BJIT Inc. (headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director & CEO: Yasuhiro Akashi), offshore development business in Bangladesh, and Chowa Giken Corporation (headquarters: Sapporo, Hokkaido / Representative Director & CEO : Takuya Nakamura), AI research and development in Sapporo City, are proud to announce a business alliance in the areas of AI development and AI human resource development. Chowa Giken Corporation will head "AI SAMURAI JAPAN," an AI research and development base within the BJIT Offshore Development Center in Dhaka City, Bangladesh as the start point for their joint project.

The wave of changes caused by AI technology continue to rock the industry with no signs of slowing, and the scope of application continues to expand at breakneck speed. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's survey on IT human resources supply and demand (outline), 34,000 AI human resources (* 1) are lacking as of 2018. Even when accounting for the increase in human resources for AI by university institutions and in-house training, it is estimated that there will be 124,000 unfilled AI positions by 2030. Under these circumstances, both companies aim to retain and develop human resources specializing in AI to fill the deficit in Japan, by leveraging the abundant IT human resource market in Bangladesh.

This business alliance, utilizing BJIT's extensive experience and achievements in offshore and human resource development in Bangladesh, and a wide variety of R & D achievements and research know-how in the AI field of Chowa Giken Corporation, AI research and development base will be established in Dhaka City, Bangladesh to conduct joint research, provide proof of concept demonstrations, and carry out joint development. Also, in AI human resource development, the AI-OJT Education Program of Chowa Giken Corporation will be used while cooperating with the BJIT Academy (Bangladesh: Dhaka) which conducts Japanese language and Technical education. We will also provide practical AI technology education for Bangladeshi IT engineers that will be applicable around the world.

Contents of the Business Alliance

・ Joint research and Proof of Concept experiments (PoC) using AI technology
・ Collaboration of AI ( such as machine learning and deep learning) related projects
・ AI specialized human resource development and joint research with national universities
Moreover, in collaboration with the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, we aim to kickstart a system for AI research and human resource development by integrating industry and academia, with a focus on practical joint research and other activities.

(Note: * 1) AI human resources are researchers (excluding academic and research institutions) of a mathematical model that realize AI, developers of software and systems equipped with AI functions, products using AI, Service planning/sales are defined as “AI human resources.” (Reference: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “Research on IT Human Resources Supply and Demand” April 2019)

About Bangladesh

Bangladesh has achieved significant economic growth in recent years, and is also listed as one of NEXT11 after BRICs. The country's government aims to become a middle-income country in the global economy by 2021, the 50th anniversary of its independence, and has set up a comprehensive policy called "Vision 21". "Digital Bangladesh" promotes the introduction of IT technology and has been actively promoted by the government with many IT engineers possessing elite technical capabilities having been produced as a result of their human resource development in the IT field. Bangladesh is known as a pro-Japanese country and is a country with high English proficiency (an average of 895 in the world in the non-native language of TOEIC in recent years, the average of 895 in 2014).

About BJIT Inc.
BJIT Inc. is an integrated Bangladesh IT service company with 600 IT engineers in Japan and Bangladesh. We have been engaged in human resource development and recruitment services, including offshore development based in Bangladesh, dispatching IT engineers in Japan, and Japanese language education for IT engineers. We also provide comprehensive IT services by abundant and excellent Bangladeshi IT engineers in the Japanese IT market, which is troubled from shortage of IT engineers. For more information about our company, please visitbjit.co.jp

About Chowa Giken Corporation
Chowa Giken Corporation is a Hokkaido University-certified venture company that conducts AI research, development and consulting services. Our vision is to use our AI engine (Image engine, Language engine, Numerical engine) to contribute accelerating the productivity and operational efficiency of our business partners by offering bespoke services for each company. In the future, AI demand is expected to increase due to the declining birth rate and aging population. Amidst this backdrop, we aim to develop and deliver high-quality AI services without boundaries in Asia. For more information about our company, please visitchowagiken.co.jp