Okayama University of Science (OUS), with the cooperation of the ANA Maintenance Center of All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.—which supports talent development for the ANA Group’s aircraft maintenance companies, collectively known as “e.TEAM ANA”*—launched a joint talent development program this academic year. On December 17, at the Kake 50th Anniversary Memorial Building on the Okayama Campus, nine student teams presented business plans they developed to help address challenges facing the aviation industry. Two teams were recognized for proposals praised for their creativity and practicality and received ANA awards.
 
The presentations were developed based on three themes provided by ANA on December 3: (1) discussing challenges and solutions for adopting new technologies to help decarbonize the aviation industry; (2) proposing ways to turn “waiting time” into “time well spent”; and (3) proposing initiatives to reduce human error. A total of 46 students—from first-year undergraduates through graduate students—were divided into nine teams, with members sharing roles and refining their proposals.
 
Each team had six minutes to present. The panel of judges consisted of four staff members from the ANA Maintenance Center, including Mitsunori Hosomi, Manager, Operations Promotion Department.
 
One award-winning team included five students led by Haruto Maeda, a senior in the Department of Management. Under the theme “Turning ‘Waiting Time’ into ‘Time Well Spent,’” the team proposed an in-airport bookstore-and-library concept. Their idea brings together the time constraints faced by business travelers, continued interest in browsing physical books, the broader decline of bookstores, and the experiential value that bookstores can offer. Under the plan, travelers would choose a book during airport downtime, read it on the plane, and then either return it or purchase it at the arrival airport.
 
The other award-winning team included six students led by Sosuke Kamisako, a senior in the Department of Information Science and Engineering. Using an actual human-error case from an aircraft maintenance workplace as their subject, the team proposed “three solutions that don’t depend on individual willpower.” The first was “engineering controls,” such as sensor-enabled safety interlocks. The second was “flipping incentives”—for example, making the benefits of reporting outweigh the perceived risks of covering up mistakes. The third was “dynamic logistics,” including building a platform that would allow maintenance sites to quickly borrow parts and other inventory from partner companies when needed.
 
After the judging, Hosomi commented, “The proposals were genuinely impressive and exceeded our expectations. It was difficult to choose, because each team brought a different angle. We decided to present the awards to proposals that clearly captured perspectives that would benefit ANA and strengthen our corporate value.” He then presented certificates to the winning teams. As an additional prize, the two teams will be invited to tour ANA Blue Base in Haneda, Tokyo—ANA’s integrated training facility for pilots, maintenance engineers, cabin crew, and other aviation professionals.
 
This program is designed primarily for students in the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Information Science who are interested in careers as aircraft maintenance engineers, while also being open to students from other faculties who are interested in a wide range of aviation-related professions. The program was realized because of OUS’s goal of providing an environment in which students can explore diverse career paths aligned with the e.TEAM ANA talent development team’s aim of encouraging more students to take an interest in the aviation industry.
 
* “e.TEAM ANA”: The collective name for seven ANA Group companies engaged in aircraft maintenance operations (ANA Line Maintenance Technics, ANA Base Maintenance Technics, ANA Engine Technics, ANA Component Technics, ANA Aero Supply Systems, ANA, and ANA Wings).