Proprius21 Feasibility Study
Example cases (published 2011)
Case 22: THE SEIBU SHINKIN BANK
Updated April 1, 2011
Creation of University Corporate Relations (Collaborative Research) with Small-to-Medium Companies
The University of Tokyo is actively involved in local collaborative research utilizing the financial institution-oriented Proprius21. One such research project is the active collaboration under the Proprius21 agreement with THE SEIBU SHINKIN BANK, which has established a close network with the local community. Between May 2007 and March 2011, the university conducted careful topic and researcher-matching, chose 16 themes and successfully arranged nine collaborative research projects (four projects from Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, two from Graduate School of Engineering, one from Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, and two from Institute of Industrial Science).
Research contents ranged widely, from the utilization of state-of-theart supercritical technologies, to food safety research tested in the University of Tokyo's farm in Ibaraki. These projects are conducted as novel academic research to study the technical challenges faced by small-to-medium companies.
In addition to this research, communications between the university and commercial companies also leads to new university corporate relations utilizing the specialties possessed by small-to-medium companies, such as micro-processing mechanisms. Activities such as these are steadily fostering local industry.
Case 23: NTT Communications, NS Solutions, Tokyo Electron, NEXCO-Central, NEC, Panasonic, Hitachi, Fujitsu Laboratories, Fujifilm, France Telecom, Mitsubishi Electric, Cisco Systems and Sumitomo Electric Industries
Updated April 1, 2011
Ambient Social Infrastructure Study Group
In January 2010, a science and technology exchange forum was held under the theme of "Information Society Transformed by Ambient Electronics." This forum aimed to help reinvigorate the Japanese ICT industry, then apparently experiencing a sense of restriction, by drawing a new plan of society utilizing next-generation information and communication technology (ICT) and creating a roadmap to such a future society and marketplace.
Following this Forum, a study group formed by researchers and companies interested in ambient intelligence was established in September 2010.
The group was named the "Ambient Social Infrastructure Study Group," covering the area of electronics, and its members include 13 representative ICT companies in Japan and 34 researchers from the University of Tokyo, who possess abundant knowledge across disciplines such as urban engineering, agricultural and life sciences, electrical engineering, electronic information, and mechano-informatics.
This study group comprises five working groups (WGs); Urban Environment, Agricultural and Forestry Environment, Real World Log, Wireless Power Supply, and Vision. The discussion results from the monthly WG meetings are reported at the overseeing committee meeting held every three months. When issues are found to be common across multiple WGs and require action from different fields, such as technical, legal, or crossindustrial approaches, then such issues are set up as new topics to be further discussed through seeking expert advice.
To realize an ambient social infrastructure, the Study Group is vigorously continuing its activities to promote new awareness through lectures by experts from different fields and creating roadmaps and suggestion reports.
Case 24: Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited
Updated August 16, 2011
Offering a "Safe, Reliable and Comfortable" Expressway Environment
Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited concluded a Proprius21 agreement with the University of Tokyo in April 2010, in order to realize a world-leading, safe, reliable and comfortable expressway environment.
Through the course of discussions under the Proprius21 agreement, a number of issues concerning current expressway conditions have been identified and potential research topics selected from among such issues.
These topics were then crystallized into formal research themes through discussions with researchers and launched as joint research projects.
Two joint research projects with the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology have so far commenced: one is to develop a system to guide vehicles efficiently to vacant spaces in a busy service area parking lot, and the other to develop a signboard system to guide people to vacant compartments in a busy toilet facility.
Further new joint research is expected to start soon, including development of an advanced monitoring system for ensuring safe bridges conditions, and a method to provide stable power supplies to Electric Vehicles, the number of which is expected to rise in the near future.
