Toshiba opens new healthcare tech center in Japan

Toshiba

Toshiba has opened the Healthcare Technology Center in the Komukai Complex in Kawasaki city, Kanagawa prefecture. The center is designed to help the company expand its healthcare business under the medium-term management plan, and will serve as a base for the development of next-generation products as well as R&D of differentiating technologies on mid- and long-term basis.

At the new center, Toshiba will develop services that make use of genomic analysis and biological sensors.The Japanese giant plans to spend 50 billion yen (around $420 million) on research and development in the healthcare business in fiscal year 2016, which is 30% more than this year. As part of that extra push, new people will be hired, bringing the Healthcare Technology Center head count from 3,000 to 3,600 in fiscal year 2016.

At the new center, Toshiba will develop services that make use of genomic analysis and biological sensors, which the company regards as a new healthcare business. Additionally, it will promote R&D of the next-generation sensing technology and differentiating technology including big data analysis.

Toshiba will choose projects which are expected to produce a number of benefits through collaboration with Corporate Research & Development Center, universities, and research institutes in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with the aim to introduce a product promptly to the market.

The company regards its healthcare business as a third pillar of operations, along with its energy and storage businesses.