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The University of Tokyo and Isuzu Motors Limited hold joint press conference Transport Innovation Research Center established with a donation from Isuzu, accelerating innovation in transport through industry-academia collaboration

January 21, 2025

The University of Tokyo and Isuzu Motors Limited (headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; Shinsuke Minami, President and COO; hereinafter “Isuzu”) announced on January 8 (Wednesday) that the University of Tokyo will establish the Transport Innovation Research Center (scheduled to open on February 1; Director [planned]: Hiroyuki Takahashi, Professor, Graduate School of Engineering) within the Graduate School of Engineering (Dean: Yasuhiro Kato) with a donation from Isuzu of one billion yen. A joint press conference was held at Yasuda Auditorium on UTokyo’s Hongo Campus to announce the opening.

President Fujii and Isuzu Chairman and CEO Katayama
President Fujii (left) and Isuzu Chairman and CEO Katayama


The conference was attended by President Fujii, Dean Kato and Professor Takahashi of the University of Tokyo, as well as Masanori Katayama, Chairman and CEO, and Shun Fujimori, Director of the Board and Managing Executive Officer (EVP, Product & Technology Strategies Division), both from Isuzu. The event attracted a great deal of attention from the press and journalists, with approximately 30 people attending, mainly from newspapers, TV stations and magazines.

President Fujii delivers a speech
President Fujii delivers a speech


In his opening remarks, President Fujii explained how, compared to leading universities in Europe and the U.S., Japanese universities have only just begun to build an autonomous financial base, and how, in anticipation of the University of Tokyo’s 150th anniversary in two years and the 150 years beyond, the University is strengthening and expanding its financial structure and establishing management capabilities. He explained how the University has established a new “endowment” system to manage research organizations with the profits from the endowment. President Fujii commented, “We hope to contribute to research, education and social implementation by fully utilizing the University’s knowledge to meet the needs of society in the future. I have high hopes that the Center’s activities will have an impact on society and lead to the creation of new knowledge.”

Chairman and CEO Katayama making a speech
Chairman and CEO Katayama making a speech


In his address, Isuzu Chairman and CEO Katayama said, “In order to sustain innovation in transportation, we have come to strongly feel that we must incorporate a broader and more multifaceted perspective than we could from within Isuzu alone. In considering joint development, we were approached by the University of Tokyo and discussed the possibility of new research initiatives.” He also expressed three expectations for the Transport Innovation Research Center: (1) to find clues to solving social issues from the perspective of academia in a sustainable manner; (2) to shape the future of transportation; and (3) to foster human resources. He continued by saying, “We would like to continue to drive change in Japan’s logistics issues and create innovations in transportation. We hope you will look forward to our world-leading research activities, which we will promote together with the University of Tokyo.”

Dean Kato talks about the significance of establishing the Transport Innovation Research Center
Dean Kato talks about the significance of establishing the Transport Innovation Research Center


Graduate School of Engineering Dean Kato then introduced the establishment of the Corporate & External Relations Planning Office at the University of Tokyo in 2017 and its efforts to revitalize joint research by offering social cooperation programs in cooperation with industry. While securing full-time, specially-appointed faculty members for a period of three to five years, which is linked to the terms of such programs, and where they will be deployed afterwards are issues for successful joint research, “A new system has been realized (based on the donation from Isuzu) that allows excellent faculty members to engage firmly in research in interdisciplinary fields from a long-term perspective and produce results, without being bound by fixed terms of employment,” said Kato, speaking of how the donation from Isuzu has made it possible to establish a permanent organization. He continued, “The research will be carried out based on the University’s free conception. By advancing research in collaboration with many companies in the field of logistics and transportation, we hope to dramatically advance academic development and contribute to society.” Then, Professor Takahashi gave an overview of the Transport Innovation Research Center, which was followed by a lively Q&A session with members of the press.

Professor Takahashi explains the direction of the Transport Innovation Research Center
Professor Takahashi explains the direction of the Transport Innovation Research Center

 

During the Q&A session with the press, we received many questions. The main questions and answers are as follows:

Q1.
What is the significance of Isuzu, a commercial vehicle manufacturer, being involved in research in the field of logistics and transportation? Isuzu will dispatch researchers to the new organization, but how will the research results contribute to Isuzu’s business itself?

(Response from Chairman and CEO Katayama)
A1.
Isuzu is developing new businesses in addition to its existing ones, and the establishment of the Transport Innovation Research Center will not directly contribute to the expansion of our business. I have high expectations for the research center, first of all, to conduct large-scale research in a manner that directly addresses social issues. If something emerges in this research that can leverage Isuzu’s strengths as a transportation equipment manufacturer, we would of course like to link it to our business, but this is not a prerequisite for our business expansion. We believe that we will be able to contribute to society through the large-scale research conducted by academia, and we believe that this will lead indirectly to our business.

Q2.
In President Fujii’s speech, he said something to the effect of “I would like to create a concrete impact.” With competition intensifying around the world in the ever-evolving field of automated driving, do you have a time span, such as when you expect this to happen?

(Response from President Fujii)
A2.
In the fields of logistics, transit and transportation, we are currently undergoing a major wave of change, and through dialogue with industry, we will create major concepts in academia. These days, there are truly many things happening in various countries around the world in these fields, so we would like to create something that can make an impact there. At the University of Tokyo, we can create a major trend by bringing together the knowledge of faculty members in other fields and other members of the University.

(Response from Dean Kato)
A2.
We aim to produce results one after another over a long scale of time, but the most important thing is to respond with a big vision. We have received a large donation this time and can use the investment income to conduct research without a fixed deadline. I hope that many young faculty members will successively come up with innovative ideas, and that they will grow while we provide positive feedback so that they will lead to the seeds of the next revitalization. This is the responsibility of the University of Tokyo, as well as our own Graduate School of Engineering, and we hope to fully meet everyone’s expectations.

Q3.
Is there a possibility that other companies in the same industry or companies with expertise in logistics will become involved in the course of your research?

(Response from Chairman and CEO Katayama)
A3.
Although it is up to the University of Tokyo to decide, it would be most desirable if other companies in the same industry or from different industries join us as a result of this research and unite their aspirations toward transport innovation. When we talk about the creation of a new society or mobility society, it is so large and involves so many different business areas, and the technology is evolving so fast, that our major challenge is how to respond to the business and technology areas in order to realize this vision. With the establishment of this research center and the participation of various people, I have high expectations that academic research will be conducted in a wide range and depth, and that we will surely be able to compete with the world.

(Response from President Fujii)
A3.
The University of Tokyo is also thinking about creating a vision for the logistics and transportation field on a large scale. This is about how to design a new society. This will require a wide range of expertise, so we would like to have the support and cooperation of companies and industries in various business fields, as well as people in various technical fields and specialties, in order to create an even better vision.
 

Speakers answer questions from the press
Speakers answer questions from the press
Director of the Board and Managing Executive Officer Fujimori, Chairman and CEO Katayama (Isuzu), President Fujii, Dean Kato, and Professor Takahashi (UTokyo) pose for a commemorative photo. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty Images for ISUZU)
(From left to right) Director of the Board and Managing Executive Officer Fujimori, Chairman and CEO Katayama (Isuzu), President Fujii, Dean Kato, and Professor Takahashi (UTokyo) pose for a commemorative photo. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty Images for ISUZU)

 

The new Transport Innovation Research Center will open on February 1 on the Hongo Campus as a permanent organization dedicated to research and education in the field of logistics and transportation. Three full-time professors will be hired, each of whom will have their own laboratory, and each laboratory is expected to have about 10 undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, Isuzu plans to send three engineers/researchers from Isuzu to the Center each year. The University of Tokyo will use the endowment-type research organization system to manage the one billion-yen donation from Isuzu as an endowment, and will operate the Center with the investment profits obtained from the endowment.

The University of Tokyo and Isuzu will work together to solve social issues in the field of logistics and transportation, and to create and realize a more prosperous and dream-inspiring society through academic development and human resource development.

The speakers pose for a commemorative photo in front of Yasuda Auditorium
The speakers pose for a commemorative photo in front of Yasuda Auditorium
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