Canon is hoping its camera expertise will help it to make a play in the burgeoning Internet of Things space.

CEO Fujio Mitarai told the Canon Expo in Paris that “the world of imaging is expanding rapidly in the age of the Internet of Things.”

“In the future nearly everything will be connected through smart devices,” Mitarai said.

“These rely on built-in cameras or sensors and the data they generate.

“As a result, Canon predicts that the Internet of Things will largely depend on the ‘Imaging of Things.’”

Mitarai said that to achieve its vision and IoT strategy, the company would work to build out what it called a “network of Canon companies” – effectively “an ecosystem designed to harness innovation and creative talents from across the regions.”