To mark the start of activities for the JST Program on Open Innovation Platform for Industry-Academia Co-Creation (COI-NEXT) "Center for Co-creation of Urban Health Commons to Realize Well-being through Participation and Connection of All" (Lead Institution: Keio University, selected in November 2021), a kickoff symposium was held on March 5, both online (480 registered viewers) and on-site (60 participants at the Nihonbashi Life Science Hub). The symposium was attended by a wide range of participants, not only from the participating institutions of our university, but also from academia, companies, local governments, students (from elementary to graduate school), and individuals from all over Japan.
*The on-site event was held with thorough measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The symposium began with opening remarks from President Kohei Itoh, followed by greetings from distinguished guests: Mr. Kazushi Kuze (Program Officer, Co-creation Field, JST Program on Open Innovation Platform for Industry-Academia Co-Creation), Ms. Mutsuko Inoue (Director, Office for Industry-University-Government Collaboration and Regional R&D, Science and Technology Policy Bureau, MEXT), and Mr. Yoshimitsu Kobayashi (Director, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation). After video messages of support from Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa were presented, Professor Masaya Nakamura of the School of Medicine, the project leader of this center, explained the center's initiatives.
This was followed by two sessions. In Session 1, "Turning Current Anxiety into Hope," Professor Satoko Hotta of the Graduate School of Health Management and Professor Masaru Mimura of the School of Medicine gave lectures on initiatives aimed at realizing an inclusive society where individuals and families with worries and anxieties after treatment for illness or injury can live their lives richly and positively in their own way without losing hope. In the subsequent panel session, participants from various positions in academia, industry, and local government discussed the potential and realization of how data can be linked to solving social issues and how this can be achieved.
In Session 2, "The Shape of the Future Changed by SDGs," Professor Norichika Kanie of the Graduate School of Media and Governance and Mr. Mitsuru Kishimoto, Deputy Director of the Corporate Planning Department at RIKEN, gave lectures on the shape of a future society where people can enjoy their own healthy and prosperous lives without restrictions during or after illness. In the following panel session, participants from academia, companies, local governments, graduate students, and high school students, who gathered across generations and fields, considered the shape of the future.
Finally, the symposium concluded with closing remarks from Vice President Osamu Watanabe of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, a participating institution.
Many questions and comments were received online during the symposium. After the event, we received requests to distribute the recorded video and many positive opinions expressing expectations for the future activities of the center.
A video recording of the symposium is scheduled to be released on our website around the end of March.
[Urban Health Commons Co-creation Center Website] https://www.health-commons.com/
(Photos from the event)