Radio Nikkei's "Shuto Shiho Wants to Know! The Forefront of DX on the Ground" Airing on Radio Nikkei 1 Features the Evolution of "On-Site DX" at Toyota Industries' Nagakusa Plant!

Science Arts Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ryutaro Hiraoka) announces that the July 2026 broadcast of its sponsored segment "Shuto Shiho Wants to Know! The Forefront of DX on the Ground" on Radio Nikkei (Nikkei Radio Inc., Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shinichi Koteshima) will feature the DX promotion initiatives at the Nagakusa Plant of Toyota Industries Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Kariya-shi, Aichi; President: Koichi Ito).

(From left in photo) Freelance Announcer Shiho Shuto, Shohta Inukai and Rei Hirasawa of Toyota Industries, and Ryutaro Hiraoka, President and CEO of Science Arts.

Since its broadcast began in May 2026, this segment has garnered attention, particularly from DX promotion managers and individual investors, for its realistic content that delves into "what has actually changed on the ground." The program covers various sites that support Japan's social infrastructure, including railways, aviation, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, reporting on the challenges they face and the reality of DX as a solution.

In the program, freelance announcer Shiho Shuto and Science Arts President and CEO Ryutaro Hiraoka interview on-site personnel who are actually promoting DX. The interviews go beyond simply introducing success stories, exploring the challenges before implementation, the struggles on the ground, the promotion process, and the results over four weeks.

From July 7th, episodes 9 through 12 will be a four-part series focusing on the DX initiatives at Toyota Industries Co., Ltd. This time, the spotlight is on the Nagakusa Plant, which produces the Toyota RAV4. Based on the "people-centered manufacturing" cultivated through the Toyota Production System (TPS), the program will explore how digital technology has been used to evolve the plant floor.

The program will detail the transition from traditional challenges, such as information loss due to paper-based information sharing, to creating an environment where real-time information is shared, allowing everyone to make judgments and take actions based on the same information, and further, to utilizing data with an eye toward future growth.

Furthermore, it will delve into initiatives that go beyond improving operational efficiency through DX, such as creating a workplace where diverse talent, including employees with hearing impairments, can thrive, improving job satisfaction through enhanced communication, and promoting employee retention. DX, including Buddycom, is not just about operational efficiency; it supports the creation of an organization where everyone can demonstrate their abilities by promoting diversity and inclusion, creating new value on the ground.

Guests will include Rei Hirasawa, General Manager of Planning, Digital Promotion Office at Toyota Industries Co., Ltd., and Shohta Inukai, IT Promotion Staff, Assembly Section, Manufacturing Department at Toyota Industries Co., Ltd. In the latter two episodes, Ryutaro Hiraoka, President and CEO of Science Arts, will also join to discuss the possibilities and future of on-site DX.

Through its sponsorship of this segment, Science Arts aims to develop on-site DX from individual company initiatives into industry-wide transformation. By sharing practical knowledge of DX, starting from on-site challenges, with society as a whole, the company aims to contribute to improving Japan's productivity and realizing a sustainable society.

"Shuto Shiho Wants to Know! The Forefront of DX on the Ground" Segment Overview

Broadcast Schedule: Every Tuesday from 14:15 to 14:30 within "Market Terrace"

Guest Company: Toyota Industries Co., Ltd. (July 7, 14, 21, 28)

Appearances: Shiho Shuto (Freelance Announcer)

Ryutaro Hiraoka (Science Arts Co., Ltd., President and CEO)

Sponsor: Science Arts Co., Ltd.

Broadcast/Streaming Media: Radio Nikkei 1 / radiko

Program Website: https://www.radionikkei.jp/dxfrontier/

About Buddycom (https://buddycom.net/)

Buddycom is a live communication platform that connects frontline workers. By installing the app on smartphones or tablets and utilizing internet communication networks (4G, 5G, Wi-Fi®), it enables simultaneous communication with multiple people, similar to a transceiver or radio. In addition to voice, text chat, video, and location information (IoT), it supports communication with AI-powered digital assistants.

It is used in various industries such as aviation, railways, construction, welfare facilities, and distribution as a means of communication.

About Science Arts Co., Ltd.

Science Arts Co., Ltd. is dedicated to its mission of "Providing the future of DX to frontline workers and becoming a force for a society where people can work with smiles." The company develops and sells "Buddycom," a live communication platform that connects frontline workers. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Mothers market in 2021 (now transitioned to Growth), it has achieved the No. 1 market share for five consecutive years*. Moving forward, Science Arts aims to create a society where frontline workers can work with smiles by beautifully connecting not only staff-to-staff communication but also staff-to-customer and staff-to-AI interactions.

*Shipment value and number of companies for voice (video) communication tools (for non-desk workers) - "Reality and Outlook of the Deskless SaaS Market FY2025 Edition" by Deloitte Tohmatsu Mic Research Institute.