The Sony Group utilizes its products, content, technology, employees, and partnerships to engage in social contribution activities around the world under the slogan "For the Next Generation."

In line with the Group's policy, Sony Corporation (SEC) also provides educational support activities for children with the goal of contributing to society via Sony's unique technologies and services. As part of these activities, SEC began sponsoring the JSEC (Japan Science & Engineering Challenge) in 2021. The JSEC is an open science and technology contest for high school and technical college students across Japan, and SEC has been presenting the Sony Award at the contest since FY2022.

SEC Executive Deputy President Yoshinori Matsumoto, head of Technology and Incubation, and ten employee volunteers served as judges to determine the Sony Award winner in FY2023. They read qualifying papers submitted for the contest, discussed them, and identified ideas that were full of passion and originality.

From the numerous papers submitted, the JSEC2023 Sony Award went to Hiroaki Yoshida, Kohtaro Maeta, and Shotaro Kanetsuki from the National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), Yonago College for their entry, "The Development of a Next-Generation Spectrograph for Astronomical Observation, with the Aim of Becoming a Standard Instrument at Public Observatories in Japan." Their research focused on spectrographs, an instrument uncommon in Japan due to their high cost, with the goal of developing a spectrograph that is inexpensive, easy to assemble, and capable of achieving a higher resolution than existing equipment. The judges were very impressed by the students' passion and their ability to both identify a social need and develop a solution ready for deployment at observatories.

(From left to right: Shotaro Kanetsuki, Kohtaro Maeta, Hiroaki Yoshida, and Executive Deputy President Matsumoto.
Photo taken at the JSEC2023 awards ceremony, courtesy of the Asahi Shimbun.)

The students' winning research was also submitted as the Japanese entry in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) 2024, one of the leading science competitions for high school students from around the world. Regeneron ISEF 2024 was held in Los Angeles, California, USA, in May 2024 and the students won the prestigious award for excellence (fourth award in the physics and astronomy category). Their success at Regeneron ISEF also earned them an official commendation from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

(From left to right: Hiroaki Yoshida, Shotaro Kanetsuki, and Kohtaro Maeta.
Photo taken at the Regeneron ISEF 2024 awards ceremony, courtesy of the Asahi Shimbun.)

SEC will continue to support educating future generations through its products, services, and technologies.