[Free Online Seminar] "Design Theory for the Manufacturing Industry": Connecting Technology to Value

NineSigma Holdings, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Akihiko Suwa; hereinafter "NineSigma") and Design Ethnography, Inc. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shigetaka Yamamoto; hereinafter "Design Ethnography") will jointly host a free online seminar titled: "Design Theory for the Manufacturing Industry: Connecting Technology to Value – Practical Methods for the VUCA Era, as Discussed by an R&D Consultancy and a Design Firm." Registration for the event opens today.

"We have the technology. We are watching the market. So why doesn't it translate into business?" — Is this question being repeated in your manufacturing workplace?

Even when you pursue high-spec functionality, you may fail to achieve the expected results. Even when you carefully gather customer feedback to develop a product, it may miss the mark on essential needs. Even with the advancement of information gathering and analysis through generative AI, the fundamental gap between technology and business value remains unresolved in many workplaces.

In an era where industrial boundaries are blurring and development capabilities and information are becoming homogenized, it is difficult to differentiate oneself simply by "responding directly to visible information," whether through a product-out or market-in approach. What is required is not an increase in the volume of information, but a re-examination of the perspectives of both technology and value themselves.

To bridge this gap, we see potential in "design" as a design process. By abstracting disparate elements such as technical data and market needs and placing them within a common context to compare them, we can discover the touchpoints where technology connects to value. This process of assembling elements into meaningful forms (value)—rather than mere product decoration—is a design perspective that has not yet been fully utilized in the manufacturing industry.

In this seminar, NineSigma, which has long supported technology-driven innovation in the manufacturing industry, and Mr. Yamamoto of Design Ethnography, who has supported numerous new business ideas and R&D theme creations from a designer's perspective, will delve into the theme of "Design Theory for the Manufacturing Industry" in a dialogue format. We will share specific ways of thinking and methods for action, addressing why the gap between technology and value arises and how it can be overcome through the collaboration of two companies with different areas of expertise.

Design Theory for the Manufacturing Industry: Connecting Technology to Value ~Practical Methods for the VUCA Era, as Discussed by an R&D Consultancy and a Design Firm~

● Speakers:

[Image: Shigetaka Yamamoto, Representative Director, Design Ethnography, Inc.] <Biography> Graduated from the Nagoya City University School of Design and Architecture (Product Design major). Started his career as a graphic designer, worked at an organizational/HR consulting firm and a fashion marketing company, and established Design Ethnography, Inc. in 2014, assuming the role of Representative Director. While providing branding support to a wide range of companies from startups to long-established firms, he also handles numerous innovation support projects, such as creating new business ideas and R&D themes for major manufacturers.

[Image: Kai Matsuo, NineSigma Holdings, Inc.] <Biography> After completing his studies at the Hokkaido University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, he joined NineSigma following experience in product and material development at KOSÉ Corporation. He is engaged in innovation support and consulting for new theme creation across diverse industries and technical fields, including consumer goods. Aiming to provide support as a "translator" that connects technology and value, he has recently been working on exploring and introducing design-based approaches to identify essential issues and value-provision opportunities hidden within organizations and people.

● Recommended for: - Those involved in creating new businesses or research themes in the manufacturing industry, whether BtoC or BtoB. - Those who have tried various approaches, including design thinking, but feel they are not getting the desired results. - Management and planning personnel looking for hints on perspectives and methods tailored to their company's context, or those working on building innovation creation mechanisms and organizational/human resource development.

● What you will gain from this seminar: - The structural background of why gaps between technology and value arise in both product-out and market-in considerations. - The thinking and capabilities required of organizations and personnel in the manufacturing industry as cross-industry integration and the spread of generative AI progress. - Specific points and pitfalls for bringing a design perspective into the field of technology and R&D. - Reasons why existing approaches like design thinking may not fully integrate into R&D and technical fields, and what lies beyond. - Specific support case studies from the collaboration between NineSigma and Design Ethnography. - How to think about practical entry points tailored to your company based on business domain, products, and organizational nature.

● Date and Time: Friday, April 24, 2026, 13:30–14:30 (scheduled) ● Participation Method: Zoom (Free). A viewing URL will be sent to registrants on Thursday, April 23. * A "missed-viewing" archive will be provided to registrants at a later date.

[Link: Seminar Registration Site] *Deadline: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 13:00

About NineSigma Holdings, Inc. Under the management philosophy of "We make innovation happen," NineSigma works alongside corporate R&D departments to unlock the potential of their "technology," supporting innovation activities from the creation of new business and R&D themes to their execution. Established in Japan in 2006, the company has a track record of over 10,000 innovation support projects in 105 countries worldwide, and over 1,600 projects within Japan. - Headquarters: 1-3-3 Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo - President: Akihiko Suwa - Corporate Website: https://www.ninesigma.com/jp/

About Design Ethnography, Inc. Design Ethnography is a design firm that supports innovation creation and branding for a wide range of companies in manufacturing, distribution, IT, medical, and other sectors, leveraging its unique consumer insights (MIND SHUFFLE®/VUCA MIND, etc.) and workshop design. We use our aesthetic and observational eyes to find the seeds of the future and co-create, through the power of design, the way companies should exist as they continue to build new relationships with society. - Headquarters: Cesar Meguro 407, 1-2-22 Shimomeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo - Representative Director: Shigetaka Yamamoto - Corporate Website: https://www.designethnography.com/

Inquiries regarding this matter NineSigma Holdings, Inc. (Attn: Matsuo, Oka, Ogata) TEL: 03-3219-2006 / E-mail: contact_nsap@ninesigma.com