Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration

Technology Licensing Organization (TLO)

As a corporation with the role of bridging industries and universities, a TLO provides a service of assisting with patent applications for technologies that resulted from research by university researchers and in transferring the patent rights for technologies to companies.

• Outline of the TLO(PDF:306KB)

Funding from National Universities and Other Institutes to Venture Businesses and Other Businesses

When a venture capital firm or other business intends to provide management consulting or funding services to university-affiliated venture businesses and other entities that make use of technologies resulting from the research at national universities and other research institutes (Support Program for Utilizing Specified Research Results), it may submit a plan concerning the service to both the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the METI Minister to receive approval, stating that the plan is appropriate, thereby allowing them access to a venture capital fund and other support.

If the ministers find that the plan is appropriate under the guidelines, and therefore, that the venture capital firm is authorized as a support entity for the venture business utilizing the specified technologies resulting from research, the venture business is allowed to receive funding and human-resources and technical support from the national university and the venture capital firms.

• Outline of the scheme(PDF:101KB)

Related Information

• Plans by the University of Tokyo were approved as a Support Program for Utilizing Specified Research Results Pursuant to the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act (November 4, 2015) News Release
• Plans by Kyoto University Venture Capital Co., Ltd. were approved for a Support Program for Utilizing Specified Research Results Pursuant to the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act (October 6, 2015) News Release
• Plans by Tohoku University Venture Partners Co., Ltd. were approved as Plans for a Support Program for Utilizing Specified Research Results Pursuant to the Industrial Competitiveness Enhancement Act (June 26, 2015) News Release

Cross-Appointment System

Under the cross-appointment system, a researcher or expert is allowed to be employed by two or more organizations including universities, public research institutes and companies, while engaging in R&D and educational efforts in accordance with the role expected of him/her in each organization under the role-management system.

• Outline of the Cross-Appointment System(PDF:54KB)

Industry-Academia-Government Collaborative Roundtable on Human Resources Development in Science and Technology

As part of the Strategy for Human Resources Development in the Science and Technology Fields, METI and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, established the Industry-Academia-Government Collaborative Roundtable on Human Resources Development in Science and Technology to provide opportunities for academia and representatives from Japanese industry and government to hold discussions on enhancing the strategy and advancing appropriate, concrete measures. At the meetings, participants have been discussing what respective roles industries, universities, and the government should be asked to fulfill in terms of fostering human resources to meet the needs of certain industries.

• Outline of the Roundtable(PDF:354KB)

Related Information

• Industry-Academia-Government Collaborative Roundtable on Human Resources Development in Science and Technology to be Launched (May 15, 2015) News Release

Press releases and related information

• Winners of the Award for Academic Startups 2021 Program Selected (August 10, 2021)
• Guidelines on Business Partnership Contracts with Startups Formulated (March 29, 2021)
• Summit of Presidents and Heads of Universities and Other Institutes on Approaches to their Contributions to Achievement of Carbon Neutrality to be Held (March 22, 2021)
• Second Selection of Applicants for the J-Innovation Hub Initiative (December 24, 2020)
• Winners of the Award for Academic Startups 2020 Program Selected (September 28, 2020)
• Two Documents Compiled: “Guideline for Enhancing Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Activities (Supplemental Version)” and “University Factbook 2020” (June 30, 2020)
• “Basic Framework of the Cross-appointment System and Points to Note (Supplementary Version)” Compiled (June 26, 2020)
• Third Edition of the White Paper on Open Innovation Compiled (May 29, 2020)
• R&D and Innovation Subcommittee Compiles its Interim Report 2020 Titled “Toward Creation of Innovations as a Source for Generating Value from Future Demands”(May 29, 2020)
• Report Compiled on Results of Survey on University-Oriented Venture Businesses and Collection of Case Examples of Leading University-Oriented Venture Businesses’ Efforts for Team Building (May 15, 2020)
• First Selection of Applicants for the J-Innovation Hub Initiative- (April 10, 2020)
• The Japan Open Innovation Council (JOIC) Merges with the Council on Science & Innovations Integration (S&II Council) to Integrate their Functions into JOIC (August 28, 2019)
• Winners of the Award for Academic Startups 2019 Program Selected (July 29, 2019)
• Two Documents Compiled: University Factbook 2019 and Collection of Case Examples of Successful Processes for Building Full-Fledged Organizational-Scale Industry-Academia Collaboration (July 19, 2019)
• Results of FY2018 University-Oriented Venture Business Survey and Database Redesigned (May 8, 2019)
• Guidelines for Universities’ Acquisition of Shares and Share Options etc. of their University-Oriented Venture Businesses Formulated (May 8, 2019)
• Winners of the Award for Academic Startups 2018 Program Selected (August 10, 2018)
• METI Launches Industry-Academia Round-Table Discussion to Encourage Human Resources in the Fields of Science and Mathematics to Play Important Roles in Industry (July 31, 2018)
• Second Edition of the White Paper on Open Innovation Compiled (June 27, 2018)
• METI Releases Report by Study Group on Ideal Approaches to University-Oriented Venture Businesses (June 19, 2018)
• The Rising Triple Helix: University Factbook for Promoting Matching of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Activities (May 16, 2018)
• Winners of the METI Minister Awards Determined as recipients of the Connected Innovations Grand Awards under the 15th Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Contributors Awards Program (August 21, 2017)
• The Working Group for Studying Supply-Demand Matching of Human Resources Formulates a Report (April 12, 2017)
• Guideline for Enhancing Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Activities Formulated (November 30, 2016)
• First Meeting of the Working Group for Deepening Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration to be Held (September 20, 2016)
• Winners of the Award for Academic Startups 2016 Program Selected (August 18, 2016)
• Action Plan for Collaborative Industry-Academia-Government Initiatives on Human Resources Development in Science and Technology Compiled (August 2, 2016)
• White Paper on Open Innovation Compiled (July 8, 2016)

Division in Charge

Industry-University Collaboration Office, Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau