensors, in real-time. In June 2015, Hitachi added to its capabilities in this area through the acquisition of Pentaho, a leading data integration, visualization and analytics company.

Mr. Hibbard, who will serve as a panellist, leads Hitachi’s security strategy activities as well as the storage security strategy for Hitachi Data Systems. Mr. Hibbard is an accomplished security technologist with experience in operating systems, storage systems, networking, cryptography, cloud computing and numerous other technologies. The author of several whitepapers and book chapters, Mr. Hibbard is also a significant contributor to the standardization of these technologies. In his work with HDS, Mr. Hibbard counsels customers with complex security requirements/designs and deployments and supports investigations associated with data breaches and other forms of malicious attacks. He also works with governments to support their specialized security needs and certification activities. “Society is facing security threats that were unimaginable even five years ago,” says Hibbard, “Big data analytics solutions will be a powerful tool in our fight to protect critical infrastructure. I look forward to speaking at this conference and discussing how predictive and preventative analytics solutions can help cities achieve higher levels of safety moving forward.”

OASIS, in collaboration with The World Bank, will bring together public and private sector security professionals from around the world to evaluate, debate, and collaborate on cyber security best practices and tools. Driving intra-government coordination will be an overarching theme. Fostering interest and collaboration among countries in support of safe guarding critical assets from financial services to large public events will also be featured on the agenda. Additional topics will include:

Driving Intra-Government Coordination Protecting Critical Infrastructure

While advanced nations can draw on sophisticated infrastructure to combat cyber security threats, many of these threats often originate from adjacent regions. Reviewing a more regional focus between governments to ensure a unified response will be vital. Those regional areas will also benefit from effective tools that not only allow international participation, but also offer local safeguards.

Initiating Collaborative Responses to Cyber Security Challenges

Unifying responses to future cyber incidents and strengthen public/private partnerships to find technology solutions can keys to success. In order to respond to cyber security threats in a constantly changing environment, strong international cooperation needs to be visible within individual cyber-security strategies. The cross-border nature of threats makes it essential to focus on strong international cooperation. The event will bring communities together to discuss current cyber security strategies, different influences, successful approaches, and what may hamper international cooperation.

Promoting Solutions & Best Practices

This conference will be the first in a series of events designed to build awareness that countries should prepare to engage with companies and organizations that are actively looking at technologies for cyber and public safety collaboration internationally. For example, standards initiatives, such as OASIS CTI, are working to connect the ‘cyber threat intelligence’ dots by developing open interoperability standards (STIX, TAXII, CybOX) to enable cyber threat intelligence to be shared among trusted partners and communities (M2M knowledge). The use of these standards will allow security practitioners to build systems that will rapidly identify and access current threats, and determine how they act, who is responsible and what course of action is needed. By streamlining this process, countries no longer have to spend valuable time and resources analyzing data in disparate formats.

About Hitachi America, Ltd.

Hitachi America, Ltd. headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies offer a broad range of electronics, power and industrial equipment and services, particle beam therapy technologies, automotive products and consumer electronics with operations throughout the Americas. For more information, visit www.hitachi-america.us. For information on other Hitachi Group companies in the United States, please visit www.hitachi.us.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totalled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Contact:

Theodore Lowen
Hitachi America, Ltd.
+1-914-333-2986
Theodore.lowen@hal.hitachi.com

15 September 2015

Mayo System Marks Hitachi’s Second U.S. System Following M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX

Tokyo, September 15, 2015 -- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501, “Hitachi”) has announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for commercial supply of the new PROBEAT-V system, which it designed and developed for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Treatments began in late June and the first patient treatment was completed in August 2015.

The PROBEAT-V is a state-of-the-art proton beam therapy system used to deliver Hitachi’s Discrete Spot Scanning capability to each treatment room. The 190 degree half gantries provide efficient yet spacious treatment room environments. Hitachi’s smallest treatment spot size to date enables the system to achieve highly precise treatments. In addition, installation and commissioning activities are already underway at a second Mayo facility in Phoenix, AZ, with treatments scheduled to start in the spring of 2016.

Mayo Clinic treats more than 1.3 million patients annually from all 50 states and 143 countries. Mayo Clinic has maintained its position as one of the top hospitals in U.S. News & World Report rankings for more than 20 years.

Hitachi’s PROBEAT-V Proton Beam Therapy System, is characterized by the following:

1. Treatment rooms equipped with 190 degree half gantries which provide patients with more spacious environments when compared to 360 degree full gantries

- Patients no longer need to be positioned inside a 360 degree gantry, as all treatment angles are achieved by a 6 degree of freedom (DOF) couch.

2. Extremely precise treatments are made possible by Hitachi’s smallest spot size to date

- A 30% smaller spot size has been achieved through refinements in nozzle design.

3. World-class, room-to-room beam matching (within 5%) technology, allow patients to be treated in any room, at any time

4. Integrated setup rooms increase patient throughput

- Although patients’ visits may often take between 15 to 30 minutes, the time required for irradiation is usually only a few minutes. At Mayo Clinic, setup rooms allow patients to be stabilized and pre-positioned offline, optimizing treatment room utilization and shortening patients’ visits.

5. An Improved User Interface

- The latest User Interface was co-developed with Mayo Clinic and reflects the input from a team of medical physicists and physicians at Mayo who collaborated with Hitachi engineers to improve usability from their clinical perspective.

Given the growing demand for technical and clinical advancements in the treatment of cancer, interest in proton therapy is on the rise, with more and more hospitals and cancer treatment facilities venturing into this area. Hitachi will continue to globally expand the healthcare business where proton therapy is its flagship solution, and contribute to cancer treatment around the world.

Overview of Proton Beam Therapy

Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) is an advanced form of external beam radiotherapy. Protons from a hydrogen atom are extracted and accelerated up to 70% the speed of light. Its energy is concentrated directly on the tumor while avoiding radiation dose to the surrounding healthy tissues. PBT improves the quality of life for cancer patients since the patient experiences no pain during treatment and the procedure has very few side effects compared with that of traditional radiotherapy. In most cases, patients can continue with their normal daily activities while undergoing treatment. Because there are fewer side effects, PBT is expected to expand, especially for pediatric treatment.

Overview of Spot-Scanning Irradiation Technology

Spot-scanning irradiation technology does not scatter proton beams as with conventional proton beam therapy. Rather, it repeatedly turns a narrow proton beam on and off at high speed as it progressively changes location to irradiate entire tumor volumes. Protons can be aimed with high precision according to the targeted tumors, even those with complex shapes, while minimizing the impact on nearby healthy tissue. Furthermore, customized equipment such as collimators and boluses are not required.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totalled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Contact:

Japan

Scott Shi
Hitachi, Ltd.
+81-3-5208-9324
sei.shi.qe@hitachi.com

U.S.

Tamie Nagamoto
Hitachi America, Ltd.
+1-914-333-2987
tamie.nagamoto@hal.hitachi.com

14 October 2015

Tokyo, October 14, 2015 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd., and Clarion Co., Ltd. today announced that they have developed the basic technology for preventing collisions while maintaining safe and practical speeds by predicting changes in pedestrian movements and rapidly calculating optimum speed patterns in real time. The companies have verified the validity of the technology using experimental vehicles and determined that it can be implemented at safe and practical driving speeds. Going forward, the Hitachi Group will accelerate to further develop the technology through repeated trials and contribute to the commercialization of autonomous driving technology.

Needs for autonomous driving are increasing as a result of the search for solutions to social challenges, such as reduction of traffic accidents, resolution/alleviation of traffic congestion, assistance for seniors' transportation, etc. The Hitachi Group has been conducting leading research on technologies that contribute to commercialization of autonomous driving on local roads, in addition to autonomous driving in parking areas and expressways.

Compared to expressways, the issues that need to be addressed to implement autonomous driving on local roads are more complicated, wherein there is a need to recognize various kinds of obstacles and moving objects such as passing vehicles and pedestrians and predict and determine their movements in order to carry out safe driving operations that are in accordance with the flow of surroundings. Autonomous driving that includes an advanced level of recognition, decision, and operation similar to those performed by humans requires the prediction of changes in their movements, real-time implementation of a driving plan to prevent collisions based on the predicted movements, and driving at safe and practical speeds as well as recognition of moving objects and obstacles.

The Hitachi Group developed the basic technology to address these problems and verified its validity using experimental vehicles. The following are the key features of the technology.

1. Speed control based on prediction of change in movement

Focusing on the potential field method*, which is used in path planning for robots, the Hitachi Group developed basic technology for preventing collisions with autonomous vehicles by predicting future movements of moving objects based on the positional relationships of moving objects with obstacles. In particular, they modeled the change in movement involved in changing paths towards a space with low risk potential when pedestrians try to avoid parked vehicles and other obstacles. The technology enables smoothly reducing speed at the best speed pattern which minimizes changes in acceleration when collision of pedestrian and vehicle is predicted, and maintaining a practical speed without decelerating when it is predicted that safety can be maintained.

2. High-speed calculation of optimum speed

In situations where there are multiple moving objects and obstacles surrounding the autonomous vehicle, it is important to consider both maintenance of safety and practicality of speed and to carry out real-time planning of the optimum speed pattern that will reduce the probability of collision and maintain comfortable speed and acceleration. Thus, it is essential to carry out rapid calculations to search for the optimum speed values. Conventionally, since calculations to search for optimum values involve a high computational load, it was difficult to carry them out within a short period of time. It was therefore necessary to increase the speed of access to the memory storing the collision probability map and reduce the number of calculations to search for the optimum values. The new technology calculates the probability of collision with obstacles after planning the path of the autonomous vehicle. Also, unlike conventional methods wherein collision probability based on direction of movement and road width is expressed on a 2D map, the path plan for the autonomous vehicle is fixed in advance, and a 1D map that omits road-width information is used instead, enabling high-speed access to memory. Further, by combining multiple parallel processes for calculating optimum values, the new technology made it possible to significantly increase the speed of calculations. This effect was validated using a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) test board, wherein it was verified that speed of calculation can be increased to approximately 200 times faster than software processing using generic embedded processors. This makes it possible to plan optimum speed patterns in real time.

Tests using experimental vehicles were conducted to verify the validity of the new technology. Results showed that it was possible to achieve practical speeds for passing through pedestrians and driving within the standard comfortable speeds for acceleration (2.2 m/s2 or less) and for change of acceleration (2.0 m/s3 or less).

Going forward, the Hitachi Group will conduct further tests using experimental vehicles in different driving environments, including Mcity opened at the University of Michigan in July 2015 as a controlled environment for conducing tests on autonomous vehicles and connected cars.

The new technology was developed in part with the cooperation of the Pongsathorn Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

Part of the results of the research will be presented as a technical presentation at the 2015 JSAE (Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan) Annual Congress (Autumn) to be held at the Kitakyushu International Conference Center from October 14 to 16.

*Potential field method: A path planning method that determines movement of moving objects from the trajectory of the potential field formed as a result of the object's attraction to its goal and repulsion from obstacles.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including engine management systems, electric power train systems, drive control systems and car information systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/.

About Clarion Co., Ltd.

Headquartered in Saitama, Japan, Clarion Co., Ltd. has been a consolidated subsidiary of the Hitachi Group since 2006. Clarion has been an international leader in car audio and electronics since 1940. The company is engaged in the research, development, engineering, design, manufacturing, sales and marketing of mobile entertainment, navigation, infotainment, communication, safety and security products for the automotive, marine, recreational vehicle, commercial fleet and heavy industry environments. Clarion has been the recipient of numerous excellence awards for design, innovation, support, manufacturing and product reliability from independent organizations. The company has marketing and sales affiliates in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Clarion is located on the web at www.clarion.com.

15 October 2015

Tokyo, October 15, 2015 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501, "Hitachi"), today announced the establishment of “NEXPERIENCE,” a systematized process it has developed to facilitate the process of collaborative creation with customers. NEXPERIENCE is a collective term Hitachi will use for an approach to exploring and discovering business opportunities, creating business concepts and designing business models through in depth collaboration with customers. NEXPERIENCE uses systematized methodologies, tools, and spaces to foster the process of collaborative creation with customers. In an effort to be a leader in the Social Innovation Business, Hitachi will utilize NEXPERIENCE to accelerate collaborative creation with customers across various industries with the goal of resolving customers’ issues and addressing societal challenges.

With the rapid pace of technological advancement, today’s growing diversity in society, and progressive globalization, the challenges faced by societies and corporations are becoming increasing complex and unclear. In this complicated and growing world economy, Hitachi is strategically positioning itself to pursue collaborative creation with customers by understanding customers’ challenges and using this knowledge to develop and deliver insightful solutions together with a view toward solving societal challenges more effectively.

This April, Hitachi’s Research & Development Group launched its Global Center for Social Innovation*1 to promote global, customer-driven R&D. The Global Center for Social Innovation in Tokyo (CSI-Tokyo) brought together designers and researchers specializing in service engineering to develop, integrate and deploy Hitachi’s advanced IT expertise into collaborative creation methodologies and tools that were cultivated using Hitachi’s unique service design*2.

As a result, NEXPERIENCE, a systematized customer collaborative creation process with unique methodologies, tools, and spaces, was established. NEXPERIENCE will contribute to developing new business by promoting value-added discussion and ideas in workshops that will be the cornerstone for conducting collaborative creation and designing business solutions with customers.

Main features of NEXPERIENCE are as follows:

(1) A collection of customer collaborative creation methodologies and IT tools for facilitating creative discussions

Hitachi’s customer collaborative creation flow is divided into two phases: Vision sharing, and new concept generation/prototypes and demo development. Methodologies and IT tools are systematized for each of the phases. Features to facilitate discussion are incorporated into these IT tools; for example, functions to collect, store, and display the framework and data which are required for customer collaborative creation investigation. An automatic organization function was also developed to record investigation tasks and extracted ideas. For example, with the tools for designing a business model in the prototype development phase, participants can discuss a business model by simply moving icons on the touch panel and, in real-time, present different perspectives of illustrated business models using pictures or graphs. Conventional discussions use memos on a desk to visualize ideas and the results require days to analyze. NEXPERIENCE has integrated IT that allows business model investigation to be efficiently conducted in a shorter time period without any unnecessary interruption.

2) Customer collaborative creation space

A unique customer collaborative creation space with Hitachi’s cutting-edge technologies was opened in CSI-Tokyo. This space is equipped with a presentation room, collaborative creation space, lounge area, and meeting rooms, to fulfill the diverse requirements of customers. In the collaborative creation space, there are large touch-panel displays and a table display integrated with customer collaborative creation methodologies and tools and easy-to-use tablets. In-depth discussion to ensure understanding and creative activities, which engage both facilitators and participants, can be conducted using these tools. In addition, the lounge area offers a spacious view of the Tokyo metropolitan area, which may relax the mind and inspire creative problem-solving.

Current plans include providing the newly established NEXPERIENCE to regional CSIs in North America, China and Europe. Hitachi will lead the Social Innovation Business by accelerating the collaborative creation process with customers in various industries with the goal of addressing societal challenges and delivering value for customers.

*1 Hitachi, Ltd. news release: “Hitachi to Establish a Global R&D Structure from the Customer’s Perspective”; Published February 27, 2015 http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2015/02/150227.html

*2 Service design: A process to design products and business values in from the perspective of service. This concept originates from and was developed in Europe. Its influence has been extending to service interaction, business itself, organization structuring and organizational cultures in recent years.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

27 October 2015

Realized by analyzing 3D data obtained from a stereo camera

Tokyo, October 27, 2015 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501 "Hitachi") today announced that it has developed a technology which can accurately measure human behavior and estimate attributes(characteristics) in real time. By analyzing 3D data obtained from a stereo camera(1), human behavior can be measured accurately, in real time, even in a crowded space, which used to be difficult with 2D image data from conventional surveillance cameras. Additionally, by analyzing 3D data of the shapes of people and the objects around them, accessory objects such as baby strollers and wheelchairs for example, can be identified. By using this data, the each person’s attribute of their owners – for example, a guest with his/her child or an elderly person who needs assistance – can also be estimated. The new technology can be applied to a variety of fields such as marketing to provide services depending on the behavior and attributes of people in commercial facilities, offices, event halls, and other spaces.

(1) Stereo camera: A camera equipped with two lenses on both sides and sensor devices to capture two images. It takes a right and a left image simultaneously, and from the visual differences between the two images, depth direction information can be obtained and space can be understood stereoscopically.

In recent years, advances in sensor technologies and improvements in information processing capability such as big data analysis has been raising expectation for efforts to increase the value of spaces. For example, highly convenient layout can be realized by statistically analyzing vast amounts of data, such as data of human behavior, generated in spaces where people gather. Also, by combining and analyzing data of attributes, such as age group and the presence of a accompanied child, found in individual behavioral data, services tailored to diverse individual needs is expected to offer. Support services to improve QoL (Quality of Life) is especially needed to address issues facing society today, such as an aging and falling birth-rate population and reduction of the burden that physically challenged persons experience.

Conventional technologies to measure human behavior include the use of surveillance cameras, laser radars, infrared tags, and GPS-equipped information terminals. Measurement using surveillance camera image data generally determines the positions of people by detecting their silhouettes. However, silhouettes cannot be recognized by this method in a crowded space, and manual manipulation is necessary. Conventional methods thus have difficulty in measuring human behavior in real time and with great accuracy. Hitachi has now developed a technology that solves this problem. By leveraging Hitachi’s image recognition technologies and stereo camera technologies accumulated over many years, the new technology measures the behavior of people and estimates their attributes with high accuracy and in real time. A stereo camera is a sensor featuring two separate lenses which recognize the external world as human eyes, and the camera can measure the distance between itself and objects and acquire its 3D data. It is thus possible to stably measure human behavior even in a crowded space where people overlap, and process the obtained data accurately and in real time. Furthermore, by performing stereoscopic analysis of people and their surrounding objects, for example, large luggage and baby strollers can be identified, and the attributes of their owners can be estimated.

Hitachi is engaged in research and development to commercialize this technology and contribute to realizing more comfortable urban spaces and providing services tailored to individual needs.

Features of the Developed Technology

1. Technology that Accurately Estimates Human Behavior in Real Time by Analyzing 3D Data Obtained from a Stereo Camera

Unlike conventional monocular surveillance cameras, a stereo camera features the ability to capture stereoscopic 3D data with right and left lens. In the case of measurement using image data from conventional surveillance cameras, people and objects are identified by matching their 2D silhouettes with data registered in a database in advance. In a space crowded with occluded people, manual adjustments are required to recognize silhouettes as people. With a stereo camera, the distance of an object from the camera can be determined in the same manner as human eyes do by calculating the disparities in images captured by the left and right lenses. Based on this range information, 3D data is created. By extracting data near the head region of people and converting it to image data representing a downward view, the positions of people in a crowded space can be measured stably, and highly accurate processing can be performed in real time. Also, by determining temporal changes of people’s positions in the images, their positions can be precisely tracked. In evaluations using data from actual environments, the tracking rate improved by approximately 30 percent(2).

*2 compared with conventional technologies in Hitachi’s evaluation data.

2. Technology that Estimates People’s Attributes with Shape Analysis of 3D Data

Hitachi’s new technology estimates people’s attribute by performing stereoscopic analysis of the shapes of peoples and the objects around them, such as baby strollers and wheelchairs. The technology makes it possible to identify the mass and shapes of objects from the analysis of 3D data of people’s positions at any height and their surroundings. By comparing the 3D data with the data of objects registered in advance, accessory objects such as baby strollers, shopping carts, and wheelchairs can be identified. The traits of their owners – for example, a guest with his/her child or an elderly person who needs assistance – can be also estimated. In this way, services that meet individual needs can be provided. Examples include changing contents presented on information terminals and signage in response to different estimated attributes, and providing assistance to help elderly customers in moving by dispatching staff.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

2 December 2015

Tokyo, December 2, 2015 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, “Hitachi”) today announced the settlement of an investigation conducted for the past three years by the African Development Bank Group (“AfDB”) into the award in 2007 to Hitachi subsidiaries of a contract to provide boilers for an electrical power infrastructure project in the Republic of South Africa. Hitachi cooperated fully with the investigation and is pleased to have amicably resolved this matter by concluding a settlement with the AfDB on a neither admit nor deny basis, following the one with the SEC.

In conducting its business globally, Hitachi regards compliance as a top priority and will work with the AfDB further to enhance its practices to ensure it meets the high standards of the AfDB’s Integrity Compliance Guidelines.

Hitachi and its subsidiary companies remain committed to ethical business conduct, and continue to stand by their commitment to bring much-needed, reliable electrical power to the people of South Africa.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

14 December 2015

The first center 100% dedicated to pediatric cancer

Memphis, December 14, 2015 ---Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, “Hitachi”) today announced that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened the St. Jude Red Frog Events Proton Therapy Center in Memphis, Tennessee, the world’s first proton therapy center solely dedicated to children. The new center has 190-degree half gantries that provide efficient and spacious treatment-room environments suited specifically for pediatric care. All rooms are equipped with spot-scanning irradiation, a technology for which Hitachi received the first FDA Premarket Notification Special 510(k) clearance in 2007. St. Jude will be Hitachi’s third proton therapy site in the United States.

“The opening of the St. Jude Red Frog Events Proton Therapy Center marks an important step in our efforts to provide therapies that maximize cures while minimizing long-term treatment complications,” said James R. Downing, M.D., St. Jude president and chief executive officer. “The center is an engineering marvel made possible through the talents of many who are committed to offering children with cancer the best hope for the future.”

Radiation therapy, used alone or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy, is an integral component for successfully managing and treating pediatric tumors. Proton therapy allows doctors to administer targeted, high-dose radiation while sparing surrounding healthy tissue from exposure.

“The center is a one-of-a-kind patient resource that will help advance care for pediatric brain and solid tumors,” said Masaya Watanabe, Vice President and Executive Officer, President and CEO of the Healthcare Group and Healthcare Company at Hitachi, Ltd. “It is extremely rewarding to see this project realized and to celebrate this moment that holds great promise for the future of childhood cancer treatment.”

Proton beam therapy is an advanced form of external beam radiotherapy in which the protons from a hydrogen atom are extracted and accelerated up to 70 percent the speed of light. The energy beam is concentrated directly on the tumor, minimizing radiation doses to the surrounding healthy tissues. The procedure has fewer side effects compared to traditional radiotherapy.

Spot-scanning irradiation technology does not scatter proton beams like conventional proton beam therapy does. Rather, it repeatedly turns a narrow proton beam on and off at high speed as it progressively changes location to irradiate entire tumor volumes. Protons can be aimed with high precision at targeted tumors, even those with complex shapes, while minimizing the impact on nearby healthy tissue.

Hitachi will continue to enhance its particle therapy systems through innovations and deliver advanced technologies throughout the world.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago.

St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. To learn more, visit at https://www.stjude.org or follow St. Jude at @stjuderesearch.

Contacts

Hitachi

Tamie Nagamoto
Hitachi America, Ltd.
Desk (914)333-2987
tamie.nagamoto@hal.hitachi.com

St. Jude

Frannie Marmorstein
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Desk (901) 595-0221
Cell (901) 379-6072
frannie.marmorstein@stjude.org
media@stjude.org

21 December 2015

Tokyo, December 21, 2015 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501, "Hitachi"), Hitachi Medical Corporation ("Hitachi Medical"), and Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd. (“Hitachi Aloka Medical”) today announced a change in the schedule for executing the merger agreement relating to the merger of Hitachi Medical and Hitachi Aloka Medical announced on July 21, 2015.

While the companies planned to execute the merger agreement in December 2015, they changed the schedule for the execution of the agreement to January 2016. The change is due to the need for further consideration in developing an optimal organizational structure including the scope of integration for the new manufacturing subsidiary established by combining the manufacturing divisions of Hitachi Medical and Hitachi Aloka Medical. There is no change in the scheduled merger date (effective date) of April 1, 2016.

Cautionary Statement

Certain statements found in this document may constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the U.S. Private Securitis Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such “forward-looking statements” reflect management’s current views with respect to certain future events and financial performance and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “intend,” “plan,” “project” and similar expressions which indicate future events and trends may identify “forward-looking statements.” Such statements are based on currently available information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in the “forward-looking statements” and from historical trends. Certain “forward-looking statements” are based upon current assumptions of future events which may not prove to be accurate. Undue reliance should not be placed on “forward-looking statements,” as such statements speak only as of the date of this document.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in any “forward-looking statement” and from historical trends include, but are not limited to:

• economic conditions, including consumer spending and plant and equipment investment in Hitachi’s major markets, particularly Japan, Asia, the United States and Europe, as well as levels of demand in the major industrial sectors Hitachi serves, including, without limitation, the information, electronics, automotive, construction and financial sectors;
• exchange rate fluctuations of the yen against other currencies in which Hitachi makes significant sales or in which Hitachi’s assets and liabilities are denominated, particularly against the U.S. dollar and the euro;
• uncertainty as to Hitachi’s ability to access, or access on favorable terms, liquidity or long-term financing;
• uncertainty as to general market price levels for equity securities, declines in which may require Hitachi to write down equity securities that it holds;
• uncertainty as to Hitachi’s ability to continue to develop and market products that incorporate new technologies on a timely and cost-effective basis and to achieve market acceptance for such products;
• the possibility of cost fluctuations during the lifetime of, or cancellation of, long-term contracts for which Hitachi uses the percentage-of-completion method to recognize revenue from sales;
• credit conditions of Hitachi’s customers and suppliers;
• fluctuations in the price of raw materials including, without limitation, petroleum and other materials, such as copper, steel, aluminum, synthetic resins, rare metals and rare-earth minerals, or shortages of materials, parts and components;
• fluctuations in product demand and industry capacity;
• uncertainty as to Hitachi’s ability to implement measures to reduce the potential negative impact of fluctuations in product demand, exchange rates and/or price of raw materials or shortages of materials, parts and components;
• increased commoditization of and intensifying price competition for products;
• uncertainty as to Hitachi’s ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of its strategy to strengthen its Social Innovation Business;
• uncertainty as to the success of acquisitions of other companies, joint ventures and strategic alliances and the possibility of incurring related expenses;
• uncertainty as to the success of restructuring efforts to improve management efficiency by divesting or otherwise exiting underperforming businesses and to strengthen competitiveness;
• uncertainty as to the success of cost reduction measures;
• general socioeconomic and political conditions and the regulatory and trade environment of countries where Hitachi conducts business, particularly Japan, Asia, the United States and Europe, including, without limitation, direct or indirect restrictions by other nations on imports and differences in commercial and business customs including, without limitation, contract terms and conditions and labor relations;
• uncertainty as to the success of alliances upon which Hitachi depends, some of which Hitachi may not control, with other corporations in the design and development of certain key products;
• uncertainty as to Hitachi’s access to, or ability to protect, certain intellectual property rights, particularly those related to electronics and data processing technologies;
• uncertainty as to the outcome of litigation, regulatory investigations and other legal proceedings of which the Company, its subsidiaries or its equity-method associates and joint ventures have become or may become parties;
• the possibility of incurring expenses resulting from any defects in products or services of Hitachi;
• the potential for significant losses on Hitachi’s investments in equity-method associates and joint ventures;
• the possibility of disruption of Hitachi’s operations by natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, the spread of infectious diseases, and geopolitical and social instability such as terrorism and conflict;
• uncertainty as to Hitachi’s ability to maintain the integrity of its information systems, as well as Hitachi’s ability to protect its confidential information or that of its customers;
• uncertainty as to the accuracy of key assumptions Hitachi uses to evaluate its significant employee benefit-related costs; and
• uncertainty as to Hitachi’s ability to attract and retain skilled personnel.

The factors listed above are not all-inclusive and are in addition to other factors contained in other materials published by Hitachi.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

21 December 2015

Wallingford, CT, December 21, 2015 --- Hitachi Aloka Medical America is proud to partner with AccreditCoach to provide customers assistance with accreditation and add value to their ultrasound purchase. 

Hitachi Aloka Medical, as a global provider of advanced cardiovascular ultrasound systems, is dedicated to providing continued support to customers throughout their relationship. Hitachi Aloka America understands the challenges that echocardiography labs face when preparing for accreditation. By partnering with AccreditCoach, Hitachi Aloka America not only offers exceptional ultrasound systems, but also a time saving solution for the accreditation process.

AccreditCoach has built years of accreditation expertise into an online automated accreditation program. AccreditCoach combines their experience and innovative process to ensure accreditation with quality and ease. By using the Arietta 70 ultrasound system and the AccreditCoach program, echo labs can achieve maximum productivity with minimum effort.

About Hitachi Aloka Medical America, Inc.

Hitachi Aloka Medical America, Inc. is committed to delivering advanced diagnostic ultrasound systems and solutions to meet the needs of physicians and patients. With its U.S. and Canadian headquarters in Wallingford, CT, Hitachi Aloka Medical America employs local sales, service and clinical applications professionals across the nations. www.hitachi-aloka.com

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society’s challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Contact

Hitachi Aloka Medical America, Inc.
Tom Oko
Phone: +1-800-872-5652 Ext. 202
E-mail: sales@hitachi-aloka.com

13 January 2016

-- Santa Clara facility to provide “collaborative creation” space for Hitachi partners --

Hitachi executives at Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Santa Clara, CA, January 13, 2016 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) and Hitachi America, Ltd. today announced the opening of a new dedicated research facility, the Global Center for Social Innovation - North America (CSI-North America), for collaborative creation with strategic partners in industry and academia. The new facility, located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, will serve as a dedicated research and collaboration center, and represents the first regional Hitachi R&D center outside of Japan to offer Hitachi’s collaborative creation process to business partners.

Today, the many challenges facing industry have become the same challenges facing society itself. Not only has the way to create value changed, but the global business environment has become more complex, fast-changing and inter-connected. The Hitachi Group has announced its commitment to its Social Innovation Business which provides solutions to these new complex and changing challenges facing society, drawing on its vast portfolio of technology and knowledge in both information technology and infrastructure, a distinguishing feature of the Hitachi Group.

To lead this global initiative, the Research and Development Group of Hitachi, Ltd. realigned the global research organization in April 2015 under three centers: the Global Center for Social Innovation (“CSI”), the Center for Technology Innovation, and the Center for Exploratory Research to promote global research activities under customer-driven, technology-driven and vision-driven innovation models throughout the world. A key feature of the co-innovation process in the Global Center for Social Innovation (“CSI”) is the presence of cross-disciplinary researchers, designers and solution architects, who will work directly with customers under a shared vision to generate new concepts, and create prototypes and demos that are ultimately verified through a unified proof-of-concept process.

Hitachi America’s R&D Division was established in 1989 with the original purpose of being close to advanced markets in order to better understand trends and work with leading partners. This closer proximity enabled Hitachi to further develop such business areas as automotive systems, storage virtualization, broadband communications, harmonious computing and other cutting-edge technologies that serve customers.

CSI - North America, the regional center for the Americas, carries on this tradition leading the Hitachi research organization in applying a “market-in” approach to develop innovative solutions with strategic partners, focusing on market opportunities in areas such as energy & natural resources, transportation, telecommunications, healthcare. Current projects have already started yielding results, such as the network-analytics solution proposed by CSI-North America, which leverages streaming data processing technology developed in the Center for Technology Innovation in Japan. Using the common analytics framework being developed by Hitachi’s Big Data Laboratory to accelerate the development of new solutions, researchers specializing in big data analytics, information and communication systems, and user experience design at the new Silicon Valley facility will work with customers using the dedicated space, original tools and methodology developed by CSI-North America as well as NEXPERIENCE,^*1 a collection of methodologies and tools developed by CSI-Tokyo, to facilitate the co-innovation process.

“To achieve both real economic value and value to society, technology innovation has moved into an era which goes beyond the confines of one company or even one industry sector.” said Dr. Keiji Kojima, Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi, Ltd., CTO, and President & CEO of the Research and Development Group. “In order to deliver real-world solutions in a timely manner, it is imperative that the Hitachi Group works closely with partners through open innovation and customer engagement to identify the real needs and challenges that need to be overcome to deliver real innovation.”

“Hitachi America's R&D has contributed strongly to Hitachi’s overall U.S. business over the years, including areas such as eco-friendly automotive technologies as well as advanced IT platforms with Big Data analytics, among others.” said Dr. George Saikalis, Senior Vice President of Hitachi America, Ltd., General Manager of Hitachi America, Ltd. - R&D Division, GM of CSI-North America, “With the opening of CSI-North America, we will now accelerate the development of scalable solutions through what we call ITxOT -- a fusion of information technology with operation technology, enabled by Hitachi’s leading Big-Data analytics capabilities leveraging our IT platforms and domain knowledge. Some of our current projects have already started yielding results, such as our network analytics solution.”

“CSI-North America will leverage the diverse technology portfolio and expertise of Hitachi’s Global Research organization in order to develop real-world solutions that will drive Social Innovation in the Americas together with our partners,” said Dr. Kojima.

*1

NEXPERIENCE, announced by CSI-Tokyo in October 2015, is the collective name for the approaches, tools and space developed by CSI-Tokyo for accelerating the collaborative creation process. It includes process and tools to discover business opportunity, uncover on-site issues, analyze management challenges, create service ideas, design and simulate business models to demonstrate values.
http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2015/10/151015.html

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About Hitachi America, Ltd.

Hitachi America, Ltd. headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies offer a broad range of electronics, power and industrial equipment and services, particle beam therapy technologies, automotive products and consumer electronics with operations throughout the Americas. For more information, visit www.hitachi-america.us. For information on other Hitachi Group companies in the United States, please visit www.hitachi.us.

Contacts

US

Tamie Nagamoto
Hitachi America Ltd.
+1-914-333-2987
tamie.nagamoto@hal.hitachi.com

Japan

Konomi Watanabe
Hitachi, Ltd.
+81-3-5208-9325
konomi.watanabe.ro@hitachi.com