Komatsu, one of the world’s leading heavy machinery producers, has been boldly developing into a platform players and lead user of IT tools. For several years now, Komatsu has been effectively harnessing Silicon Valley to innovate at breakneck speed. While Komatsu’s core activities are mainly surface mining and construction and underground mining, the company has recently expanded into forestry and agriculture.
Forming partnerships with startups such as Swift Navigation, AgJunction, and Novariant, Komatsu has been building a fleet of self-sufficient ICT bulldozers for agricultural use that will dramatically increase productivity. Komatsu has also partnered with Nvidia to create forestry equipment that can identify tree species, analyze quality of timber, and fell at a rate of 3 trees per minute.
At the Silicon Valley - New Japan Summit 2018 last November, Program Director, Ryoichi Togashi, discussed Komatsu’s new initiatives, and its continued efforts to harness the Silicon Valley ecosystem to create innovation.