Dr. Hajime Watanabe, Director

In Society 5.0, which is being realized through technologies such as IoT—where everything is connected—and AI, which transforms data into intelligence, the fusion of cyberspace (virtual space) and physical space (real space) is expected to drive economic growth and solve social challenges. However, such a society faces increasingly sophisticated and complex threats, including attacks in cyberspace, attacks in physical space, and those occurring at the boundary between the two.

From November 2018 to March 2025, the Cyber Physical Security Research Center at AIST (under the leadership of Director Matsumoto, now an AIST Fellow) conducted research and development of technologies to address these threats, achieving various outcomes (please refer to our website for details). Nevertheless, research and development in cyber-physical security is still ongoing, and new threats continue to emerge alongside technological advancements.

To further advance this work, AIST established the Cyber Physical Security Research Institute in April 2025. This division aims to realize the security of industrial infrastructure that creates value across both cyberspace and physical space. It does so through activities such as the development and deployment of security enhancement and evaluation technologies, the creation of assurance schemes, and their integration into institutional frameworks.

The realization of cyber-physical security is not something AIST can achieve alone. We sincerely hope for your continued cooperation and support. Thank you very much.