Makoto Watanabe received his Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng) from Chiba University in Japan. Currently he is a professor of Design Management at Chiba University, Graduate School of Engineering. He is a former designer at Seiko in Japan. His major fields of interest and publication are mainly on Industrial Design, Design Management and Design Expert System. He is also a member of Japan Society for the Science of Design.

Currently, Makoto is the Vice President, Director of International Strategy Unit, Chiba University (2011-), Guest Professor, Zhejiang University (2009-), Program Manager, Service and Product Design Program (2007-), Project Leader, Global Asia Design School Program (2007-).