Overview

The Research and Development Initiative, Chuo University, pursues interdisciplinary and composite researches operated by external funds, so as to achieve the following mission;

(1) to contribute to society by producing knowledge that resolves current issues, and

(2) to promote collaboration between government, industry, and academia.

Greetings from the Director, the Research and Development Initiative, Chuo University

The Research and Development Initiative was established in July 1999 with the aim of creating knowledge that can solve the most urgent issues in modern society and returning this knowledge to society through interdisciplinary joint research in collaboration with industry, academia, and government.

Since then, we have expanded projects and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. The Research and Development Initiative is consisting of "Research Units," each of which conducts its own research with a clearly stated research plan based on external funding. The Research Units are equipped with a unique personnel system that allows them to flexibly respond to changes in research plans or funding plans during the term of the project. As a result, the units can conduct their activities with a high degree of freedom while paying sufficient attention to compliance, and also can demonstrate their strengths in terms of prompt response to social demands and flexible formation to meet challenging issues. Of course, research results are returned to society through publications and cooperation with companies and public organizations, and all activities are evaluated and inspected.

The Research and Development Initiative was originally established at the Ichigaya Campus and shifted to the Korakuen Campus (mainly Science and Engineering Faculty Campus) in 2003 providing dedicated space for each unit, meeting rooms, a network environment, and administrative support. In 2023, in conjunction with the redevelopment of the new Building No. 3, we opened a shared-use facility "Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration Zone for Social Co-creation (Korakuen)" to further support research. Such an environmental improvement promoted to conduct various research projects related to the entire Chuo University campus. Some of the research units are in the fields of science and engineering, such as social infrastructure and planning, environmental conservation and sustainability, robotics, nanomaterials, and big data, while others are humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields, such as psychology, brain science, and policy science. By the end of 2023 Japanese fiscal year, the total number of these research units has exceeded 120, and they continue to disseminate research results that are both academically and socially influential. We are committed to strengthening its research support system.

When considering the future of Japan and the world, the production and dissemination of high impact publications and the latest cutting-edge research findings will become an increasingly important issue. In particular, interdisciplinary research, which is indispensable for showing the way to solution that Japan and the world are facing, such as the realization of a sustainable society and response to the aging of society, is the mission of our university. Through such research, we hope to expand and enhance The Research and Development Initiative as a research institution with a stronger presence. We would like to ask for your continued and enthusiastic support.

Youichi Ishii
Director of the Research and Development Initiative
Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering

About Research Unit

Steering Committee

Chairman : Youichi Ishii (Director)

Members :

Email: k-shien-grp@g.chuo-u.ac.jp