Fujitsu: Co-Creating Digital Business

In 2017, the president of Fujitsu Asia Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Fujitsu Limited (Fujitsu) needed to decide between two project options that represented growth in different industries in Asia. Both projects represented Fujitsu's vision of connected services and could potentially be much-needed engines of new growth for Fujitsu Singapore over the next 5 to 10 years. The first option was to offer its Japanese-engineered cloud-computing platform to engage small and medium enterprises in the manufacturing industry. Given the high costs of customizing the existing platform for local use, the president wondered whether small and medium manufacturers would generate sufficient demand to justify such a costly investment. The second option was to leverage the success of Fujitsu’s intelligent agricultural cloud-computing project with the Japanese government to offer vertical farming to Singapore and other Asian cities that faced similar space constraints but valued food resilience. But was it the right time to enter the agricultural industry? The president had limited time and resources, and needed to make a decision very soon.

This case is suitable for graduate-level, core or elective classes on strategic management or managing corporate innovation. It can also be used in elective courses or executive training programs on corporate entrepreneurship and technology management.<br><br>After working through the case and assignment questions, students will have developed their abilities to do the following:<ul><li>Describe the competitive landscape of the information and communication technology industry, and outline Fujitsu’s strategy for transforming its traditional advantage and remaining competitive.</li><li>Explain how organizations can tap into the resources and networks of external organizations to enhance their capabilities, explore new knowledge, and exploit existing knowledge.</li><li>Describe how technological advances increase connectivity among people, businesses, and the environment, and summarize Fujitsu’s use of these advances in adopting an ecosystem perspective to develop connected services and co-create value.</li><li>Understand the managerial and strategic challenges in managing corporate innovation and growth.</li></ul>

• Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Digital Business, Co-creation