News

On August 5, Shimadzu Corporation signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with Shinshu University for the purpose of jointly researching solutions for challenges in society and ensuring research results are broadly adopted in society. The agreement period is 5 years. Based on the agreement, both parties will engage in searching for projects involving cutting-edge water or energy-related technologies, studying the feasibility of using Shimadzu analytical and measuring instrument technologies, and training researchers and engineers from both parties. Joint research by both parties will be conducted at a new facility scheduled for completion in March 2025 at the Shinshu University Matsumoto Campus.
 

From the left is Deputy Manager Junichi Masuda, Healthcare Solution Unit, Solutions Center of Excellence, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Corporation; Corporate Officer and Deputy General Manager Naomi Okazaki, Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division, Shimadzu Corporation; President & CEO Yasunori Yamamoto, Shimadzu Corporation; President Soichiro Nakamura, Shinshu University; Trustee (Research and Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration) and Vice-President Chisato Mukai, Shinshu University; and Katsuya Teshima, Director of Institute for Aqua Regeneration
 

Shinshu University offers strengths based on success in material development fields, such as developing a flux method for artificially creating crystals using a variety of solvents (fluxes) and using that flux method to synthesize so-called “Shindai Crystals.” In addition, they have indicated a 10-year vision of “co-creating advanced solutions based on research capabilities in the aqua regeneration (ARG) field.” ARG is a new academic field that integrates multiple fields related to renewing the Earth’s environment, mainly involving water or water-derived green energies. In March 2024, Shinshu University established Institute for Aqua Regenerationas a facility for researching aqua regeneration. In FY 2023, Shinshu University was selected to receive a Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS)” grant, intended to improve the research capabilities of universities. 

Shimadzu has strengths in methods for evaluating new technologies and new materials using a wide variety of analytical and measuring instruments and technologies. The medium-term management plan has designated life sciences and other healthcare fields and green innovation (GX) measures intended to achieve carbon neutrality as areas for creating social value. In collaboration with Institute for Aqua Regenerationas at Shinshu University, Shimadzu will consider joint research opportunities related to using Shindai Crystals or other advanced materials for purifying or recycling water or to generating/using alternative energies derived from water, which is anticipated as a next-generation energy source. Furthermore, to ensure that results from joint research are broadly adopted in society, the results will be applied to devices that recycle solvents used in analytical and measuring instruments or to systems that evaluate the efficiency of important catalysts in energy fields. Shimadzu remains committed to using a wide variety of analytical and measuring instruments and technologies in an effort to contribute to healthcare and green solutions.