The HTF is more than just an annual internal event.
It spotlights engineers, refines them through discussion, and passes the torch of the next challenge. The individuals who safeguard this philosophy are the members of the Executive Committee.
When they speak, they share a single mantra: Never play it safe.

Suto: From the beginning, the fundamental policy of the HTF has been to spotlight each individual engineer. We wanted to make visible the technologies and people within the company, enable them to exchange ideas and debate here, and take that knowledge back to their teams. That’s the kind of space we set out to create.

The value of the HTF is not determined solely by the completeness of research results. Rather, it emerges when technologies that exist in the same company but rarely cross paths meet in the same space and become the subject of dialogue. That is when the fire is lit.

Yamamoto: When considering speakers for our special programs, we looked at current technology trends, especially the AI movement, and discussed who could truly speak authoritatively about AI. Dr. Alfred Z. Spector, who served as Vice President at Google, came up as a candidate.

Dr. Spector was someone who built mechanisms within Google to spotlight engineers. His original motivation aligned perfectly with the values held by our forum and our paper committee. We believed that by inviting him for this theme, he would be able to speak about the importance of spotlighting engineers.

The passion is shared not only by the presenters but by the audience as well.
There is always something tangible to take back to the workplace. That is why more and more people return every year.

As an event grows in scale, it is natural for management to seek stability. The same format as last year, the same flow, the same safe answers. However, the Executive Committee refuses to hit the brakes.

Suto: If we do the same thing every time, the energy of the event will fade. We want to introduce new elements every year, even if they are small. We say to ourselves, we can’t just play it safe. We have to be proactive where it counts. We don’t always know if it will work, but we want to keep pushing forward, even if it’s only little by little.

Being proactive doesn’t mean creating eccentric programs. It means adjusting the format so the heat of discussion doesn't drop, so engineers clash constructively, and so chance encounters increase.
That is why we keep refining the format.

This might be the most characteristically Honda aspect of the HTF.
Stories we can’t share externally, questions that don’t yet have answers, and lessons learned from failure.
This raw technology is often what actually moves the front lines forward.

Kitamura: I’ve heard that the HTF was originally a place where people could organize and share their challenges, including failures that couldn’t be disclosed externally or work that was still in progress. I want to bring the forum back toward being that kind of place—not so much a total reversal, but a gentle return toward that original spirit.

Behind the polished slides are doubts, decisions, and trial-and-error.
If the HTF is a place that accepts these things, engineers can bring their next challenges without fear.

Suto: It’s okay to be rough around the edges. It’s okay to say, “Please help me.” I want this to be a place for the kinds of presentations you can’t give at an external academic society.

Rather than a neat conclusion, give us the question you’re currently stuck on.
When someone reacts to that question, the next move is born.
The Executive Committee’s true intent is to place the HTF within that cycle of growth.

The HTF is not only a place to showcase strong technology, but also a place to develop strong engineers.
Meeting, debating, presenting, and receiving feedback—this experience builds the self-driven capability that holds value beyond Honda’s walls.

Suzuki: It will take time to see results, but I hope that gaining experience through presentations here will help everyone learn to stand on their own out in the world.

It is not about coming because the HTF exists. It is about taking the energy and connections gained at the HTF and initiating action on your own. When we reach that state, the HTF will no longer be just an event, it will become a culture.

The work of the HTF management does not end behind the scenes.

They spotlight engineers, spark discussions, and turn even incomplete work into progress. To that end, the Executive Committee takes a proactive approach to the format every year.

As long as the mantra “Never play it safe” remains, the heat of the HTF will continue to rise.