2013.12.20
Associate Professor Hiroya Tanaka of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies has been selected for the NISTEP Award 2013 (The Researchers with Nice Step).
The National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP), a national research and development agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), selects individuals each year who have made significant contributions to science and technology. The name "NISTEP Award (The Researchers with Nice Step)" is a play on the acronym "NISTEP," combining "nice," meaning wonderful, and "step," signifying a leap forward.
Associate Professor Hiroya Tanaka's research achievements were recognized for their significant contribution to the promotion and dissemination of science and technology, and for their potential to advance science and technology in Japan.
A Comment from Associate Professor Hiroya Tanaka
It has been almost five years since I began a style that combines the "dual focuses" of academic research and social implementation of "digital (social) fabrication (social manufacturing using 3D printers and other tools)" in collaboration with FabLabs across Japan and around the world. I believe that this effort to bridge research and practice, technology and society, and citizens and the university is what is generally referred to as "what makes SFC unique." While I am grateful for the blessed research environment I have each day, I have also made further discoveries through these activities. One is that there are universities like SFC all over the world. Within the global FabLab network, which spans over 200 locations in more than 50 countries, there are countless examples of attempts to inextricably link the three pillars of research, education, and social contribution while practicing a new form of "workshop." In these places, design engineers with a social mindset, who seek to connect cutting-edge technology with social applications, are actively engaged. I believe it is crucial for the future of SFC to work closely with like-minded colleagues around the world, transcending borders to envision and lead the way toward the next vision beyond the "web society"—the "fab society." Now that I have completed my major role as the Executive Committee Chair of the Fab Lab Conference, my goal for next year is to establish a full-scale international research center for digital fabrication and begin activities with an eye on the "next 10 years." There, I also hope to create a completely new 3D printer "originating from Japan."