Okayama University was selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Project to establish facilities for industry-university-government cooperation and collaborative research through collaborations among research universities with a regional core and distinctive characteristics”
April 27, 2023
On April 21, Okayama University was selected for the “Project to establish facilities for industry-university-government cooperation and collaborative research through collaborations among research universities with a regional core and distinctive characteristics” of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
For Japan, it is important to expand the activities of universities using sites in certain strong fields as a core, so that research universities with a regional core and distinctive characteristics can expand their research internationally to solve the issues of regional economies and societies as well as the problems of Japan and other countries, and to have them develop as a group of research universities through effective collaborations. To this end, the project will support the establishment of facilities necessary for collaborative research and for the industry-university-government creation of open innovation, to implement strategies for improvements in the ability to conduct research, thereby strengthening the functions of these universities.
Possessing a high potential in the fields of “botany,” “physics” and “medicine,” Okayama University has formed excellent research teams that rival others in the world, and has moved ahead with the MEXT the Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities by the last fiscal year. We have proven records including the receipt of an “S” evaluation grade, the highest rank, in the project evaluation. In addition, we have vigorously developed our activities, such as proceeding with the project for the Digital Garden Health Special Zone, which is a national strategic special zone, with Kibichuo Town, Okayama Prefecture, to socially implement the results of our studies. In the project, with a particular focus on botany (structural biology) and medicine (medical care), we will promote the establishment of facilities under the basic concept of a “social problem-solving tech lab” that is primarily intended to solve social issues through the social implementation of the results of our studies.
Following the selection for this project, President NASU Yasutomo commented that “I feel that our selection for this project is a result of our project to the Program for Promoting the Enhancement of Research Universities that we have carried out for 10 years. It is also the outcome of our continued activities to create new value, which we have conducted with many regional stakeholders. Although there have been many failures, we have promoted the project with agility and without any fear of failure, and have continued moving forward step by step. This project is not simply limited to us as a “functional enhancement of Okayama University”, but we will strongly promote the international expansion of research and the solution of issues that affect regional economies and societies, as well as Japan and other countries.” In addition, the Vice Executive Director for Research/Industry-University Co-Creation and Vice President for Educational Affairs/URA SATOH Norito has shown a willingness to take part in future activities, stating that “although Okayama University was a little behind in its initiatives for new industries such as start-ups, we have rapidly and steadily enhanced our efforts and delivered results by utilizing the Cabinet Office’s project to strengthen the environments for national universities to create innovations, as the MEXT project to enhance management reforms at national universities. Going forward, and considering the national government’s “Start-up Development Five-Year Plan ,” we will make a transition in our research strategy from the previous efforts, to form a site for an “inner place” by concentrating our resources on the campus, as well as forming a site for an “outer place” to have an off-campus stage/perspective as a research facility that serves as a regional core. The project will provide the spark for this aim, and we will steadily promote it based on our collective intelligence and by integrating a wide range of expertise.”
Your continued support for Okayama University, a research university with a regional core and distinctive characteristics, will be greatly appreciated.
The details will be introduced in the “Okayama University regular press conference in May” scheduled for May 24, 2023.
Universities selected for the “Project to establish facilities for industry-university-government cooperation and collaborative research through collaborations among research universities with a regional core and distinctive characteristics” were determined (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)