It’s no mystery:
Data is essential in promoting a net positive approach

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”
- Arthur Conan Doyle via Sherlock Holmes

These words were written in 1891, highlighting the most important puzzle piece that the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes relied on to solve mysteries in Victorian-era London: data. Now over 130 years old, these words are just as insightful today as when they were written.

However, the greatest mystery we need to solve in our times is finding realistic solutions for achieving a sustainable future. In today's world, where uncertainty is increasing and challenges are intricately intertwined, data plays a significant role in shaping the future of business and society. Without tapping into data’s potential, it will be nearly impossible to achieve a sustainable future based on net positive—the point when the positive impact of business on the environment and society outweighs the negative.

Fujitsu's Net Positive Index(*1), developed and researched by Economist Impact, was released in February 2025 as a metric to visualize how far companies have come in achieving their net positive goals. In the survey accompanying the index development, responses indicating that data collection was "very helpful" or "somewhat helpful" in promoting net positive exceeded 75% across all industries. Data is the key to more precisely, objectively, and quickly understanding and analyzing the elimination of negative impacts and the evaluation of positive impacts.
In a world where our sense of social order and common values is experiencing increasing volatility, promoting net positive is the foundation for sustainable growth and the resilience to change. Instead of just chasing short-term profits, incorporating a net positive approach into company strategy embraces a long-term perspective. At the same time, executing these strategies based on optimized data usage promotes alignment with the company's priority issues. Beyond these transformations lies the path to achieving both business growth and resolving social and environmental issues, leading to a sustainable future.
Fujitsu has set a vision for 2030 to become a technology company that realizes net positive through digital services. This report explores how we should open up the future of our business and society through Fujitsu's practical knowledge utilizing data.

Over 130 years ago, Sherlock pointed out the importance of data, but he would be surprised to see Fujitsu trying to solve challenges (though he may call them mysteries) across various fields and industries using different types of data than he had in mind.