Tsuneo Nakahara received a BS degree and a Ph.D. degree of engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1953 and in 1961 respectively.

He Joined Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. in 1953, and has worked at the R&D Laboratories, System & Electronics Division and the Communications Division of the company. He assumed Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman in 1985 and in 1991 respectively. He has achieved outstanding results in research and development in a wide range of fields in communications, especially research concerning transmission wires and cables.

He also contributed various papers and made various keynote speeches on technology management including International Forum on Technology Management in Grenoble (1998), Asia-Pacific Science and Technology Management Seminar in Inchon, Korea (2003) and Trilateral Science Policy Seminar by US, China and Japan in Hawaii (2003).

He has received a number of awards, including Blue Ribbon Medal from the Emperor of Japan (1994), the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal (2002), Commander of the British Empire (2004) and Eminent Member of Eta Kappa Nu (2006).