R & D that enable to create the future - New approach to Academic-Industrial Collaboration

All the beginnings were ” HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE ” ──.

Opening talk starts from Loftwork · Hiroyuki Tanahashi. “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” is the Kanazawa Institute of Technology’s Hakusan foot campus, which will be newly established in April 2018. Tanahashi is a future for the opening of the same campus, which was designed as a place to repeat “discovery” and “experiment” while staying in the nature of satoyama, gathering various “talents” with various talents, skills, ideas and ideas I talked about thinking about industry-university collaboration and innovation.

“There are a couple of methods organized as innovation, but apparently we have not done well yet because it may be because the existing correctness and framework are obstacles . What we need for a “society without a correct answer” is to learn from the unknown in the existing correctness and to start creation.The educational institutions, businesses, areas, etc. will connect beyond the boundaries of expertise and organization and combine knowledge So I think that it is important to create a future that nobody has seen before. ”

An event of this day named “R & D from now on to create the future – a new approach for industry-university collaboration”. Tanahashi talks about the intrinsic value of pursuing knowledge beyond the framework of expertise, taking as an example the relationship between “knowledge” and “human” in ancient times, medieval times, and modern times. Furthermore, the concept of R & D (research and development) continues to be able to be reconsidered as university and industry, science and art .

“There used to be an organization named” Lunar Society “in Birmingham, the United Kingdom of the 18th century, where inventors, poets, physicists, entrepreneurs and others gathered their names and discussed science and art blended together With the success of this group, Birmingham, which was only a small village until then, will develop to be called the UK’s second largest city.There are a number of projects involving people who will attend today’s event and “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” Where there is a possibility of becoming a modern “lunar and society” So that is why today I would like to think about the new form of R & D to open up a “society without an answer” today. “

In the keynote following the opening talk, Koichiro Eto is on the stage. As a media artist Mr. Eto who continues his research on a co-creative platform at AIST, while working on works such as “Internet Physical Model” and “RemotePiano”, says Mr. Eto that user-participated academic society “Nico Nico Society beta” Take an example and talk about the value of “expertise”.

“It is a feature of” NicoNico Society beta “that” professional researchers “and” wild researchers “who have specialized research areas work hard together , and by discussing with users, only” professional researchers ” Ideas and innovations that were not born are born , I believe that is the merit of co-creative innovation . “

About the difference between “cooperation” and “co – creation” was the most impressive in the story of Mr. Eto.

“Collaborating on the premise of sharing profits and sharing work is” collaboration. “On the other hand, ” co-creation “does not set up a single approach beforehand, and heterogeneous talent acts towards each big purpose Of course, because “co-creation” results in variations in results, “cooperation” is more efficient if you look only at the average output, but Facebook’s “Like” button was born from Hackasson Like “co-creation” there are times when explosive hits and inventions are born. “

Nakazawa: Even if you do Hackathon etc at the university, I feel the importance of “weak connection”. For example, when planning Hackasson with the theme of satoyama, students and teachers alone can not grasp the problem of satoyama. That is why the viewpoint of people in the area rooted in satoyama is important

To create a community of ” knowledge ” that stimulates intellectual curiosity, not kinships, fellowships, or company fellows . To make opportunities for project members to speak real intention even 10 minutes a day. The owner of a seemingly “weak skill” like “listeners” is actually the life line of the team.

In the subsequent crosstalk, various hints have been made for people with different positions and specialized fields to realize open communication. The topic eventually moved to a new industry-academia collaboration site “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” set on satoyama.

Fukuda: “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” is an unusual campus in the mountains. In the background that this place was born, there is a thought that deepening thinking in the mountains is actually closer to innovation, rather than emphasizing efficiency in urban areas and giving ideas. I believe that universities and companies will unite and create new value in places like secret bases that make worthy of “heterogeneity” called satoyama

Nakazawa: “The fact that I realize in face-to-face communication with college students is that there is a limit to the extent that teachers can do, so it is necessary for companies, regions, and universities to collaborate and to be able to pursue curiosity In the day we will be absorbed in the research and watch the beautiful starry sky quietly in the evening … … In the “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE”, something quite different from the research and development done in the city may be born

Oomoto: Changing the environment is very important, is not it? For example, “KAOSPILOT” has a curriculum in which it is thrown in winter mountains without food and tried leadership. Nature is very chaotic and I do not know what will happen. In such an environment, we will consider ways to solve with the team in cooperation with others. I think that there is creativity and leadership that will make it visible only in the classroom and the place that has left the meeting room

Aoki: I think that “creativity disparity” will spread more and more within the next ten years. In such an era, the minds, skills, communities, support environments that will make new things will become very important. In that sense, “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” should play a large role. Actually, we have a middle 3 son, but he says he wants to go to the international college of technology to be established in “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE”.

Fukuda: There are accommodation facilities in “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” as well as planning camping type Hackason etc. to learn while playing in satoyama, if you do not come up with an idea in the city, please come slowly with your family (laugh)

In the second half of the event, one of the HCB project members, creative director of Loftwork Renon Yamada served as a facilitator and a workshop was also held.

Various members such as education officials, corporate officials, creators, etc. surround the table and participate in a simple work on the theme of “learning”. People with different positions and expertise interacted and experienced each other’s enjoyment of values ​​and curiosity.

The closing event was the closing talk by Loftwork co-founder Mitsuhiro Suwa. Suwa, which analyzes the problems faced by corporate R & D and the difficulties of industry-academia cooperation, together with the project examples handled by Loftwork, “Successful design of community” that combines closed and open for future industry-university collaboration is indispensable I will talk about it.

“Universities, businesses, regions, creators, users, what kind of community is created is crucial to creating innovation while involving various people, although some companies aim for business success There are also creators who want honor and reputation through awards.In addition, while companies seek out results in half a year or a year span, university studies are often more long-term, and students It may be attractive for “festival” like Hackasson that can rise for three days. ”

“That is, the motivation and the time axis for the community are different from each other.When considering such a difference, designing a community where interesting things are likely to occur is the role of” HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE ” Please look forward to the new results born from the unique environment called satoyama. ”

The event “R & D – future approach to industry-university collaboration that will make the future” that lasted over three hours closed the curtain like this. A quiet but strange sense of unity was born in the venue where more than 100 participants visited different age, occupation and standpoint. What kind of innovation will we produce in the future industry-university collaboration? I would like to chase the efforts of “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” to open next spring.

A new approach is also required for industry-academia collaboration aiming at new technology development and business creation. Up to now, industry-academia collaboration has been carried out in a system in which specialization and research areas have been divided into subdivisions on the premise that it responds to problems that companies emerge and consumer needs.

In future times, in order to cope with social tasks that increase complexity, does not it need a form of industry-academia collaboration that repeats discovery and experimentation while crossing the specialty / research area beyond existing framework of thinking?

In the spring of 2018, a new university-industry collaborative effort will start with the collaboration of Kanazawa Institute of Technology · loftwork. The new campus named ” HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE ” is a curious learning that repeats discovery and experiments with a free idea while gathering and staying curious, with a variety of talents, skills, knowledge and ideas It is a place.

In this event, we introduce the activities of “HAKUSAN CREATIVE BIOTOPE” by guests who challenge beyond the realm and think about the future industry-academia collaboration which creates new social value by collaboration between educational institution and company .

◎ Guest

Koichiro Eto (Keynote)
A media artist who works on experimental projects in a wide range of areas such as research, education, community, art, etc. beyond specialty and organization.

Aya Ohmoto (Cross Talks)
Co-designative / creative process designer of Laere Inc., an educational designing firm that tackles organization development and human resource development, introducing creative learning of Northern European flows such as Denmark to Japanese companies and educational sites.

Ryuta Aoki (Cross Talks Moderator)
Started a group VOLOCITEE Inc. that creates creative communities. An entrepreneur who is involved in the development of the online platform “VOLOCITEE” that matches creative communities with individuals who challenge new things.

Summary

program

16: 30 ~ 16: 45
Opening and reception start

16: 45 ~ 17: 00
Opening Talk
Loftwork Co., Ltd. Executive Officer and Innovation Maker Hiroyuki Tanahashi

17: 00 ~ 17: 30
Keynote “New Value Creating Beyond the Specialized Areas”
Koichiro Eto

17: 30 ~ 18: 30
Cross Talks “A new approach from now on combining academia and business”
Laere Co-Representative / Creative Process Designer Aya Kanazawa Institute of Technology Professor Akira Nakazawa Professor Kanazawa Institute of Technology Collaboration Department Deputy Director Takayuki Fukuda Loftwork Executive Officer and Innovation Manufacturer Hiroyuki Tanahashi
President of VOLOCITEE Inc. / Alternative Machine Inc. Representative Director Ryuta Aoki

18: 30 to 18: 40
break

18: 40 to 19: 10
Interactive Session

19: 10 to 19: 30
Closing Talk
Mitsuhiro Suwa, President and Representative Director, Loftwork Co., Ltd.

19: 30
Networking