知の好循環 × 人材の好循環 × 資金の好循環 Good cycle

Message

Director-General

Asonuma Shinji
Kyoto UniversityShinji Asonuma

While there are calls for a paradigm shift for the modality of industry-government-academia partnership as the world’s industrial structures have reached a significant transition stage, Kyoto University needs to function at the frontline of alliances as a graduate university for advanced studies that is open to society.

We established the Open Innovation Institute to actively and effectively offer the “university’s knowledge” (Science Push!) that comes from “unfettered basic research,” the guiding principle of Kyoto University, to industries and society.

The Institute aims to promote industry-government-academia partnerships that are not bound by conventional frameworks and further advance joint research schemes between organizations by managing advanced and functional research and development aimed at putting to practical use the various seeds of our creative-thinking and passionate academics.

To achieve this, the Institute has a group of experts with a wealth of work experience in industries working as overall Creative Managers to produce values in partnership with companies.

As part of the Institute, academics and Creative Managers promote open innovation as CMs effectively provide support to significantly lessen the burden on academics, speed up the process of turning findings into businesses, and giving the results of creative activities with industries back to society.

Chief Creative Manager

Makoto Shozakai
Kyoto UniversityMakoto Shozakai

To promote large-scale joint research and development themes primarily in competitive domains, we must build a network organically by gathering the diverse knowledge of Kyoto University to conduct research and development, engage in dialogues with companies and carry out accurate market research, and be ahead in incorporating the changes in social and economic conditions. The Institute works dynamically to meet the demand of stakeholders from various sectors as an independent organization under the direct control of the provost of Kyoto University.

The Creative Managers at the center of activities enable the creation of new economic and social values by liaising with companies and Kyoto University on an organizational level, delve into Kyoto University’s original and leading-edge knowledge and technology as in-depth themes, primarily in the competitive domains. Their scope of activity is extensive and long-term as they serve as a one-stop service, ranging from launching a new and large-scale joint research and development theme to managing agreements and intellectual properties.

The CMs hope to take on various unchartered challenges, including ones without precise needs, result, or future view, ones that have come up against a seemingly unbreakable brick wall, and themes that tend to be perceived negatively, by examining them from different angles.

Please don’t hesitate to ask our Creative Managers as we will take on challenges to find new added values for both businesses and university academics.