TOKYO, September 2, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, "Hitachi") has been certified as a Gold Partner*1 of Scaled Agile, Inc. ("SAI"), the provider of SAFe®, the world's most trusted system for business agility.

SAFe is a management framework that supports organizational transformation and business agility, helping to enhance competitiveness and maximize customer value and is widely adopted globally. Within the Hitachi Group, GlobalLogic was certified as a Silver Partner of SAI in 2021 and has been supporting agile DX transformation based on customer experience.

Amid increasingly rapid social change and growing uncertainty, Hitachi will apply SAFe as a common framework across One Hitachi to support customers globally in rapidly adapting to change and continuously creating value. For example, by applying SAFe to the implementation of "HMAX*2", which embodies Lumada 3.0 and aims to solve customer and societal challenges by converting data into value using Hitachi's domain knowledge and AI, Hitachi seeks to accelerate the value delivery cycle.

Going forward, through this certification and as part of SAI's official partner network, Hitachi will utilize SAFe as a methodology for enterprise-level agile development. Hitachi will flexibly and continuously support system development management that is aligned with customers' business strategies in response to changes in society and the market environment. Additionally, Hitachi will establish a framework for implementing SAFe within the company and systematically advance human resource development to increase the number of employees with SAFe expertise to 5,000, thereby strengthening practical capabilities and agility.

Through these efforts, Hitachi will accelerate social innovation and contribute to the realization of a "Harmonized Society" where environment, wellbeing, and economic growth coexist in harmony.

*1 Certification awarded to organizations with five or more certified SAFe consultants (SPCs) who are recognized as capable of leading agile transformations for customers at the enterprise level.
*2 September 24, 2024: Hitachi Rail Unveils the ‘HMAX’ AI Solution, Accelerated by NVIDIA, to Optimize Trains, Signaling and Infrastructure
https://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/month/2024/09/240924c.html

Background

In recent years, agile methodologies have become increasingly widespread in system development as companies seek to respond flexibly to uncertain and rapidly changing market environments and strengthen their competitiveness. 

Hitachi launched its "Agile Development Consulting Service" in 2019 with the aim of providing efficient system development and high-quality IT services. In addition, Hitachi has responded to numerous agile development projects to quickly address changes in our customers' business strategies and market needs, contributing to the enhancement of their experience value. Furthermore, Hitachi has actively worked to improve the speed, flexibility, and scalability of system development by adapting the agile development methodologies used at GlobalLogic for the Japanese market, and applying them to enterprise systems that support the core of business operations. 

Today, rapid development and service delivery aligned with changes in society and market conditions require organizations to undergo transformation in sync with their corporate strategies.

As a result, there is a growing need to leverage proven management frameworks that enhance business agility by flexibly translating those requirements into system development.

Future Initiatives

1. Strengthening System Development Management Aligned with Customer Business Strategies.

Hitachi will leverage SAFe through this partner certification to further accelerate Social Innovation Business by leveraging its strengths in IT, OT, and products. Specifically, we will adopt SAFe, a management framework aligned with business strategy, as a standard methodology for enterprise-level agile system development to enhance business agility. This will enable us to respond flexibly and swiftly to future changes in the business environment, thereby contributing to our customers' sustainable growth and accelerated digital transformation.

2. Advancing Human Resource Development.

In addition to its framework, SAFe provides certified training courses and agile development coaching for members. Hitachi will utilize these resources to further focus on developing agile human resources, increasing the number of employees with SAFe knowledge to 5,000. Additionally, through Gold Partner certification, Hitachi will gain direct access to the latest insights and training programs from SAI, as well as global best practices from the SAFe partner network worldwide, and will actively utilize these resources.

Through these initiatives, Hitachi will systematically establish a framework for SAFe implementation and human resource development within the company, thereby strengthening its practical capabilities and agility from a human resource perspective.

Hitachi will continue to promote Social Innovation Business that leverage agile development methods and digital technologies to solve the challenges faced by our customers and society. We will also maximize the knowledge and global network we have cultivated as a SAFe partner to accelerate our customers' DX and contribute to the enhancement of their corporate value.

Comments from Phil Knight - VP, Partner Alliances, Scaled Agile, Inc.

"We are delighted to welcome Hitachi, Ltd. as a Gold Partner in the Scaled Agile Partner Network. By leveraging SAFe® to drive enterprise-wide agile transformation and applying it to their platforms and solutions, Hitachi will further maximize customer value creation. Through this partnership, we look forward to accelerating the adoption of business agility across Japan more than ever before."

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT(Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi contributes to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates globally in four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries –and the Strategic SIB Business Unit for new growth businesses. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi generates value from integrating data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2024(ended March 31, 2025) totaled 9,783.3 billion yen, with 618 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 280,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.

Business Contact
Project Management Division
Digital Systems & Services Business Management
Division
Digital Systems & Services Business Division
Hitachi, Ltd
spc-info@ml.itg.hitachi.co.jp

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