Co-working of industry-government-academia on Arctic issues

The 37th International Symposium on the Okhotsk Sea& Polar Oceans, February 2023 Mombetsu, Hokkaido

WS2-4
Co-working of industry-government-academia on Arctic issues- Footprints of Japan Arctic Research Network Center(J-ARC Net) Masato TANAKA1, Yasushi FUKAMACHI2 and Natsuhiko OTSUKA2
Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO), Tokyo, Japan(former : Arctic Research Center,
Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan)
2
Arctic Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
1Abstract
Japan Arctic Research Network Center(J-ARC Net) was launched in 2016 by Hokkaido UniversityArctic Research Center, the National Institute of Polar Research, and Japan Agency for Marine-Earth
Science and Technology, aiming at promoting advanced and interdisciplinary Arctic researches
through industry-government-academia cooperation and nurturing expert on the Arctic issues. In thispaper, six years of J-ARC Net activity is summarized.
Key words: Arctic research, industry-government-academia, interdisciplinary research
1. Introduction
Japan Arctic Research Network Center(J-ARC Net)
was launched in 2016 by three Japan’s Arctic research
institutions, “Hokkaido University Arctic ResearchCenter(ARC)” as the core organization, “the Arctic
Environment Research Center of the National Instituteof Polar Research(NIPR)”, and “Japan Agency forMarine-Earth Science and Technology(JAMSTEC)”. JARC Net aimed at promoting advanced andinterdisciplinary
researches
tounderstandenvironmental-human interactions and creating newacademic fields regarding sustainable utilization andpreservation of Arctic region. And to nurture personnel
who have broad outlook and capable to lead international
discussion to solve problems in Arctic region. This paper

summarizes the 6 years (2016~2021) of J-ARC Net
activity and point out the importance of integration ofmultiple sectors, multiple academic fields, and stakeholders in the Arctic issues.

2. Support for research communities
J-ARC Net had funded joint research activities andresearch meetings that aims at challenging Arctic
problems through interdisciplinary collaboration,
promoting exploratory research regarding the Arctic. Asa result, 90 joint researches with 619 participants, and 34
joint research meetings with 418 participants between JARC Net and various field of institutions and various
researchers had been conducted(Table-1).

Fig.1 Organizational structure of J-ARC Net

Table-1 Joint research for supporting researchcommunities
JointresearchparticipantsResearchmeetingparticipants

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

11171119122057

105

70

132

89

166

77574489

73

41

88

51

76

3. Promoting industry- academia-government
collaboration
J-ARC Net had promoted joint feasibility study andrelated meeting conducted by industry-academiagovernment collaboration. As a result, 21 joint feasibility
study projects and 17 research meetings had been
conducted by 347 researchers and experts (Table-2).
Fig.2 shows number of participated institutions to thejoint research projects and meetings. Fig.3 shows thejoint research fields which covers various Arctic issues.
From the Table-1 and Table-2, 1384 researchers andexperts from various fields had collaborated under theJ-ARC Net projects.
Open seminars had been promoted in order to share thelatest information, knowledge and to expand network on
the Arctic issues. Through the six years activities, 12
open seminars were carried out and more than 1,000
participants gathered (Fig.4, Table-3).

The 37th International Symposium on the Okhotsk Sea& Polar Oceans, February 2023 Mombetsu, Hokkaido

Number of joint research project

Co-working of industry-government-academia on Arctic issues

353025201510502016

2017

Observation
Industrial
Other20182019

EcologicalPolicy, Economy

2020

2021

Social, Regional
Promotion

Fig.3 Joint research fields

Table-2 Industry- academia-government collaboration
Jointfeasibility
study
participants
Jointfeasibility
study
meeting
participants

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

3443

3

424

444

29

28

35

2

32

3

3

41Year
2016

1826

1728

31

63

2
3420172017
2017562018
2018

72019

82019

92020

102020112021122021140

Number of institutions

120
100
8060
40
200Fig. 4 Third Open Seminar "Innovation and utilization ofArctic regions" (2017)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Private sector
Governmental organization
UniversityFig.2 Collaboration of verious institutions

Table-3 List of Open Seminars

Title
the Arctic Sea Route and utilization of theArctic
Utilization of the Arctic Ocean
Innovation and utilization of Arctic regions
Law, Policy, International Relation, andEconomics over the Arctic
Latest Science, and Technology of the Arctic
Feasibility and possibility of the Technology on
Arctic Observation and Prediction
Changing Arctic Environment and It’s Effect tothe Hokkaido Region
Crude oil and Natural Development in theArctic
Sustainable Use of the Arctic Ocean as an EastWest Corridor
Optic Fiber Cable Across the Arctic Ocean,Japan-Finland Joint Seminar
Changing Arctic Environment under Climate
ChangeThe development of sustainable cruise industry
in the Pacific Arctic: Past developments andfuture prospects
J-ARC Net & UArctic Joint SeminarCo-working of industry-government-academia on Arctic issues

4. Capacity building and nurturing Arctic experts
In order to strengthen and nurture a background ofArctic related activity not only academic field but also
policy making, international relations, social, economic
and industrial fields, J-ARC Net had been promoting
lecture series of “Introduction to Arctic studies”, “Winterschool”, and “Introductory courses on the Arctic forcitizens”.
The “Introduction to Arctic studies” provided a seriesof lectures on natural science and social science andhumanities by various Arctic researchers to industry andgovernment experts, and university students. Thelectures provided about 200 pages of textbook to theparticipants.
The winter school was conducted by cooperation with
The North Eastern Federal University(Yakutsk, Sakha
Republic, Russia) and Far Eastern Federal
University(Vladivostok, Russia). Before the pandemic,
the winter school was carried out three times (2017, 2018,2019) in Russia for 21 participants including students
and business-peoples in Japan (Fig.5).

The 37th International Symposium on the Okhotsk Sea& Polar Oceans, February 2023 Mombetsu, Hokkaido

111 joint research and 51 research meetings were funded.
And 12 open seminars, 3 times of winter school in Russia,
and other various research events were carried out.

Acknowledgement
Authors gratefully acknowledge the member
organization of J-ARC Net, NIPR and JAMSTEC for
their tireless support. And also acknowledge Dr. Sei-Ichi
Saito(Prof. Emeritus of Hokkaido Univ.), Prof. Hiroyuki
Enomoto(Vice Director-General, NIPR), and Dr.
Takeshi Kawano(Executive Director, JAMSTEC), whowere founding member of J-ARC Net.
Summary in Japanese
和文要約

産官学連携による北極研究への取り組み
北極域研究共同推進拠点の足跡
田中雅人 1、深町 康 2、大塚夏彦 2,1

Fig. 5 Winter School in Yakutsk (2019)

But in 2020, due to the pandemic of COVID-19, thewinter school was carried by on line style lectures. Andin 2021~2022, the winter school was cancelled.

5. Promoting various events regarding the ArcticTo strengthen the J-ARC Net activity and foster theArctic related community in Japan, mailing list service
for an information sharing was carried out to more than
600 members. And J-ARC Net actively supported andengaged in various Arctic events such as being a coorganizer of the “36th International Symposium on
Okhotsk Sea & Polar Oceans, 2022”.
6. Conclusion
Six years of J-ARC Net activity is summarized. In orderto promote advanced and interdisciplinary Arctic
research
throughindustry-government-academia
cooperation and to nurture expert on the Arctic issues,

日本貿易振興機構（前 北極域研究センター特任教授）
2
北海道大学北極域研究センター

北極域研究共同推進拠点 J-ARC Net は 2016 に設置認定され、北海道大学北極域研究センターを中核施設、国立極地研究所国際北極環境研究センター及び、海洋研究開発機構北極環境変動総合研究センターを連携施設として、この３研究施設の連携ネットワーク型拠点として発足した。以降６年間にわたり、北極域研究分野において、研究者コミュニティ支援事業及び産学官連携推進事
業を通じ、公募型共同研究、人材育成講座、ウィンタースクール、北極域オ－プンセミナ－、国際シンポジウム、北極基礎市民講座等を実施した。これにより、産官学の連携と異分野連携による課題解決に資する学際的共同研究等の推進、ならびに、俯瞰的な視野を持って北極の課題解決に取り組む人材の育成に取り組んだ。6 年間を通じ、海外を含む述べ 1,500 名を超える共同研究への参加者、1,000 名を超える北極域オープンセミナーへの参加者などを得た。
Correspondence to: Natsuhiko OTSUKA,
natsuhiko.otsuka@arc.hokudai.ac.jpCopyright ©2023 The Okhotsk Sea & Polar Oceans
Research Association. All rights reserved.