Honda R&D Technical Forum 2025 Highlighting Engineers, Refining Through Discussion

The HTF has consistently prioritized spotlighting engineers and their technologies, providing a venue to refine each other’s work through networking and discussion.

Whether you are presenting, listening, or just passing by, when dialogue crosses boundaries and perspectives from other fields flow in, research gains clarity. The HTF intentionally cultivates this atmosphere of mutual growth.

Furthermore, the HTF is rooted in the Honda Philosophy, carrying the message of being a place for earnest discussion on world-first and world-best technologies for the future. While technology advances rapidly, people and society do not change overnight. This is why we must directly ask what kind of technology will be accepted, used, and truly provide value. The HTF serves as the stage for these essential discussions.

The 2025 HTF was held over three days in December under the theme “Human Centric Technology.”
While last year’s forum looked back at Honda’s history through the lens of Human Centric Technology, this year the focus was on discussing future Human Centric Technology. By making in-person attendance the standard for both presenters and attendees, we emphasized the importance of face-to-face communication.

On the first day, Keiji Otsu, President of Honda R&D, gave a keynote speech introducing future technologies and speaking passionately about the mindset Honda engineers should embrace. This was followed by a special lecture by Dr. Alfred Z. Spector, former Vice President of Research and Development at Google, who discussed the ideal stance for engineers in the age of AI, driving excitement throughout the venue.

Next, seven of the venue’s presentation halls were put to simultaneous use. There were 25 Organized Sessions (OS) curated by field—including the Open Forum—and approximately 280 presentations, about 70 of which came from overseas. The themes extended beyond automobiles to advanced domains such as design, AI, robotics, energy, and materials. The event has become a platform for integrated knowledge, consolidating Honda’s technical expertise.

Walking through the venue, you see attendees rushing through hallways between sessions while spontaneous conversations spring up in the foyer. While pursuing an interesting session, you might find yourself wandering into a neighboring field almost by accident. The appeal of the HTF lies in this scale that naturally encourages such organic exploration.

To strengthen in-person discussion, while on-site participation was the standard, we also enhanced on-demand content via the intranet. This allowed us to balance the real-time energy of the event with the ability to review and learn later. The format prioritizes the generation of immediate, on-site discussion.

Poster Sessions: A Central Plaza for Increasing Chance Encounters

At the HTF, the poster sessions are not merely a supplementary program.
By concentrating these in the main hall and placing a communication area at the center, we foster casual dialogue over coffee. Unexpected encounters with unfamiliar technologies cause attendees to pause, and from that moment, discussions begin.
This vibrancy serves as the catalyst for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Networking Events: Deepening Discussions in a Relaxed Setting

The nightly networking events are more than just social hours. They are opportunities to delve deeper into questions sparked during the daytime sessions.

Speaking candidly in a relaxed atmosphere helps to dissolve the barriers of title and domain. From live jazz performances to the overall ambiance, the HTF is characterized by its design as a space where discussion is born. Participant feedback confirms this, with comments such as, “I was able to talk directly with the presenter,” and, “networking with engineers from other fields made me realize my technology could be applied elsewhere.”

New for 2025: Open Forum—The First Step in Opening Research

In 2025, the HTF held its first Open Forum, inviting researchers from universities and research institutions.
The key was that we did not simply open everything; instead, we carefully designed a scope for what could be shared.
• External participation was limited to specific venues and times for universities and research institutions.
• External participants were asked to refrain from attending other sessions containing confidential information.
• Presentation content was limited to the aspects of the latest technologies that could be disclosed externally.
Extending the chemical reactions happening inside the company to the outside world—that was the first step taken by the 2025 Open Forum.

The HTF does not aim merely to organize an annual presentation event.

It is a place where engineers are spotlighted, refined through discussion, and led toward new challenges. From the connections made here, they gain the ability to take initiative on their own. The HTF continues to evolve as a cultural engine that strengthens not only Honda’s technology but also the engineers who create it.