Expectations Run High for Partnerships between Industry, Education, and Government Recent efforts to contribute to the development of society have seen a new focus on partnerships between industry, education, and government. These collaborations leverage intellectual properties such as research findings and patents from universities in cooperation with industry as well as national and prefectural government. Such partnerships comprise the University of Tokushima's third priority, after education and research. Despite the high technological level in Japan, considered to be one of the best in the world, Japanese universities have been content to remain at the bottom levels as far as their contributions to the industrial world and international competition. The Basic Intellectual Asset Law was enacted in 2002 to promote the use of intellectual property. Consistent with the policy and approach established by the new law, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture also implemented the University Intellectual Asset Administration Improvement Undertaking, a program designed to support the activities of technology transfer organizations whose main purpose is to transfer technological and research findings from universities to private industry. The University of Tokushima was selected along with 34 universities in the country for this undertaking. Our goal is to acquire as many intellectual assets as possible as certified businesses, and it is exciting to note that our university has been recognized as a model for Japan's 650 universities! Focusing on the Intellectual Asset Administration Taking advantage of this undertaking, our university established the Intellectual Asset Administration. Until now, individual faculties acted independently in cooperation with industries and did not work in concert with other faculties. Even in regards to patents, if an industry wasn't prepared to industrialize a given technology, then the technology was ignored and left idle. It would not be an exaggeration to say that a great door was opened for the University of Tokushima through establishment of the Intellectual Asset Administration. As an organization we are able to assist in research which can be put to practical use, helping industry to assimilate and put them to beneficial use. A common feature of university researchers is their tendency to give priority to topics in which they themselves have interest. In the future the Intellectual Asset Administration will counteract this bent, taking on responsibility for the cultivation of research that has the potential to develop into new inventions by registering it as a certified business. This new approach will leverage future inventions while allowing faculty to concentrate on their research free of other distractions. Putting Our Experiences to Practical Use Even before the Intellectual Asset Administration was established, the University of Tokushima sought to cooperate with industry and local business through the Local Joint Research Center. I am proud to be able to say that we were among the first in Japan to embark on such an initiative. The Liaison Office was established to help match the needs of education with those of industry and serves as the driving force in actively proposing projects, conducting research, and matching personnel with businesses. A second and more advanced Liaison Office was established in Osaka in April 2004 to facilitate partnerships between industry, education, and government. The high number of Tokushima University graduates in the Kansai region allows the office to engage in a variety of activities including conducting training seminars, holding liaison conferences, and performing industry matchmaking. The presence of offices from other universities in the same building is also an attractive asset. A planned Tokyo Liaison Office is expected to serve as a significant force in reinforcing partnerships between industry, education, and government. Prosperous Growth Tokushima is home to many industries, from small- and medium-sized enterprises to major corporations active nationally and internationally. Because I am confident that Tokushima offers a remarkable level of latent industrial potential, I feel it is of great importance that we search for ways in which industry and universities can continue to develop together. As a university in cooperation with industry, we are most committed to providing an environment conducive to unfettered thought and research. It is extremely important to move forward in mutual consultation, encouraging the discovery of inventions of which researchers themselves may remain unaware. Much of the research conducted at the University of Tokushima is considered to be superior worldwide, especially that being conducted in the life sciences, nano-technology, and information and environment. As you explore this website, you will gain a better understanding of the research conducted at our university and of the role played by that research. I would also like to encourage businesses to collaborate with us as we work together to support one another!