Before joining MI-6, I worked at a major manufacturer, developing functional films and inks. That's where I hit a turning point: automating experiments in the ink development process.

What bothered me was that our conventional evaluation method was slow to deliver results, and that results varied from person to person. So I brought in our in-house data science department, and once we'd automated the process, sample evaluation sped up and the person-to-person variation disappeared. It felt like a real breakthrough, and it was very well received within the department. That experience convinced me that lab automation would be essential to the future growth of Japan's chemical and materials industries. I wanted to pursue this path seriously, so I did some research — and that's how I found MI-6.

When I joined in 2022, MI-6 hadn't yet earned any revenue from the lab automation business — I started from zero, with no orders on the books. Gradually, though, our proprietary SaaS, miHub®, became an entry point, and we began to see more enquiries along the lines of 'Oh, you do lab automation too?' I can feel the industry's awareness of MI and lab automation growing.

Now, for lab automation projects that come to us from clients, I handle everything from upstream work like planning and requirements definition, through to downstream work such as system design and implementation. In practice, that means tasks spanning software and hardware alike: designing the layout of automated lines, building communication and electrical wiring, teaching robots, making parts with a 3D printer, and writing RPA programs, among others.

A lot of it was outside my own specialism, but I learned everything hands-on, out in the field. I think it helped that I'd always enjoyed making things and tinkering with machinery, including building my own PCs, which let me approach even completely new tasks with curiosity. There's nothing quite like seeing an experimental system you've built come to life.

More recently, I've also taken on project management, overseeing progress across whole projects, and that's meant more communication with contractors and equipment manufacturers. Another big change is that I've started thinking harder about what it takes to win clients over, while keeping the division's revenue in mind. Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing a lab automation system I've worked on valued by a client and then rolled out to other departments too.

Looking back, moving from a listed company to a startup meant I was sometimes puzzled by the difference in culture when I first joined. Here, not only does everything move quickly, but the division of roles isn't as clearly defined as at a large company — everyone has to think on their feet and take the initiative to carve out their own work. There was plenty that was tough, but what helped me through it was the people I worked alongside. With such a wide range of backgrounds among the team, whenever I post something on Slack like 'I'm stuck here and don't know what to do', there's usually someone with strong knowledge in that area who comes to the rescue. Knowledge and insight get shared around the company quickly, person by person, and I think that has fed directly into my own growth.

My goal going forward is to use lab automation to build an environment where researchers can focus on the work that only humans can do. Forming a hypothesis, testing it, and gaining new insight is, after all, something uniquely human. I hope to contribute through automation so that Japan's chemical industry can keep its strong presence in the world.