Message from the Director Masashi Kanno

We are soon to celebrate three years since Osaka Prefecture University’s restructuring and incorporation in April 2005. During that time our industry-university-government partnerships have progressed in good health, thanks in no small part to the support afforded us by our comrades in those fields.

Aiming to maintain our position as a world-class center of pioneering research, we have made academic research and social contribution an integral pillar of the university’s mission. To that end, we set up the Organization for Industry, University and Government Cooperation as soon as the university was incorporated, which has allowed us to make a real effort to promote industry-university-government partnerships.　The OIUGC is staffed by full-time faculty and those serving concurrently with serving concurrently with their departments. All departments are represented on the Industry-university-government Partnership General Strategy and Planning Conference, which serves to facilitate university-wide plans and achieve consensus. The OIUGC has more than twenty coordinators with varied careers in the corporate community and elsewhere, who help with patent application and intellectual property management, coupling of the ideas and innovations generated by our faculty with likely companies, competing for limited funds and a broad range of liaison activities.

Osaka Prefecture University’s industry-university-government partnerships have proven fruitful. But these successes have not happened overnight. It has taken consistent effort over a period of about fifteen years since the start of the university’s first partnership in 1992 with the opening of the Center for Research and Development of Bioresources. During that time, we have made steady progress as illustrated by the establishment of joint research centers, the holding of symposia on industry-university-government joint research, and the opening of the Intellectual Property Bridge Center and the aforementioned Organization for Industry, University and Government Cooperation.

In this way we aim to carry on the university’s tradition and culture of practical study and ensure that our predecessors’ efforts and vision are taken to their fullest potential. We at Osaka Prefecture University remain dedicated to rewarding the faith shown in us by so many people by leveraging industry-university-government partnerships to achieve groundbreaking results, and look forward to your continued support.