Comprehensive Research OrganizationWaseda University

This research institute adopts as its overarching theme “the structural transformation of the digital society and the development of sustainable social systems,” and aims to analyze, from interdisciplinary and empirical perspectives, the impact of rapidly advancing digital technologies on the economy, society, regions,labor, and the information environment.

In recent years, the widespread adoption of generative AI, the advancement of data infrastructures, the expansion of the platform economy, and the progress of digitally driven regional transformation have significantly reshaped social structures.
At the same time, new challenges have emerged, including issues related to information trust, the relationship between data utilization and environmental impact, the sustainability of regional information infrastructures, and increasing flexibility and instability in labor.

To comprehensively address these transformations, this research sets out six thematic areas:
(1) Digital Product Passport (DPP) and the circular economy;
(2) AI, deepfakes, misinformation/disinformation, and information trust;
(3) regional digital transformation (DX) and digital infrastructure;
(4) the sustainability of local broadcasting;
(5) the digital economy and the gig economy; and
(6) international collaboration and comparative research.

Specifically, the research examines the relationship between data infrastructures and environmental policy through DPP; the transformation of the information environment and governance in the age of generative AI; regional DX enabled by technologies such as local 5G; the restructuring of the relationship between broadcasting and internet-based content; the reconfiguration of labor and institutional frameworks in the gig economy; and policy implications derived from international comparisons with the EU and Southeast Asia.

These research areas are interconnected across multiple dimensions—data infrastructure (DPP), the information environment (AI and misinformation), regional infrastructure (regional DX and broadcasting), and labor and economic structures (the gig economy)—and together provide an integrated analytical framework for understanding the structural transformation of the digital society.

Ultimately, through theoretical analysis, empirical research, international comparison, and collaboration among academia, industry, and government, this project aims to contribute to policy recommendations and practical implementation toward the realization of a sustainable digital society.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of digital technologies has been further recognized, and, as symbolized by the rapid expansion of AI, society has entered a truly digital era. From its inception, this institute anticipated the arrival of such a society and has continuously pursued its research and activities in this direction. The continued use of the name “Institute for Digital Society” is fully consistent with the institute’s activities and objectives, and also responds to evolving societal needs. Furthermore, it is considered significant in demonstrating Waseda University’s foresight in anticipating the advent of the digital society.