AFCEA Tokyo (東京) is honored present our next annual conference, TechNet Tokyo 2018, to be held at The New Sanno Hotel on Tuesday March 6 through Thursday March 8. Selecting a theme is always an fascinating thought exercise. On the one hand we endeavor to choose a topic we feel is best representative of the current technological environment. On the other hand, we also attempt to present a much more thorough story, by weaving together previous TechNet themes into a single, cohesive multi-year narrative. We then sprinkle on local Tokyo and Japan-specific subjects, and finally agree on a theme we feel best meets all those requirements.

This year we are pleased to present “transformation” as the newest chapter in the AFCEA Tokyo (東京) saga. Consider where the world of technology, and cyber security in particular, was just a few short years ago and compare that image to today. We have undergone quite the transformation, and continue to transform. Society has seemingly embraced the idea of the Internet-of-Things (IoT), which will undoubtedly transform the globe in ways we cannot even currently imagine. Cyber security is transforming into a more machine-learning, artificial intelligence driven approach to detection and defense.

Technological transformation is not the only reason for this decision. In 2015 we discussed convergence, followed by resilience in 2016, primarily to honor Japan on the fifth anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster. In 2017 we focused on cooperation in multiple ways, coming at topics from the multi-stakeholder perspective. We discussed the need for disparate forces, such as Japanese and American governments, industries, and academics, to collaborate to ensure effective capabilities.

In 2018 we will explore transformation as we are front row witnesses to global and Japanese specific changes. With less than three years before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the country is in a major transformational state. There is a lot of work needed to transform the country for the major influx of foreign tourists, and the potential threats to the Japanese way of life – especially from the technological and security perspectives. The regional geopolitical transformations are a major concern for Tokyo 2020, with North Korea leaving a lot of questions unanswered and Russian attempts to destabilize the global political landscape.

Finally, the aftermath of Tokyo 2020 upon its completion will likely have transformational consequences for the country. How will Japan, and Tokyo in particular, deal with the changes after the games have finished, and how does the country sustain the positives without falling victim to the negatives?

The bottom line: transformation of society into a more connected IoT-based world, transformation of cyber security into new and inventive areas, and transformation of Japan and Tokyo both before and after the Tokyo 2020 games.

Transformation as a theme will allow us to explore a lot of topics from a thought-provoking context. These perspectives will be extremely educational for Japan, Tokyoites, and attendees from all over the globe, whether associated with the US or Japanese governments, military, industry, or academia. We hope everyone will enjoy what we have put together, and look forward to seeing all in March 2018!