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| August 1, 2002 |
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For Academic Breakthroughs to Next Generation Organic Electronics Materials and Devices
- An Integrative Industry-Academia Partnership - |
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Kyoto University
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
Pioneer Corporation
Hitachi, Ltd.
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Rohm Co., Ltd. |
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Kyoto University (President: Makoto Nagao) and five companies-Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Norio Wada), Pioneer Corporation (headquartered in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, President: Kaneo Ito), Hitachi, Ltd. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and Director: Etsuhiko Shoyama), Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ryuichi Tomizawa), and Rohm Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto; President: Kenichiro Sato)-have reached an agreement today regarding the establishment of a comprehensive and integrative industry-academia partnership for innovation. This partnership aims to create new businesses through the research and development of next-generation innovative technologies in organic electronic materials and devices.
With its goal of making an important contribution to the progress of industry and society, the partnership has a new framework in which the Kyoto University International Innovation Center (IIC led by Prof. Kazumi Matsushige) serves as the core of the team formed with five companies from different business fields. This framework- a new form of collaboration-is expected to serve as a model case for future industry-academia joint projects in Japan.
The theme of the partnership is "Research on Organic Electronics Materials and Devices." Kyoto University is a world-class research institute that has produced an overwhelming amount of research and sophisticated technologies in organic chemistry and other fields. Indeed, Nobel Prize winners such as Dr. Kenichi Fukui and Dr. Ryoji Noyori graduated from Kyoto University. The five member companies bring with them high levels of technology regarding materials, processes, devices, systems, and services. By taking advantage of our core competencies, we will work together to produce specific results leading to commercialization and the development of commercial products.
1. Objective
Kyoto University IIC and five companies have reached an agreement regarding the establishment of a comprehensive research and development partnership based on a new style that bridges industry and academia. By combining the world-leading basic research capabilities-the seeds-of Kyoto University and the market-oriented -the needs-technology/management capabilities of industries, we expect to determine the future direction of science, technology, and intellectual property in Japan, eventually leading to the creation of new industries in coming years. Unlike conventional collaborations between individual professors and companies, this new partnership framework between an entire university (or multiple universities) and several companies will work together to establish and carry out research themes from a medium-to-long-term perspective.
2. Research Themes
Under the comprehensive theme of "Organic Electronics Materials and Devices," we will address our research target areas with full use of such technologies as nano-technology, organic and organic-inorganic complex materials, next-generation devices, and innovative processes. We called for research themes across Kyoto University and have identified them in the following two categories:
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Research project on R&D and manufacturing of new materials and new devices by practically use of Kyoto University's fundamental science. |
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High-risk exploratory research on path-breaking concepts |
During theme evaluation process, priority was given to: (1) research topics with cutting-edge potential, and (2) those that may lead to creation of new businesses and technologies. Through discussions with five companies, 15 specific research themes have been adopted. These themes are categorized in the following five research fields:
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Fundamental technology and development of high-performance flexible displays |
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Development research of organic solar cells and high-efficiency organic optoelectronic transducers |
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Elemental technology for organic ultrahigh-capacity memory devices and development of high-performance optic materials |
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Development of functional nano-composite materials and their application to devices |
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Development of general organic electronics devices other than the above |
3. Partnership Structure and Scale
Kyoto University researchers at IIC, the Graduate School of Engineering, Institute for Chemical Research, Institute of Advanced Energy, Wood Research Institute and the Venture Business Laboratory, along with front-line researchers at the five member companies, will jointly work to develop next-generation devices. Under an R&D strategy based on a medium-to-long-term perspective, the partnership will last approximately five years, but it will be further extended as long as necessary based on discussion among all participants. Researchers at other universities (domestic and overseas) and research institutes may be encouraged to join the partnership. The member companies together with Kyoto University will constitute a strategy committee and a promotion committee to support the partnership.
A research site and administrative office have been established at Kyoto University IIC. The member companies will send visiting professors, and will select staff and researchers for the joint-project promotion department as requested by the promotion committee. Meanwhile, the university will accept visiting researchers from the member companies upon request, exchange various information and provide research facilities and experimental equipment. Approximately 80 researchers at Kyoto University and 70 at the member companies, 150 in total, will be involved in the partnership.
With each member company contributing 50 million yen per year, the financial base for the collaborative work will total 250 million yen. Member companies will contribute the same amount for the second fiscal year and thereafter. In addition, we plan to request a subsidy for the first fiscal year and national matching funds for the second fiscal year and thereafter. Our research portfolio consists of 15 themes ranging from research project to seed/incubation research, selected based on the synergetic effects between them. Thus, the resources provided by the member companies can be efficiently used across the themes.
As for the intellectual property rights resulting from the joint research, Kyoto University will organize a patent-dedicated team to maximize the values of patents through close relationships with researchers involved in the early stages of each theme.
4. Development Process
In November last year, we began a feasibility study regarding the new partnership, and we began discussions with others in the private sector. Since then, we have drawn up the partnership prospectus, operation rules, and agreements, as well as recruited researchers from Kyoto University and the five member companies to identify the points at which seeds and needs meet. A basic agreement on the goals of research themes and the outline of the contract was reached in late March of this year. The solicitation of research themes was begun on April 1 at Kyoto University. Based on a primary screening and a secondary detailed evaluation and hearings, the research themes for collaboration were determined by Kyoto University and the member companies through mutual discussions. The present agreement has thereby been concluded.
| - |
Research project on R&D and manufacturing of new materials and new devices by practically use of Kyoto University's fundamental science. |
| - |
High-risk exploratory research on path-breaking concepts |
During theme evaluation process, priority was given to: (1) research topics with cutting-edge potential, and (2) those that may lead to creation of new businesses and technologies. Through discussions with 5 companies, 15 specific research themes have been adopted. These themes are categorized in the following five research fields:
| - |
Fundamental technology and development of high-performance flexible displays |
| - |
Development research of organic solar cells and high-efficiency organic optoelectronic transducers |
| - |
Elemental technology for organic ultrahigh-capacity memory devices and development of high-performance optic materials |
| - |
Development of functional nano-composite materials and their application to devices |
| - |
Development of general organic electronics devices other than the above |
3. Partnership structure and scale
Kyoto University researchers at IIC, the Graduate School of Engineering, Institute for Chemical Research, Institute of Advanced Energy, Wood Research Institute and the Venture Business Laboratory, along with front-line researchers at the five member companies, will jointly work to develop next-generation devices. Under an R&D strategy based on a medium-to-long-term perspective, the partnership will last approximately five years, but it will be further extended as long as necessary based on discussion among all participants. Scholars at other universities (domestic and overseas) and research institutes may be encouraged to join the partnership. The member companies together with Kyoto University will constitute a strategy committee and a promotion committee to support the partnership.
A research site and administrative office has been established at Kyoto University IIC. The member companies will send visiting professors, and will select staff and researchers for the joint-project promotion department as requested by the promotion committee. Meanwhile, the university will accept visiting researchers from the member companies upon request, exchange various information and provide research facilities and experimental equipment. Approximately 80 researchers at Kyoto University and 70 at the member companies, 150 in total, will be involved in the partnership.
With each member company contributing 50 million yen per year, the financial base for the collaborative work will total 250 million yen. Member companies will contribute the same amount for the second fiscal year and thereafter. In addition, we plan to request a subsidy for the first fiscal year and national matching funds for the second fiscal year and thereafter. Our research portfolio consists of 15 themes ranging from research project to seed/incubation research, selected based on the synergetic effects between them. Thus, the resources provided by the member companies can be efficiently used across the themes.
As for the intellectual property rights resulting from the joint research, Kyoto University will organize a patent-dedicated team to maximize the values of patents through close relationships with researchers involved in the early stages of each theme.
4. Development of the current status
In November last year, we began a feasibility study regarding the new partnership, and we began discussions with others in the private sector. Since then, we have drawn up the partnership prospectus, operation rules, and agreements, as well as recruited researchers from Kyoto University and the five member companies to identify the points at which seeds and needs meet. A basic agreement on the goals of research themes and the outline of the contract was reached in late March of this year. The solicitation of research themes was begun on April 1 at Kyoto University. Based on a primary screening and a secondary detailed evaluation and hearings, the research themes for collaboration were determined by Kyoto University and the member companies through mutual discussions. The present agreement has thereby been concluded.
| For further information, please contact |
| Kyoto University International Innovation Center |
| Tel: [+81]-75-753-9144 |
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
Science and Core Technology Laboratory Group |
| Tel: [+81]-46-240-5152 |
Pioneer Corporation
Public Relations Department, Corporate Communications Division |
| Tel: [+81]-(0)3-3495-9885 |
| Hitachi, Ltd. |
| Public Relations, Corporate Communications Division |
| Tel: [+81]-(0)3-3258-2056 |
| Public Relations and Investor Relations Dept., |
| Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation |
| Tel: [+81]-(0)3-3283-6274 |
| Rohm Co., Ltd. |
| Public Relations Dept., Administration Headquarters |
| Tel: [+81]-75-311-2121 |
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