President Nishio, Executive Vice President Yagi, and others attend award ceremony for 1st Japan Open Innovation Awards

The award ceremony for the 1st Japan Open Innovation Awards was held on March 5 in the 4F Hall, Toranomon Hills Mori Tower, Tokyo on Tuesday, March 5, with President Nishio receiving the award on behalf of Osaka University, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Daikin Industries, Ltd. Some 150 related individuals and members of the general public were in attendance.

This award was presented to the 4 organizations for their "interorganizational collaboration in industry-university co-creation from the stage of basic research." Specifically, in the drug discovery division, the parties was recognized for “facilitating world-class immunological research from the stage of basic research via corporate finances and making efforts to create new value by utilizing their world-level research results and the corporations’ drug development technology." In the information division, the organizations were acknowledged for "gathering young researchers from all over the world, and combining their ideas and passion with corporate know-how to create new value."

In the first session of the commemorative symposium held before the award ceremony, a panel discussion entitled "Open Innovation from the viewpoint of the university" was held, with Executive Vice President YAGI Yasushi taking the stage.

He emphasized their accomplishments, saying, "Osaka University has pioneered industry-university collaboration, being the first university in Japan to establish a corporate laboratory on its campus. Through co-creation with the 3 corporations that received this award, we have been able to further enhance the environment in which researchers can carry out their research based on their own free ideas."

President Nishio receives the Minister of MEXT Award (2nd from left)

Executive Vice President Yagi speaks during the panel discussion (2nd from left)

Office for Industry-University Co-Creation, Co-Creation Bureau