April 10, 2025
Keio University
On April 10, 2025, Keio University (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Kohei Ito) opened the Yagami Innovation Laboratory (hereinafter "YIL")* at its Yagami Campus as a hub for innovation, aiming to solve social issues in Japan and abroad and create new industries through startups. The establishment of this facility was made possible by its selection for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science's (JSPS) "Project for Promoting the Reinforcement of Research Universities with Regional Core and Distinctive Characteristics (J-PEAKS)" and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's (MEXT) "Project for Facility Development for Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration and Joint Research through the Cooperation of Regional Core and Distinctive Research Universities." This is a companion facility to the incubation center (CRIK Shinanomachi) opened at the Keio University School of Medicine in May 2024.
As a hub for innovation, YIL will provide a place for people to gather, discuss, learn, and take on new challenges. It will feature open spaces and permanent laboratories where students can try their hand at autonomous robot control and prototyping for app development. The laboratory will focus on educational programs that support students' futures, as well as disseminating information to support entrepreneurship and industry-academia collaboration. To sustain these activities, YIL aims for self-sufficient operation through joint research and the acquisition of corporate sponsors.
*YIL (pronounced "eel") is an abbreviation for Yagami Innovation Laboratory.
Please see below for the full press release.