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| Promoting the formation of a cluster in manufacturing, health, and biotechnology |
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The Shikoku region is targeting the formation of an industrial cluster of "manufacturing" and "health and biotechnology" by using its comparatively advantageous conditions, where industries mainly involved in the manufacture of such basic materials as paper, pulp, chemicals, and of machinery are concentrated, and where there are prominent research seeds at universities involved in the health and biotechnology fields. |
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Fields of manufacturing, health, and biotechnology |
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Entire Shikoku Region (Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi Prefectures) |
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Shikoku Techno Bridge Forum
URL: http://www.s-tbf.net/index.html
Shikoku Industry and Technology Promotion Center
TEL: +81-87-851-7082 FAX: +81-87-851-7027 |
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Tokushima Industrial Promotion Organization, Kagawa Industry Support Foundation, Ehime Industrial Promotion Foundation, Toyo Industrial Creative Center, Kochi Industrial Promotion Center |
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Using a network composed of industry, university and government in the Shikoku region and a network composed of linked cluster support organizations fosters the formation of mini-clusters * in all areas of Shikoku and the expansion of member companies into new areas, for instance, the Shikoku Techno Bridge Forum. The objective is the formation of craftsmanship clusters and health and biotechnology clusters that emerge from a coalition of these and from competing. Emphasis in FY 2009 will be placed on "craftsmanship support-type cluster formation" in the area of craftsmanship, and on "health support-type cluster formation in medical and welfare-related zones" in the area of health-biotechnology.
* Mini-clustering is activity to promote innovation within a relatively small region, for instance, a region within a prefecture. |
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Junichi Ishino
Managing Director, Shikoku Industry and Technology Promotion Center |
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A goal of the Shikoku Techno Bridge Forum is the creation of clusters in the manufacturing and the health-biotechnology fields. The core projects and companies playing leadership roles in these fields have emerged through the activities we have undertaken thus far, and we now have a clearer understanding of what needs to be done in terms of cluster formation in support of the manufacturing and health fields.
We are now in the second half of term II. Starting in FY 2009, we are focusing on "selection and concentration" to accelerate the process of cluster formation. Through close coordination of the promotional organization and the Shikoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, AIST Shikoku Center, and Industry Support Foundation in the four prefectures in Shikoku, along with the Association for Innovation in the Shikoku Region, we provide one-stop support for enterprises which are participating in clusters. In addition to supporting the coordination and matching with clusters in other regions, we are launching an initiative in FY 2009 to match up regional clusters with international enterprises. |
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| Number of new businesses launched (Results to FY 2007): |
757 |
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Number of new businesses launched: 2,000 businesses (In 5 years from FY 2006 to FY2010) |
| Number of new Second establishment of companies: 60 |
| Number of new IPOs of university venture companies:
5 |
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Main Participants of the Project
Private companies (489 companies): Awa Paper MFG. Co.,Ltd., Kanematsu Engineering Co.,Ltd., Sikoku Kakoki Co.,Ltd., Soatec Inc., Taniguchi Heat Treatment Co.,Ltd., Nissen Chemitec Corporation, HYUTECH Inc., Yamasaki Giken Co.,Ltd., Yamamoto Eng. Works Co.,Ltd., Youth Engineering Co.,Ltd., Yokota Corporation Co.,Ltd., Yoshinogawa Electric Wire & Cable Co.,Ltd., etc.
* The above listed companies are the members of advisory board for Shikoku Techno Bridge Plan "Industry-University-Government Collaboration Manufacturing Meeting."
Related administrative organizations (16 organizations):Tokushima Prefecture, Kagawa Prefecture, Ehime Prefecture, Kochi Prefecture, Federation for Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the four prefectures in Shikoku, etc.
Universities and public examination and research institutes (25 organizations): AIST Shikoku Center, University of Tokushima, Tokushima Bunri University, Kagawa University, Ehime University, Kochi University, Kochi University of Technology, public examination and research institutes in the four prefectures in Shikoku, etc.
Financial institutions (18 organizations): Development Bank of Japan, Japan Finance Corporation, Regional banks in the four prefectures in Shikoku, etc.
Business Incubators (2 facilities): Tokushima Industrial Technology Joint Research Center, etc. |
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 1 |
Applications of a company's technology in an unexpected area
Masuda Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. [health and biotechnology fields] |
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Masuda Chemical Industries, one of the leading manufacturers of the gas-generating materials used in air bags, was keenly aware that they needed to establish new businesses away from a field already crowded with competitors’ products. It was at that time that they learned from a university professor who is a member participating in the industrial cluster that Masuda’s technology for the safe handling of hazardous materials could find unexpected demand for applications in manufacturing technologies using standard sugar chains in the area of sugar chain research.
Through joint research, the company succeeded in developing a commercial product and, in June 2006 Masuda began the large scale production and sale of human type standard sugar chains. The company performs sugar chain release reactions using anhydrous hydrazinolysis and sugar chain PA derivative processing (conversion of pyridylamino sugar chains), and began supplying the "GlycoCut - sugar chain sample preparation service," providing samples for analytical applications in February 2007.
Keys to success: Activities of the industrial cluster
(1) Secure research and development funds (university-launched enterprise commercialization research and development business)
(2) Expand and deepen coordination through research and development activities drawing on industrial cluster enterprises (key organization)
(3) Urban sales channel support and provision of know-how about commercialization leveraging industrial cluster enterprises
Current results
Sales in FY 2006 were 3 million yen, 15 million yen in FY 2007, and 7 million yen in FY 2008.
Expectations for the future
The Masuda Chemical anticipates further sugar chain R&D initiatives through the large-scale production and sale of sugar chains, and expects to intensify its efforts to develop diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
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The Masuda Chemical exhibit among enterprises coordinating between industrial clusters |
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Sugar chains manufactured |
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 2 |
Toward the development of an unanticipated market
Aoi Electronics Co., Ltd. [manufacturing field] |
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Aoi Electronics which is involved in the semiconductor industry, teamed up with a university to develop and exhibit a nano-forceps designed to remove foreign material several microns in size from silicon wafers.
An unexpected outcome of this initiative was a large number of inquiries from biotechnology researchers who wondered if this device might be able to pick up bacteria or individual cells. This was when Aoi realized that there was a need for this product not only in the manufacturing field, but also in the biotechnology arena.
By using the MEMS technology for the manufacture of probes for scanning probe microscopes, fabrication and manipulation at the atomic and molecular levels while performing observations became possible. Industrial cluster enterprises (key organizations) were used to link the fruits of this development work to a commercial product, and the company is now moving forward with exhibits at Bio Japan and presentations at conferences, and has begun providing samples of the product.
Keys to success: Activities of the industrial cluster
(1) Secure research and development funds (new regional consortium enterprise)
(2) Support for seamless commercialization of research and development results by industrial cluster enterprise (center organization) (by providing sales channel development support, etc.)
Expectations for the future
Since there are potential applications in the craftsmanship field across the spectrum of electronic manufacturing, including semiconductor-related industries, and not just in the biotechnology field, it is anticipated that the business will grow by developing users through a broad range of sales activities.
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 The nano-forceps and its tip
Microstructure manufacturing device exhibit at Bio Japan 2008
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