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2021.10.15 Fri
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Two projects from OU selected for COI-NEXT -- Creating a sustainable society via the formation of independent, sustained hubs for industry-university-government co-creation

COI-NEXT, a program sponsored by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), aims to promote research and development (R&D) to realize the vision of a future society and form a hub for an industry–academia co-creating system.

From OU, the following two projects were selected for this program:

  • Creating a Co-creation Area for Achieving Innovative Food Loss Reduction
  • Creating a Co-creation Area for Realizing Futuristic and Intelligent Infrastructure Model Center

Around 1/3 of the world’s food is lost or wasted every year. In “Creating a Co-creation Area for Achieving Innovative Food Loss Reduction,” researchers from different fields will work together to solve the issue of food loss and waste by developing a food waste tracking system through a combination of food ingredient analysis and advanced semiconductor technology, utilizing environmentally-friendly, sustainable food production technology, and changing consumers’ mindsets through human resources development.

Through these efforts, this project aims to create a society in which stakeholders in the food-supply chain can satisfy and connect in an environmentally-friendly, sustainable food production system based on circular economy principles beyond national borders.

Aging infrastructure (such as bridges and retaining walls) and damage by intense and frequent natural disasters have a direct impact on people. In “Creating a Co-creation Area for Creating Future Intellectual Infrastructure Models,” OU will take the initiative in addressing these issues to create a future city through industry-university-government collaboration and by making use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and Digital Transformation technology.

At this hub, the SAKIGAKE Club consisting of talented early-career researchers at OU will take the lead in both producing research results and solving social issues.

Project: Creating a Co-creation area for achieving Innovative Food Loss Reduction

COI-NEXT (Co-Creation Area)
Project Leader: FUKUSAKI Eiichiro (Lead Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University/ Director, Industrial Biotechnology Initiative Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives)

共創の場形成支援プログラムに本学から提案の2課題が採択!自立的・持続的な産学官共創拠点の形成により持続可能な社会の実現を目指します!!

Comment from the Project Leader

Food loss and waste is a huge issue that affects the entire world but has not yet been solved. Our project will not only develop advanced technology for solving these issues and put it to use in society, but will also trigger a movement to enhance consumers’ level of behavior and change their mindsets. With plenty of help from the Indonesian government, we will conduct a proof-of-concept test of new technology in a field test to study inbound transport of fresh fish from Indonesia to Japan as an attempt to reduce food loss and waste. In this project, our Industrial Biotechnology Initiative Division of the Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiative (OTRI) will take the initiative in solving problems with IIDA Junko invited from Shimadzu Corporation as Vice Project Leader.

Project: Creating a Co-creation area for achieving Innovative Food Loss Reduction

共創の場形成支援プログラムに本学から提案の2課題が採択!自立的・持続的な産学官共創拠点の形成により持続可能な社会の実現を目指します!!

Project: Realizing Futuristic and Intelligent Infrastructure Model Center

COI-NEXT [Regional Co-Creation Area]

Project Leader: SEKITANI Tsuyoshi (Executive Assistant to the President/Professor, Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research)

共創の場形成支援プログラムに本学から提案の2課題が採択!自立的・持続的な産学官共創拠点の形成により持続可能な社会の実現を目指します!!

Comment from the Project Leader

Deteriorating infrastructure in cities and the growing intensity and frequency of natural disasters are worldwide issues. Our hub will tackle these problems facing citizens and build future city models in cooperation with excellent early-career researchers at Osaka University.

共創の場形成支援プログラムに本学から提案の2課題が採択!自立的・持続的な産学官共創拠点の形成により持続可能な社会の実現を目指します!!

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