Koji Ota (太田光治), president of 千代田化工建設, discusses a co-creation strategy centered on moving beyond contracting and using AI as part of the company’s initiatives after incurring losses of ¥214.9 billion. He outlines the 3 areas covered by the DX Initiative and describes the company’s current progress toward implementing AI.
千代田化工建設 has been advancing its vision for the next-generation smart plant, “iPlant,” using AI against the backdrop of its long-standing DX strategy. The company’s efforts date back to the 1990s. In the 2000s, it developed SkillTran, an AI-based training tool, and in the 2010s expanded into consulting.
In 2016, the company established the AI Solutions Unit and partnered with グリッド. Introducing AI technology at LNG plants in the Middle East and Southeast Asia contributed to productivity improvements. Today, under the DX Initiative, it is seeking to strengthen its earnings power across 3 areas: EPC business transformation, real-world implementation, and operations support.
The DX Initiative centers on 3 business areas: digitally integrating and optimizing the entire process using the Digi tal EPC Platform; real-world implementation, including process stabilization in chemical manufacturing and support for carbon neutrality; and support for operations, maintenance and productivity improvement through the company’s proprietary operations-support solution, “plantOS.” The president says the company has entered the implementation phase for AI and that the technology is increasingly being connected to real-world business.