Conducting case studies on trends in agricultural technology and production sites from a global perspective

Q.Why did your company decide to take on interns? What did you aim to achieve?

We are an agricultural start-up company established in Hyogo, Japan in 2021, and our business is mainly focused on agricultural consulting and research and development. In research and development in particular, we believe that Japanese agricultural technology is globally competitive, and we are also conducting case studies overseas with an eye to expanding business opportunities in the future.

Agriculture differs from other industries in that it is strongly influenced by regional characteristics such as climate, soil, and the number of farmers. “Smart agriculture”, which is currently expected to spread in Japan, is actively introducing robotics, IT, AI, and other technologies, but we felt that the knowledge gained from examples not only in Japan but also overseas would be extremely valuable.

Therefore, our objective was to ascertain foreign perspectives on the smart agriculture technology we are working on through activities with foreign personnel with advanced knowledge and skills, and to confirm the results of our agricultural consulting services with the participation of people majoring in fields other than agriculture.
We also wanted to see what kind of synergies and other benefits could be generated by having foreign personnel involved in the development of our applications, so we applied for this program.

From case studies of new technologies in the agricultural sector to application development.
Utilizing intern's expertise to engage in a wide range of activities with his knowledge and skills

Q.What kind of internship did you run? What difficulties did you face and how did you resolve them?

The intern was asked to work on two main activities: researching and reporting on case studies of new technologies related to agriculture overseas, and developing a new agricultural application (a pest forecasting application). Specifically in the application development, the intern was involved in a wide range of tasks from requirement definition to considering development policy and actual development, while also taking the initiative in the implementation phase, laying the foundation for the smooth development of this new business.

In terms of activity, we first selected the most suitable project from several new business candidates, taking into consideration intern Ashu's area of expertise, interests, and skills in general. We also asked him to take the initiative so that he would feel a certain level of responsibility. In terms of communication, the intern was enrolled in a doctoral course at a graduate school in Japan and had a busy schedule. However, by communicating frequently with him, we were able to prevent miscommunication and consult with him at appropriate times to ensure that he could flexibly work on his activities.

Through collaboration with highly skilled foreign human resource, we have learned a global perspective and the possibilities for future business expansion have expanded

Q.Comparing before and after the internship, what effects did it have on you, your employees, or your organization?

Although the application development did not reach the point of release during the activity period, we were able to complete a rough definition of requirements, etc., which gave us the opportunity to take a new step forward based on this application under development.

This was our first time participating in this program and we are very satisfied with the results. The intern was highly talented and was able to produce a report on the results of the overseas case study, which was of such quality that it could be used in an academic presentation. We were also able to make early progress in planning with regard to application development and to collaborate on subsequent development methods.

During the development of the application, the intern used his extensive connections to facilitate his work, tapping into online resources for anything he didn't understand and actively seeking information from friends and acquaintances. This flexible and collaborative relationship has been a very interesting and beneficial experience not only for myself but also for the members of the company.

Although many technical intern trainees are active in the agricultural sector, we feel that it is still not well known that highly skilled human resources can be active in this field. In particular, there is an overwhelming shortage of excellent IT personnel like this intern in rural areas where agriculture is thriving. We felt that it is extremely important for highly skilled human resources and IT personnel to work in rural areas, not only to establish a strong agricultural production base but also to further promote smart agriculture in the future. We have never hired foreign personnel before, but through the results of this activity, we hope to actively collaborate with and hire foreign personnel in the future.