68.3% of IT Engineers Interested in New AI-Era Role "FDE"; Over 70% Predict Increased Future Demand

Levertech Inc. (https://levtech.jp/), with the vision of "Making Japan an IT Advanced Nation," conducted an awareness survey on "Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)," a new job role gaining attention in the AI era, targeting 243 IT engineers.

<Survey Summary>

68.3% of IT Engineers Respond "Interested" in "FDE (Forward Deployed Engineer)"

Over 70% of IT Engineers Predict "FDE Demand Will Increase in the Future"

Over 60% Cite "Understanding Individual Operations and On-site Conditions is Crucial for AI Utilization" as Reason for Increased FDE Demand

1. 68.3% of IT Engineers Respond "Interested" in "FDE (Forward Deployed Engineer)"

When asked about their interest in the role of "FDE (Forward Deployed Engineer)," which involves entering the client's site to solve problems and implement technology, 68.3% responded "Interested," combining "Very Interested" (21.4%) and "Somewhat Interested" (46.9%).

2. Over 70% of IT Engineers Predict "FDE Demand Will Increase in the Future"

To the question "Do you think FDE demand will increase in the future?", 72.0% of IT engineers responded that demand will increase, combining "I think it will increase" (25.1%) and "I think it will somewhat increase" (46.9%).

On the other hand, responses combining "I don't think it will increase much" (3.7%) and "I don't think it will increase" (0.8%) accounted for only 4.5%, suggesting that many IT engineers recognize FDE as playing an important role in the future, against the backdrop of advancing AI utilization and progress in corporate digital transformation.

3. Over 60% Cite "Understanding Individual Operations and On-site Conditions is Crucial for AI Utilization" as Reason for Increased FDE Demand

When asked for the reasons behind the expected increase in FDEs, the most common response was "Because I believe understanding individual operations and on-site conditions is important for applying AI to business operations" (61.1%). This was followed by "Because the value of human resources who can understand client issues and handle technology implementation end-to-end will increase" (55.4%), and "Because the importance of upstream processes will increase as coding is partially replaced by AI" (48.0%).

While the spread of AI tools lowers the hurdle for coding itself, it is evident that expectations are rising for human resources who possess not only development skills but also business understanding and technical expertise, capable of handling everything from problem structuring to implementation.

〈Comment from Masahiro Izumisawa, President and Representative Director of Levertech Inc.〉

This survey revealed that approximately 70% of IT engineers are interested in FDE (Forward Deployed Engineer), and over 70% predict an expansion of FDE demand in the future.

While AI advancements are increasing the efficiency and automation of development tasks, for companies to generate results using AI, they need to deeply understand their own business operations and challenges, and implement technology in ways that are suitable for each.

This survey also showed the highest response rate for "on-site understanding is important for applying AI to business operations," indicating that in the AI era, human resources who possess deep understanding of business and operations, in addition to advanced technical skills, are becoming increasingly important.

In the future, we believe that individuals who can understand client businesses and operations deeply and handle everything from problem identification to implementation and operation will be increasingly sought after as entities supporting corporate AI utilization and DX promotion. FDE is one of the representative roles, and its importance is likely to grow further in Japan.

◆Profile of Masahiro Izumisawa

Joined Leverages Inc. in 2017. As head of new business, he built the foundation for services such as the IT-specialized job support service "Levertech Rookie" and multiple other services.

In 2021, he was appointed General Manager of Levertech's IT Recruiting Business Unit, where he drove business strategy planning, recruitment, and operational optimization, leading the growth of multiple brands from various angles. He was appointed Executive Officer of Levertech in April 2023 and will assume the role of President and Representative Director on April 1, 2025.

<Survey Overview>

Survey Period: May 26, 2026 - May 28, 2026

Survey Method: Internet Survey

Survey Sponsor: Levertech Inc.

Research Contractor: GMO Research & AI Inc.

Valid Responses: 243

Survey Target: IT engineers aged 20-59

Levertech Inc.

Levertech Inc. aims to "Make Japan an IT Advanced Nation" and diversifies its business to support companies in DX promotion and in-house development, in addition to HR services that support IT professionals in their job searches and recruitment.

By solving problems from both corporate and individual perspectives, we aim to drive Japan's economic growth.

▽ "Levertech Freelance" - Specialist Agent for Freelance Engineers

https://freelance.levtech.jp/

▽ "Levertech Creator" - Specialist Agent for Freelance Creators

https://creator.levtech.jp/

▽ "Levertech Direct" - Job Site Specializing in IT Engineers/Creators

https://levtech-direct.jp/

▽ "Levertech Career" - Recruitment Support Specializing in Engineers/Creators

https://career.levtech.jp/

▽ "Levertech Rookie" - New Graduate Job Support Agent Specializing in Engineers

https://rookie.levtech.jp/

Leverages Inc. (https://leverages.jp/)

Head Office Location: Shibuya Scramble Square 24F/25F, 2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative Director: Tomohide Iwatsuki

Capital: 50 million yen

Established: April 2005

Business Activities: HR business, SaaS business, M&A consulting business, etc., primarily in the IT and medical/healthcare fields.

With a focus on "solving social issues," we offer over 60 services across various fields spanning countries and industries, including HR business, SaaS business, and M&A consulting, primarily in the IT and medical/healthcare sectors. Since our founding in 2005, we have maintained profitability and exceeded 170 billion yen in annual revenue in FY2025*. We aim to become a global company representing the era through portfolio management that does not limit industries and an in-house organizational structure where specialists from each field gather. *After accounting standard changes.