Message from Prof.Endo
The beginning of the joint research with industry and Shinshu University, was cooperation with Showa Denko K.K. which has a laboratory and a factory in Nagano. Showa found that there was a university which was studying carbon close, and contacted us with interests in 1982. In that time joint research was still at before dawn. This new relation with industry was only small trigger, but nowadays it became a present large network. University is good at research execution, but don't know "how to make results useful for market". The reason of this miss match is oriented from gaps between researcher's technical seeds and the market needs (demand). Because companies are daily exposed to the needs from the market, they have hot information which always takes a step forward. Industry-academia-government collaborations are indispensable for both parties, as for universities : to adapt science to society, and as for companies to develop new market.
Good result which is found during the experiments in university is carried into a company and tested at once. If there was a problem in the tests, results are returned to university again and re-tried. These catch-ball type procedures are effective in previous stage where researchers want to step-up gradually and steadily, but now a days, progress of science and technology is very fast. In order to live through these severe circumstances we have to accomplish not only mere progress in technology but innovations. These innovations in technology mean the change of technology framework like recent intellectual technology or mobile technology areas. So, we have to change the style of industry-academia-government collaborations from ancient style of 90s to new advanced style.
To live through these advanced stage we have not only to collaborate with industry but also to change the research style i.e. to elevate to collaboration with strategy. At present, no one has correct or good answer for making new framework for innovations. We may have the chance to make ideal framework.
It is said that Japanese industry is standing alone. Causes of this are thought to be that we have only narrow range of vision and could not think another issue except "what is necessary is just valid at the market in Japan". In small countries whoes population is not so large, such as Singapore, Finland, Switzerland, and South Korea, the business are always opened to the world from the beginning. It's meaningless to say "Japan has advanced technology in electronics area and good circumstance for comfortable life. So we have to change pattern of thinking to think every items in world-scale. In these thinking process we have to contribute to the happiness of 7 billion population, then we get new innovations in a short period.
As the results of attainment of good results (basic science) on carbon nano-tube (CNT) technology, variety of new applications have been developed steadily. Recent progress speed is over 110%, and this growth rate will be kept at least for 10 years. CNT is rear material whose steady progress can be expected for long periods, so we have to pay attention to safety of CNT. As safer materials and products are used especially in advanced nations by their choice, we have to keep safety of materials and explain the safety of CNT, performance of CNT, new application of CNT willingly. We are self-conceited in developing application of first stage, so we have to be a leader of second stage and take the initiative in new collaboration between university and industry.
As for details of strategic approach for success I will show my idea briefly, Nagano prefecture have many skillful engineers who have gotten many experience and success story during company lives in Metropolitan area. So I call Nagano prefecture as "talentful prefecture". They are most favorable member for coordinators who combine university with industry. They have the ability to judge the possibilities of technology through their experiences in former industries. As the teacher in university I have to teach young students how to execute the research and how to follow elders. Through this process , elder engineer will show their skill and experience to students or young researchers. My idea will be proved true, and big progress will be obtained later.
Now Shinkansen is just extending to Kanzawa, so I think Tokyo ,Oomiya,Nagano and Kanazawa will be to becoming to same area city by time. I have grand dream where each tcity are combined by carbon belt and make progress as metropolitan of the world carbon. In order to turn it into reality we have to make steady progress contentiously and as the results many industries gather in Nagano automatically. Though research activities of our institute is limited, but we can expect great progress through collaboratione with industries in this area Nagano.
