Opening ceremony for Osaka University NTN Next Generation Research Alliance Laboratory held

Following the establishment of the Osaka University NTN Next Generation Research Alliance Laboratory on September 1, 2017, the opening ceremony for the laboratory was held at the welfare center Cen-Terrace (Central Terrace) of the School of Engineering, Suita Campus, on September 5, 2017. Over 110 individuals from NTN and Osaka University, including OU students, were in attendance.

The NTN Next Generation Alliance Laboratory plans to launch the development of technology to use artificial intelligence (AI) to predict residual lives of bearings in automobiles, railways cars, and construction equipment by estimating the levels of bearing damage and grease deterioration as well as technology to check degradation tendency of bearings in operation and prevent bearing failure by installing multifunction sensors to the bearings.

The laboratory will develop high-level simulation technology for energy conservation and low fuel consumption of automobiles, which will contribute to the development of light, compact products and shortening lead time. This laboratory will also serve as a place for creating new businesses as well as cultivating the next generation of researchers.

At the ceremony , Osaka University President NISHIO Shojiro greeted attendees, saying, "With bearing technology at the core, we will move ahead toward the next generation and strongly promote our efforts to benefit society through the sophistication of monitoring and simulation technologies using AI, the development of high-quality professional at NTN and Osaka University, and by facilitating the application of our research results to the industry."

Following this, President of NTN OKUBO Hiroshi also greeting attendees, after which a ribbon cutting ceremony was held with the two presidents, NTN Managing Director TERASAKA Yoshinori, Osaka University Executive Vice President YOSHIKAWA Hideki, Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Dean TANAKA Toshihiro, and Director of the NTN Next Generation Research Alliance Laboratory AKAMATSU Yoshinobu. The ceremony ended with an explanation of the laboratory by Director AKAMATSU.

From left: Vice Chair JOHNO (Osaka University Engineering Society), Director AKAMATSU (NTN Next Generation Research Alliance Laboratory), Managing Director TERASAKA (NTN), President OKUBO (NTN), President Nishio (Osaka University), Executive Vice President YOSHIKAWA (Osaka University), Dean TANAKA (Graduate School of Engineering), and Chair SUZUKI (Osaka University Engineering Society)
President NISHIO	President OKUBO
Graduate School of Engineering Dean TANAKA	Director AKAMATSU
A scene from the ribbon cutting ceremony	President OKUBO (left) and President NISHIO