A New Chapter for Hitachi Digital And Leadership in Action

Toshiaki Tokunaga formally assumed his position as President and CEO of Hitachi, Ltd. a few days ago. As I indicated in a previous post, I have been following this legendary company's progress for a few years. During Keiji Kojima's tenure, Hitachi underwent a significant change that accelerated digital innovation while staying faithful to the company's ingrained socially conscious values. With Tokunaga leading the charge, I believe a new era is coming that will call for a more global vision and deeper AI integration.

Legacy of Transformation

Let's talk about leadership first. Under Keiji Kojima's guidance, Hitachi understood that digital must mean efficient, ethical, human-centric, and future-proof in a world struggling with climate change, geopolitical uncertainty, and rapid tech disruption. It is no surprise that this year, Ethisphere named them one of the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies. Hitachi does not just talk the talk; they walk the walk.

Now, Tokunaga inherits this momentum, and I look forward to doing a C-level interview with him and other executives one day. What excites me most is his background and his leadership in Hitachi's digital and social innovation sectors. This is what we call innovative leadership, the ability to bridge digital fluency with industrial wisdom, East with West, and engineering heritage with agile software culture.

Part of Tokunaga's welcome message into his new role says, and I quote, "Now, as we move to the next stage of growth, we are striving to achieve sustainable growth by realizing a "One Hitachi," with digital at its core. By harnessing the power of digital technology across the entire Group more than ever before, we will integrate the businesses that have individually thrived and tackle the challenges faced by our customers and society."

Looking forward to...

The new developments in the mobility sector, where Hitachi's Railway Systems business uses AI-driven predictive analytics to reduce unplanned maintenance, making sure fewer delays and improving passenger safety. They partnered up with NVIDIA to integrate their technology. By lowering fuel prices at train depots by up to 40%, its AI monitoring systems are already reducing energy usage and service delays by up to 20% and train maintenance expenses by up to 15%. It brings back memories of when I wrote about Hitachi and Iryo trains a few years ago.

Hitachi Energy is advancing AI-managed microgrids in the energy sector, particularly in areas susceptible to climate extremes. These systems anticipate outages before they happen and optimize load distribution using machine learning. Supplying communities with environmentally responsive technologies. 

A few days ago, it was announced that it was signing a multi-year strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate the deployment of cloud-based solutions by utility and energy-intensive companies and advance the energy transition.

Here is a cool fact, that I want to dig deeper into this year, did you know Hitachi has been involved with Antarctica research for six decades? That is a story worth following up on.

In 2025, Ethical AI is Key

And here's something I don't think enough people are talking about, Hitachi is leaning into ethical AI as a cornerstone. At a time when generative AI dominates headlines and deepfakes question trust, this matters, and you know I'm an advocate for ethical AI. Their commitment to transparent algorithms and value alignment, especially for critical systems, should serve as a model for the industry.

Hitachi makes sure AI models remain accountable, interpretable, and aligned with regulatory frameworks like the EU AI Act and Japan's AI Ethics Guidelines. These guardrails are vital in industries like healthcare, where Hitachi's AI diagnostics tools are used in clinical settings across Asia.

Collaboration and Cultural Evolution

I have observed far greater receptivity to talent variety, co-creation, and teamwork. Their international collaborations, from local governments to academic institutions, from Microsoft to AWS, are evidence of this shift. Thanks to Tokunaga's global experience, this tendency will probably pick up speed, further establishing Hitachi as a genuine digital-age systems integrator. You know, I never get tired of saying collaboration is key for growth.

From Vision to Impact

As an industry analyst and storyteller, I have always been inspired by companies that don't just chase the next big thing but ask the big questions such as, What kind of world are we building? Who gets included in that world? And what role can technology play in ensuring equity, resilience, and hope?

We need leaders who can think across disciplines, communicate across cultures, and innovate across generations. Hitachi's heritage gives them credibility, but their direction under new leadership gives them new relevance.

To me, Hitachi is one of those companies where engineering brilliance meets social conscience. They show that you don't have to choose between profit and purpose, scale and soul. With Tokunaga now leading the charge, they're ready to take this vision to the next level.

So, what can we expect from Hitachi in 2025? Expect more integrated solutions across mobility, energy, healthcare, and public safety. Expect a stronger push into AI-powered digital twins that mirror entire cities. Leadership that listens, adapts, and leads from both head and heart. Remember, we are humans, after all.

Expect a company that adopts and lives digital technologies and shares their value across society. You've heard me say this before, we are in a new era, one where technology, when guided by values, can be a force for good.

Are We Ready For The Next Chapter?

I want to leave you with these thoughts as we continue in this fast-paced world: Are we prepared to accept hybrid leadership if it's the way of the future?

Are we prepared to lead with empathy and engineer with integrity? Can we remain grounded enough to learn new things while still retaining our mission-focused curiosity? Will we be brave enough to redefine success in terms of long-term impacts?

If Hitachi's direction tells us anything, it's that the future will belong to those who can lead across boundaries and bring humanity with them.