Nearly two months have passed since a national emergency was declared in Japan, and it has finally been lifted. Infection with the COVID-19 virus is decreasing but has not been completely eliminated. I think it is important for everyone to continue to be careful and to recommence usual life while observing social distancing. I would like to talk about the post-COVID-19 action being taken at the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) as regards electronic information and communication technology.
　The IEICE has been in existence for 100 years and has been concerned with information processing technology including wireless communication such as 5G, optical communication, electronic and optical devices, communication network technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) with information and communications technology (ICT) technology at its core. By connecting people via ICT, we aim to realize a wealthy community from juniors to seniors.
The response to COVID-19 has often involved online meetings, online classes, and remote work. This shows the importance of the exchange of information and communication between people, which are the main technological development themes of the institute, with respect to maintaining our daily lives and economic activities. For example, the provision of statistical data on the movement of people provided by telecommunications carriers is essential if the government, local authorities, and companies are to formulate policies to prevent the spread of infection. In addition, the identification of close contacts from smartphones while protecting privacy is an example application related to the research being undertaken at our institute.
　In relation to the harm and the threat that we have suffered during this time, it is essential that our lifestyles, economy and values remain changed even once this issue has ended. Also, in terms of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), I believe the importance of information and communication will continue to increase. Under these circumstances, the IEICE will do its utmost to promote new technological development from the perspective of ICT so that people’s lives after COVID-19 will be safe and fruitful. Specifically, we aim to achieve the following.

1. ①Promoting Working Style Reform：We will make technology easier to use in remote working situations and promote technological development that will enable us to work efficiently wherever we are. To that end, we will accelerate the expansion of public wireless networks including 5G and solve the problems of remote working by using such approaches as virtual reality (VR), super-realism, and 3D video communication. I think that remote working will contribute to "regional revitalization", including the movement of people from large cities to rural areas. As remote working spreads throughout society, we will propose modalities for standardized remote working from home and the effective use of time.
2. ②Building a Resilient and Safe Society：A decentralized information and communication network is important if people are to work in various places and their work integrated to realize efficient economic activity. This distributed network is an extremely disaster-resistant system that can maintain its function as a whole even if some part of it fails. We aim to build a resilient and safe society by developing a strong network that can resist such disasters as the 3.11 earthquake and phenomena such as COVID-19.
3. ③Promotion of New ICT Utilization：The digital society is rapidly accelerating, and it is believed that the transfer of information will lead to a new globalization connecting the world across national borders. We must try not to miss this wave in the development of Japanese industry. At such times, it is important to use advanced and safe ICT technology. To ensure that policy and morality are taken into consideration, we will endeavor to cooperate with people working in the humanities and social sciences and other academic fields to make the technology more useful.
4. ④Contribution to a New Education System：When thinking about Japan's future, it is extremely important to consider how to enhance education. With the introduction of digitization, we will contribute to the realization of a new educational system platform. As a branch activity of the IEICE, we hold a science school that targets elementary school students. We also have a Junior Membership system for high school and university students, which is based on digital technology and that contributes to the education of young people.
5. ⑤ICT for All People：We will develop digital technologies and devices that can be easily used and that will not create a digital divide. To take account of the aging of the Japanese population and its decreasing size, we aim to develop an information and communication system that can be used safely by people of all ages.

　As mentioned above, the IEICE, which is a leader in the information and communication fields, has an important mission after COVID-19, and its ambition is to develop cutting edge information and communication technology for the world.
　I am sure that some of you have recently experienced inconveniences in your daily lives, and I pray for your future health and safety.