Nationwide Caravan for Co-creation of the 7th Science and Technology Innovation Basic Plan: “Creating an Industry-University Co-creation Ecosystem in the Kinki Region” Held

On November 13, 2025, a nationwide caravan for co-creation of the 7th Science and Technology Innovation Basic Plan was held at the University of Osaka Nakanoshima Center, co-hosted by the University of Osaka and the Cabinet Office.

This event is part of a series held nationwide by the Cabinet Office to exchange views with diverse stakeholders—including universities, companies, local governments, and citizens—in preparation for the formulation of the “Science and Technology Innovation Basic Plan,” which serves as a key guideline setting the direction for Japan's science, technology, and innovation policies.

As part of the review of the 7th Plan, covering the five-year period from fiscal year 2026 to fiscal year 2031, this event, titled “Creating an Industry-University Co-creation Ecosystem in the Kinki Region,” featured lectures and a panel discussion centered around the University of Osaka, which boasts one of the nation's best track records in industry-university collaboration.

The event attracted a large turnout, significantly exceeding the originally planned capacity, with approximately 120 participants on-site and about 110 online attendees from diverse fields, including academia, industry, and government agencies.

At the opening address, President Atsushi Kumanogoh expressed his gratitude to the Cabinet Office and all speakers for their cooperation in organizing this event. He highlighted the university's history of producing world-class research achievements as a university dedicated to practical learning and its contributions to resolving societal challenges through industry-university co-creation. He also expressed his hope that today's discussions would lead to further development of Japan's science, technology, and innovation policy and that the University of Osaka would serve as the foundation for new collaborations to promote it all.

In the subsequent Part 1 keynote address, Akitoshi Tsunefuji (Deputy Director-General for Science, Technology, and Innovation, Cabinet Office) delivered a lecture titled “Status of Review of the 7th Science and Technology Innovation Basic Plan.” He outlined the key points of the 7th Basic Plan and discussed the underlying trends in science, technology, and innovation, as well as Japan's current situation and challenges.

In the second keynote lecture, Senior Executive Vice President Yasushi Fujio presented on “Industry-University-Government Collaboration and Ecosystem Development at the University of Osaka.” He spoke about the university's strong ties with industry, tracing its origins to the efforts of the Kansai business community and citizens, and its history of producing outstanding individuals who have significantly contributed to industrial development since its founding. He also discussed the university's pioneering initiatives nationwide, such as its joint research courses, collaborative research institute system, and large-scale comprehensive partnerships between organizations. He also highlighted the university's top-tier domestic achievements in industry-university collaboration and international recognition, exemplified by Distinguished Honorary Professor Shimon Sakaguchi's 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Moving forward, he stated that the university aims to further leverage these strengths. It will work closely with local governments and related organizations to realize the “Osaka/Kansai Science Hills” – a co-creation ecosystem integrated with the city. He outlined his vision for urban development, fostering startup clusters, and creating new industries. Concurrently, it will advance the cultivation of ambitious individuals who appreciate the essence of human happiness and guide its fulfillment.

The panel discussion, moderated by Specially Appointed Associate Professor Haruyo Yasui (Office of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration, Co-Creation Bureau), featured keynote speaker Akitoshi Tsunefuji, along with Professor Yasuo Kitaoka (Assistant Director, Co-Creation Bureau), Professor Takahiro Inoue (Assistant Director, Co-Creation Bureau), Professor Michiya Matsusaki (Graduate School of Engineering), Professor Takeshi Inoue (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences), Mr. Shinya Kirihara (Managing Executive Officer, SIGMAXYZ Inc.), and Mr. Katsuaki Sakurai (Executive Officer, Earth Corporation).

At the beginning of the discussion, Professor Takeshi Inoue introduced the activities and establishment background of the Oxidation Control Co-creation Consortium, and Professor Michiya Matsusaki introduced the activities and founding story of the Consortium for Future Innovation by Cultured Meat as exemplary cases of initiatives for the social implementation of research achievements.

The subsequent panel discussion featured enthusiastic exchanges of views, drawing on case studies from both consortia and including a Q&A session with participants. Regarding success factors, challenges, and necessary support for ecosystem formation, the discussion focused on the importance of research seeds offering exciting, socially resonant content that inspires societal empathy and expectations for resolving social issues; the need to balance free-curiosity-driven research with cutting-edge research aligned with national priority areas; the support in areas such as intellectual property management and project management; and the importance of research equipment expertise.

Furthermore, concerning how to accelerate social implementation, participants spoke of requests for national systems to support its acceleration and expressed their expectations for new Japanese-style industry-academia-government collaboration.

In the closing remarks, Deputy Director-General Akitoshi Tsunefuji expressed his expectations for the university's contributions to the advancement of science, technology, and innovation.
Following the symposium, a networking session was held, allowing speakers and participants to continue exchanging opinions on the discussions of the day. The event concluded with great success.