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| Aiming to switch to R&D-oriented companies |
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Through the synergistic leveraging of the industrial concentration in Tokatsu, Kawaguchi, Tsukuba, and the areas along the TX Line and of the concentration of research and technological seeds held by the many science-related universities and research facilities engaged in cutting-edge research in this same region, we aim to improve the quality of industry-university-government, industry-industry, and cross-sector networks, and to foster the creation of new business fields and new industries by deepening collaboration with the regional industrial promotion efforts implemented by local governments in the region, and thereby make the region even more of a center for companies engaged in advanced R&D and new product development. |
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Fundamental technology industries and advanced industrial fields such as scientific instruments and surface modification |
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Tokatsu area in Chiba Prefecture (8 cities including Kashiwa), Funabashi area in Chiba Prefecture (Funabashi City), Kawaguchi area in Saitama Prefecture (7 cities including Kawaguchi), Tsukuba area in Ibaraki Prefecture (Tsukuba City and others), and the area in Tokyo along TX line (Chiyoda Ward, Arakawa Ward, etc.) |
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New Industry Creation Network in the Region of Tokatsu - Kawaguchi -Tsukuba (along TX line)
URL: http://www.ttp.or.jp/tktnet/
Tokatsu Techno Plaza, Chiba Industry Advancement Center
TEL: +81-4-7133-0139 FAX: +81-4-7133-0162 |
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Kawaguchi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Tsukuba Center, Inc.,Funabashi Chamber of Commerce and Industry,Arakawa city |
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| This network involves 500 companies, 34 university and public research institutes, 20 local governments, 10 financial institutions and other entities. In addition to collaborating with Knowledge Cluster Initiative and 3 key organizations, in FY 2006 we began linking with Arakawa city (MACC Project). |
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| This project focuses on strategic areas that have strong technological concentrations (fundamental technologies, scientific instrument technologies, surface modification technologies) and works to foster creation of businesses centering on technological and new product development. The project has a track record of commercialization support matching via its Research Results Commercialization Association, which introduces companies to the results of research institution efforts, and the project has also launched new support efforts. At present, the project is leveraging its contact with universities and corporate research labs to support sales network expansion by publicizing new products and technologies and clarifying device development needs. |
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| Through the exchange activities of industry-university collaborations and industry-industry collaborations, various industries collaborations, such as the Tokatsu Techno Society at Tokatsu Techno Plaza, the Next-Generation Group for Collaboration of Different Industrial Segments (RINC) in Kawaguchi and Soka city, the Tsukuba Sotaku Network and so on, successful examples of product commercialization have started to appear at a continual pace. Going forward, there will be aggressiveness in providing the support for commercialization to those small and medium size companies and venture businesses that challenging to opening up markets of new fields. |
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The Tokatsu-Kawaguchi-Tsukuba region (along the TX line) is a center for manufacturing and knowledge in many different fields, including Tokatsu's scientific instrument and surface modification companies, Kawaguchi's materials and machine tooling companies, Funabashi's machinery and metalworking companies, Arakawa Ward's various processing and manufacturing companies, and the world-class universities and research institutions in Tsukuba, Kashiwa, and Nagareyama.
The project is making the most of the technology, personnel, funds, and sales channels of all of these different companies and institutions and is making the assorted networks more active, while also fostering collaboration between companies and universities (and other research institutions) and building an environment that can sustainably carry out innovation through joint R&D, technological collaboration, and venture business in the aim of forming a functional and competitive cluster. |
| Dr. Yoshitaro Yoshida |
| Cluster Manager (Professor Emeritus, Chiba University) |
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Status of technological development support
(Results of FY 2001 to 2008): |
100 |
| Tenants of incubation facilities: |
185 |
| Number of collaborations (Accumulating total from FY 2002 to 2008): |
72 |
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| Number of new businesses launched: 1,000 businesses in 5 years |
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Main Participants of the Project
Private companies (500 companies): Abi Co.,Ltd., Kyowakogyo Co.,Ltd., Kojima Manufacturing Co.,Ltd., Xiroku,Inc., Think Laboratory Co.,Ltd., Nanotec Corporation, Miyako Roller Industrial Company, etc.
Related administrative organizations: Ibaraki Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Kashiwa City, Funabashi City, Kawaguchi City, Tsukuba City, Arakawa city etc.
Universities and public examination and research institutes: Tokyo University, Nihon University, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba University, Chiba Institute of Technology, University of Tsukuba, AIST, RIKEN, Saitama Industrial Technology Center, etc.
Financial institutions: Chiba Bank, Ltd., Chiba Kogyo Bank Ltd., Saitama Resona Bank, Ltd., Musashino Bank, Ltd., Joyo Bank, Ltd., Kanto Tsukuba Bank, Ltd., etc.
Business Incubators: Todai Kashiwa Venture Plaza of SMRJ, Tokatsu Techno Plaza of Chiba Industry Advancement Center, Tsukuba Center, Inc etc.
Others: Himawari High-Tech Venture Development Foundation, Small Business Promotion Public-Corporation Saitama Prefecture, Tsukuba Business Incubation Center etc. |
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 1 |
Advanced scientific instrument development group |
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Starting in FY 2008, the project selected 17 companies from among those in the Tokatsu-Kawaguchi-Tsukuba region that have original and innovative sensing, measurement, and analysis technologies and began efforts to support the development and adoption of advanced scientific instrument products.
The first step was the creation of a jointly presented catalog of advanced scientific instrument and labware products equipped with new functionality. This was a new attempt aiming to promote the purchase of devices in the market formed by independent public research institutes, universities, large corporate labs, and other scientific establishments.
Joint exhibitions at the 8th Annual TX Technology Showcase in Tsukuba 2009, attended by many researchers and scientists, garnered a substantial response from participants thanks to the appeal to active product development efforts.
There are plans to publicize technologies and product development capabilities to researchers and to promote further exchanges by participating in additional academic conferences and exhibitions. The project is working not just on expanding sales networks, but also on promoting joint development of prototypes. |
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The advanced scientific instrument development group's Collection Catalog
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Presentation at the TX Technology Showcase in Tsukuba
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 2 |
Research Results Commercialization Association
- Towards the commercialization of AIST and Riken technology seeds |
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The project holds technology exchanges between researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science Technology (AIST) and the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) and SME and venture companies in an effort to match the advanced and ample research and technology seeds in the Tsukuba region with company needs.
One feature of these efforts is how coordinators actively work as mediators and liaisons between the researchers and companies in order to break down the sense of distance and separation between companies and research institutions. The project provides an opportunity for innovation towards commercialization and productization by visiting companies with previously translated and prepared seed information and taking proposals and making adjustments to support matching in a way that ensures the products and technologies will be easy to use in real manufacturing scenarios. |
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Breakout session of the Research Results Commercialization Association |
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Participating company comment:
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Exchanges were held in FY 2008 in Kashiwa City and Wako City. More than 110 companies participated in total. In exchanges during breakout sessions and laboratory visits, AIST and Riken researchers gave presentations about surface modification and precision machine tooling methods, and participants were active in sharing what they knew.
Participating companies commented that talking directly with researchers helped them learn about advanced research efforts and was very stimulating. They also noted that what they learned might be of use in improving their own technology.
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 3 |
Fundamental technology industry activation seminar
- Nano-surface technology study meeting |
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Amidst the extreme changes seen in recent years in the socioeconomic environment, it is vitally important for manufacturing SMEs that they establish fundamental technologies and gain a competitive edge to advance their businesses.
This seminar provides a place for information exchange on technology seeds and product presentations and the promotion of collaborative efforts such as joint R&D for the companies (around 60), universities, and public testing and research institutes that participate, in the aim of promoting the maturation of the fundamental materials, parts, and processing technologies held by companies in the Tokatsu and Kawaguchi regions and the resulting development of new manufacturing technologies.
Moreover, the "Nano-surface technology study meeting" breakout session serves to bridge the gap between fundamental and advanced technologies, supporting the study of technologies such as vapor deposition, plasma injection, ion plating, and nanoparticles, and presenting examples of commercial applications.
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Fundamental technology industry activation seminar |
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