Digital Transformation (DX) Talent Development

Purpose of Digital Transformation (DX) Talent Development in Japan and the Talent Profile We Aim For

  • To realize SHIONOGI’s DX-driven value creation, the Human Resources Department and the DX Promotion Division have launched a joint initiative and defined the talent profile required for DX roles.
  • To help as many employees as possible reach this target profile, SHIONOGI has positioned IT and Data Science (DS) skill development as a strategic focus area for company-wide learning. We provide required training for all employees, optional courses for those seeking deeper expertise, and support for obtaining the “IT Passport” certification.
purpose of dx talent development
the three steps of the desired talent profile

IT Environment / DX Literacy Survey and Application to Talent Development

  • At SHIONOGI, internal challenges are identified through hypothesis-building, and survey questions are designed based on the METI DX Literacy Standard and DX Promotion Standard, ensuring alignment with our internal issues. Using this approach, we conduct an annual survey targeting all employees in Japan to assess IT environment readiness, data science capabilities, and DX literacy levels.
  • The survey findings are used to enhance our IT environment, promote effective use of internal systems, and analyze longitudinal changes in DX literacy. These insights inform our understanding of employees’ progression across the defined DX talent steps and guide the planning of development programs for subsequent years.

Key Initiatives

  • In response to frequent feedback that “DX is hard to understand—what should I learn, and how?”, we launched a new internal site that provides clear and tailored learning paths matched to each employee’s DX level. This site helps employees conduct self-assessments, understand required competencies, create learning plans, and proceed with their training.
  • We also believe that successful transformation in the age of generative AI requires more than knowledge—it requires integrating culture with new ways of working. To that end, we have begun practical workshops on AI, designed to support immediate application in day-to-day operations. Our goal is to empower business units to use generative AI as a routine tool, redesign workflows, and create new projects that embed AI-driven solutions. This will ultimately boost productivity across the organization and accelerate innovation in every business area.
  • In addition, we plan to further strengthen training that equips Step 2 employees to advance to Step 3, and supports Step 3 employees in building deeper expertise—particularly in DX promotion within business units.
  • We also promote and support employees in obtaining the national “IT Passport” certification. Testing opportunities were offered to all employees from FY2022–FY2023, and to all new employees (both new graduates and mid-career hires) from FY2024 onward. To date, 951 employees have earned the certification (as of October 2025).
  • We continue to enhance learning resources by providing e-learning programs on AI, business process mapping, BI (Business Intelligence), ETL (Extract, Transform, Load), and other topics, enabling employees to upgrade their skills in a supportive environment.
Key Initiatives