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Industry-Academia Collaboration Exploring Themes for Future Value Creation and Innovation

Alps Alpine and Tohoku University Establish Co-creation Research Center for Connected Value Creation

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Mar 1, 2023

  Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. (TSE: 6770; President & CEO: Toshihiro Kuriyama) and Tohoku University (Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture; President: Hideo Ohno) on March 1, 2023, established the Alps Alpine × Tohoku University Co-creation Research Center for Connected Value Creation* for the purpose of identifying and exploring research themes that will lead to future value creation in new domains.

Alps Alpine and Tohoku University Establish Co-creation Research Center for Connected Value Creation

An opening ceremony was held at Tohoku University
(Left: Alps Alpine Director and Senior Vice President Hideo Izumi; right: Tohoku University Executive Vice President Takuro Ueda)

[Background]

  Tohoku University and Alps Alpine have a long history of ongoing partnership in research and development and the development of human resources. Anticipating the completion of a new R&D wing at Alps Alpine’s Furukawa R&D Center in April 2023, the two parties set up a co-creation research center on March 1, 2023, aiming to further strengthen their collaboration and to put in place structures for identifying and exploring worthwhile research themes and initiating real-world implementation in step with changes in the market and the social environment.

[Planned Activities]

  The co-creation research center will leverage synergies gained from combining the strengths of both parties – Tohoku University’s applied research in the fields of communication systems, user interfaces, artificial intelligence and image recognition, and Alps Alpine’s core sensing, communication and human-machine interface technology and system design capabilities. The center will seek to drive innovation and the development of human resources to support those efforts.

  Professor Shinichiro Omachi of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering will provide assistance for operation of the center. Professor Omachi heads the university’s Intelligent Information System Research Center (IIS Research Center), which already offers support to companies in the Sendai area and plays a role in advancing Tohoku University’s collaborative efforts in the region. The Alps Alpine × Tohoku University Co-creation Research Center for Connected Value Creation will coordinate with local authorities and other corporations that have similarly established co-creation research centers at the university with an eye to resolving social issues and thereby contributing to the Tohoku region.

[Outline of the Co-creation Research Center]

1.

Name:
Alps Alpine × Tohoku University Co-creation Research Center for Connected Value Creation

2.

Activities:
Fully leverage Tohoku University knowledge to identify and explore research themes leading to future value creation – emotion, safety and environmental value – in step with market and social changes, with objectives to drive innovation, develop human resources and resolve social issues (contribute to society)

3.

Administration Structure:

(1)

Yoshihisa Taniguchi, Specially Appointed Professor (Research)
(Alps Alpine Engineering Planning Office)

(2)

Operation Support
Professor Shinichiro Omachi, Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering

4.

Location:
Tohoku University Material Solutions Center (MaSC)

Alps Alpine and Tohoku University Establish Co-creation Research Center for Connected Value Creation

5.

Duration:
March 1, 2023 – March 31, 2026

Co-creation research center: A program promoting broad-ranging industry-academia collaboration – including joint research planning and promotion, human resources development, and partnership with university-developed venture businesses – by establishing a center for collaboration on university premises and enabling cross-departmental access to university teaching staff, expertise, facilities and other resources