Masahiko Kuwabara, as the Technical Director of Business Development at PACFORCE, is dedicated to promoting innovative technologies and services to allied nations worldwide. Having spent three and a half years in the United States from the fifth grade, Masa has always dreamed of working in a job related to the U.S.

“I will be the bridge of the Indo-Pacific.”

After graduating from Musashi Institute of Technology (now Tokyo City University) in 1996, Masa began his career at Hitachi’s semiconductor technology trading company, aiming to become a business professional with strong technical expertise. Over eight years, Masa developed a deep understanding of Japanese corporate culture while enhancing his knowledge of cutting-edge technologies and building a valuable network at Hitachi Central Research Laboratory and semiconductor factories.

In his efforts to revitalize Japan’s semiconductor industry, Masa played a key role in the launch of the first “SH-Mobile,” an application processor for mobile phones, at Hitachi’s Semiconductor Division (now Renesas Electronics Corporation). This product achieved about 50 million units shipped in five years which became one of Renesas’s core businesses, being integrated into mobile phones and navigation systems worldwide.

Following this, Masa has been active in the mobile and media industries for 20 years. He expanded his international perspective and gained experience in diverse cultures and business practices while working for several multinational companies, including Vodafone, AZTEQ Mobile, T3Media, Ooyala, and Dalet.

As a co-founder of AZTEQ Mobile, he successfully secured funding in Silicon Valley. He has led multinational teams and gained extensive experience managing a wide range of development projects, from microprocessor development focused on security and 3D graphics to building ARM Linux-based application execution platforms, content license management servers, and software development environments.

Masa has also facilitated the introduction of software products from the United States and France to Japanese broadcasters and corporations, supporting everything from the launch of video-related services to ongoing operational maintenance.

Furthermore, Masa successfully orchestrated the sale of a Japanese venture company, which held network-related patents, to Panasonic Communications (now Panasonic Connect) in collaboration with domestic venture capital, optimizing management resources through this strategic acquisition. He also brings extensive experience as a Technical Director and Country Manager in Japan.