Activities of the MEMS Industry Forum
1. Preparations for MicroNano 2010
The micromachine exposition MicroNano 2010 will be heldat Tokyo Big Sight on July 28–30, 2010. The MEMS IndustryForum (MIF) and the organizer Mesago Messe Frankfurt
Corporation are currently finalizing plans and arrangements forthe exhibits, seminars, and other concurrent events. The
following is a schedule for the major seminars.
• International Micromachine/Nanotech Symposium: July 28,
afternoon, Conference Area A• BEANS Project Seminar: July 29, Conference Area B• ROBOTECH Seminar: July 30, Conference Area B
As with last year’s exposition, there are also plans to holdthe MEMS Industry Forum Workshop as a venue for the MIF todisseminate information, and the Workshop on Industry andUniversity Cooperation focusing on information presented byuniversities promoting industry-academia collaboration. We
would like to encourage any institution looking for an
opportunity to introduce their activities, particularly in thelatter forum, to contact us.

The 2nd Committee to Promote the MEMS Industry Forum (Jan. 29)

3. Participation in the 5th Tsukuba Innovation
Workshop
The 5th Tsukuba Innovation Workshop was held on February
15 and 16 at the auditorium of AIST Tsukuba Central to discuss
the requirements for making the Tsukuba Innovation Arena(TIA) genuinely effective. The 5th Workshop was attended byleaders from noted overseas R&D centers involved in
nanotechnology (IMEC, LETI, Fraunhofer, et al.) and featured
lectures on management and networking, as well as a panel
discussion. During the N-MEMS session on the second day, theMicromachine Center gave an overview of the Japan MEMS
Enhancement Consortium (JMEC; provisional name) currently
under consideration.
Representatives from Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center(BSAC) and LETI shared their expertise and philosophy on how
to implement research projects to get the best results anddescribed their related activities at Korea’s National NanoFab
Center and in Singapore. We were impressed with how candidly
the speakers from overseas were in relating their own
experiences and offering advice, and felt the workshop was very
meaningful and rewarding.

2. The Committee to Promote the MEMS
Industry ForumThe 2nd Committee to Promote the MEMS Industry Forum(Chair: Kazuo Kyuma, senior managing executive officer atMitsubishi Electric Corporation, Advanced Technology R&DCenter) was held on January 29, FY 2009 at the Shoko Kaikan(Kasumigaseki), 6 th floor conference room. The committee
meeting was attended by representatives of eleven member
companies, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry(METI), and the New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization (NEDO), as well as Isao Shimoyama,
vice-chair of the MIF and professor of the University of Tokyo.
Among the features of this meeting were a report on the current
fiscal year’s activities and achievements by the MIF, a discussionof the future approach for advanced R&D projects such asBEANS, and a lively exchange of opinions on the MEMS R&D
center at the Tsukuba Innovation Arena.
Member companies expressed their expectations for theBEANS Project, the Gdevice@BEANS project that was selected
this year through a public invitation from NEDO to utilize theresults of the BEANS Project, and the Tsukuba Innovation Arena
N-MEMS (provisional title JMEC) being promoted by industry,academia, and government. Some attendees noted thesignificance of becoming competitive internationally as individualcompanies by concentrating research at a national research
center, as well as the importance of promoting both international
collaboration that includes Asia, and open innovation.
Representatives from METI and NEDO expressed a hope for
utilizing national projects and research centers, while
distinguishing between applications for concentrated in-house
resources and applications for external resources. Additionally,
the organizations requested information related to application indemand.
We hope to continue providing such a venue to bring
together industry, academia, and government for an exchange ofopinions and to incorporate the results of these meetings in theactivities of the MIF.

4. Nationwide Expansion of the Personnel
Training Program
It is our belief that favorable industrial growth can beachieved through the systematic implementation of personnel
training required for MEMS-related industries. In the next fiscal
year, the MIF plans to establish a committee for promoting
personnel training built around members of organizations in allparts of Japan that are involved in collaboration amongindustry, academia, and government; to formulate a master planfor the personnel training program; and to provide coordination
among research centers.
The New Industry Research Organization in Hyogo
Prefecture, the Kitakyushu Foundation for the Advancement ofIndustry, Science, and Technology, and an organization for
promoting collaboration among industry, academia, andgovernment at Tohoku University will serve as head offices for
operations in their respective regions, while AIST Tsukuba willfunction to implement a portion of the courses and to act as anoverall advisor. The MMC will serve as the secretariat for thesecommittees and plans to bear the role of head office for
operations in the Kanto region and Japan overall. Since there
has been a large demand for personnel training nationwide, weask you all for your support and cooperation in this project.

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