Nara Institute of Science and Technology Division for Research Strategy

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Collaborative Research toward Future Innovation

The Project of Collaborative Research towards Future Innovation was set up in the academic year 2012 as a new initiative to promote collaborative research with industry. The project is long-term, continuous, and inter-disciplinary in nature; the university’s faculty collaborate with external institutions to identify emerging problems and issues in society and carry out research activities to resolve them.


The previous model of collaborative research was simply a joint effort where the needs of an external institution matched the research needs of a university, and it was difficult for the two to combine their knowledge and know-how. However, the current model sees the university collaborating with external institutions even from the stage where problems and issues are identified; this is a new scheme of collaboration with industry that contributes to society through the development of new technologies and the opening up of new businesses.

Future design Lab

This is a joint laboratory with Daikin Industries Ltd. that was established in 2012.

YANMAR Innovation Lab. 2112

This is a joint laboratory with YANMAR Ltd. that was established in 2013.

Suntory Lab

This is a joint laboratory with Suntory Global Innovation Center Ltd. that was established in 2014.

Green Gold Biosystem Lab

This is a joint laboratory with Musashi Seimitsu Industry Co., Ltd. that was established in 2021.