Smart House Research Center

On February 12, 2026, representatives from the Fraunhofer Society (Germany), including Michael and Georgios, along with Mr. Kai from Keio University and Mr. Umejima, Convenor of the IEC Systems Committee, visited Kanagawa Institute of Technology.

Michael and Georgios are experts in cybersecurity research at the Fraunhofer Society, Europe’s largest applied research organization in the field of science and technology. Mr. Kai is an Associate Professor (Project), affiliated with the Keio University Global Research Institute, specializing in digital trust and cybersecurity. Mr. Umejima, serving as Convenor of the IEC Systems Committee (responsible for smart energy development planning), is also engaged in cybersecurity measures for energy equipment and has been collaborating with the Smart House Research Center at KAIT.

On the day of the visit, in addition to a courtesy call on President Satoru Inoue, the delegation toured facilities including KAIT Plaza, KAIT TOWN, and the HEMS Certification Support Center. They also exchanged views on topics such as the implementation status of smart electricity meters, the functions of next-generation (second-generation) smart meters, and current developments in cybersecurity.

Furthermore, demonstrations were conducted using the ECHONET Lite SDK (Software Development Kit), developed and released by the Smart House Research Center. The visitors expressed strong interest in the widespread adoption in Japan of highly interoperable devices, which can be controlled through a unified software platform across various ECHONET Lite-compatible equipment.

The Smart House Research Center will continue to promote the global dissemination and utilization of ECHONET Lite.