Osaka University
Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Daikin Industries, Ltd.
Pharmaceuticals
February 5, 2019
The 1st Japan Open Innovation Prize
Four Parties including Osaka University Win the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for "University-Industry Co-creation from the Basic Research Stage -Collaboration between Organizations-"
Osaka University (President: Shojiro Nishio, hereafter "Osaka University") and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Tatsuro Kosaka, hereafter "Chugai"), Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (President: Tatsuo Higuchi, hereafter "Otsuka"), and Daikin Industries, Ltd. (Representative Director & President CEO: Masanori Togawa, hereafter "Daikin") announced today that they won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the 1st Japan Open Innovation Prize sponsored by the Cabinet Office for "University-Industry Co-creation from the Basic Research Stage -Collaboration between Organizations-."
While global competition for innovation has been intensifying in recent years, open innovation which promotes new initiatives by integrating knowledge, technologies, and management resources beyond organizational barriers is becoming increasingly important for speedy implementation of results from research and development activities to the real world in order to resolve social needs as well as to create new values. Furthermore, not only government-industry-academia collaboration but also collaboration among a wide range of entities is required amid significant changes in the innovation process in science and technology brought by advanced and complicated needs as well as emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analyses. Under such circumstances, the Japan Open Innovation Prize was launched aiming at appreciating most leading and original initiatives expected to be used as future role models to further promote open innovations in Japan.
Ministers' awards are given on a field basis by each relevant government ministry and agency, in addition to Chairpersons' awards by economic organizations and academic societies. The summary of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award of the 1st Japan Open Innovation Prize that the four parties have received is as follows;
| Prize Name |
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Theme |
"University - Industry Co-creation from the Basic Research Stage -Collaboration between Organizations-" |
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| Prize Winner | Osaka University, Chugai, Otsuka, and Daikin | ||
| Summary |
Aim at seamlessly bridging unique basic research produced by a group of excellent researchers to applied research under the comprehensive partnership. Implement useful research results to the real world as results of the joint research between the university and company, while maintaining the environment where researchers can concentrate on basic research based on their unique and original ideas. |
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| Objective | To allow the university to stably manage basic research from a long-term perspective such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), not for short-term issues, with funds by the companies intended for basic research activities. To realize long-term open innovation by combining comprehensive intelligence offered by the university and technologies provided by the companies. | ||
| Description | In the drug discovery field (Chugai and Otsuka), the world-leading immunological research has been conducted from the basic research stage with funding from the companies. Taking advantage of very high research performance and a wide range of company-owned technologies related to drug discovery, they aim to create social values through world-class research findings. In the field of information (Daikin), creation of new values is expect by combining ideas/enthusiasm generated by young researchers recruited from all over the world and expertise provided by the company. | ||
| Commendation Ceremony |
Date: from 15:30 to 19:00 (tentative), March 5 (Tue.), 2019 (A party is to be held after the commendation ceremony.) |
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Comment from Shojiro Nishio, President of Osaka University
Accepting the Minister of MEXT Award of the 1st Japan Open Innovation Awards along with Chugai, Otsuka, and Daikin is indeed an honor for Osaka University and a great pleasure for us.
Under comprehensive collaboration in the field of drug discovery with Chugai and Otsuka, Osaka University has promoted research born from unique ideas from researchers in immunology to produce outstanding results, including a number of high impact research papers. Also, in comprehensive collaboration in the field of information science with Daikin, problem-solving joint research on 23 topics and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) professionals are being carried out.
The award really encourages us. Osaka University will further industry-university co-creation more strongly than ever to greatly contribute to the promotion of open innovation in Japan.
Message from Toshiki Sudo, Executive Director of Otsuka Pharmaceutical
I am honored that Otsuka Pharmaceutical has been one of the recipients of this wonderful prize with Osaka University. In addition to the pursuit of our own drug discovery research, we proactively engage in open innovation collaborations that advance research and development insights. Under a comprehensive collaboration with Osaka University, we aim to develop innovative products by combining their world-leading immunological research with Otsuka's drug discovery research and thereby contribute to medical care across the world.
Reference
Cabinet Office Website (Japanese only):
https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/openinnovation/prize/index.html