Field for Knowledge Integration and Innovation® 2022 Introductory Pamphlet

Open innovation in agriculture, forestry, fisheries andfood industries

Field forKnowledge
IntegrationandInnovation

Business-Academia Cooperation Of ce,
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council,
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Greeting
The aim of the Field for Knowledge Integration and Innovation is to introduce ideas
and technology from diﬀerent industries to agriculture, forestry, ﬁsheries and foodindustries; to generate innovative research results; to contribute to the creation of new
products and businesses; and to achieve industry-academia-government collaborations
and open innovation.
It was established in FY 2016, and the 2nd term began with the approach of the 6th
year. Currently, there are over 4,000 members and about 170 R&D Platforms inoperation. Lively activities are underway across the country.
New products and businesses are also starting to be realized. We hope that things will
spiral upwards based on these examples of success.
In order to further increase the competitiveness of agriculture, forestry, ﬁsheries andfood industries in Japan through innovation, activities in the 2nd term focus on
increasing the spread of smart agriculture, the creation of new businesses in the startup
ecosystem, and encouraging development into overseas markets.
Also, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which runs the oﬃce of thecouncil, established the Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems, MeaDRI in May 2021
with the aim of achieving sustainability and productivity improvements in agriculture,
forestry, ﬁsheries and food industries through innovation. The Field for Knowledge
Integration and Innovation is expected to be a place that contributes to this strategy
through innovation from industry-academia-government collaboration.
With everyone's collective wisdom, we would like to work together to sustainably
grow Japan’s agriculture, forestry, ﬁsheries and food industries and to create new
businesses.
Council of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration,
Field for Knowledge Integration and Innovation
President

KAWAMURA KuniakiTable of contents
General diagram of the Field for Knowledge Integration and Innovation…… 1

Council of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration……………………… 3
R&D Platforms ……………………………………………………………………… 5
Research Consortiums …………………………………………………………… 6
Examples of R&D Platforms Results ……………………………………………… 7
Basic Policy for the 2nd Term ……………………………………………………… 9Creation of a Startup Ecosystem ……………………………………………… 10
Promotion of Smart Agriculture ………………………………………………… 11
Encouraging Development into Overseas Markets …………………………… 12

The new form of industry-academia-government collaboration

Field forKnowledge Integration

and Innovation
Council of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration

Universities
Private companies
Private groups
Local government

OrganizLife
sciences

Agricultureﬁsheriefood ind

Medicine
Informationengineering
1

Logistics
engineering

(3) Research Consortiums(Research projects)

They develop products and perform research, development,
and demonstrations in line with the themes and strategies of
R&D Platforms.

(2) R&D Platforms
Under the lead of organizers, they create speciﬁc researchstrategies, establish intellectual property strategies andbusiness models, and form Research Consortiums.

Producers

Food-related
personnel(1) Council of IndustryAcademia-Government
Collaborationzers

Encourages the creation of R&D Platforms throughseminars and other exchanges among members.

Physicse, forestry,es anddustries
Mechanicalengineering

ChemistrySocialsciences2(1) Council of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration
The Council of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration is an organization at thefoundation of a three-layered structure that encourages the creation of R&D Platforms ( P5)
through the mutual exchange of information among members.
A wide range of corporations and individuals have become members, including universities,
companies, local governments, private groups, producers, and others from industry, academia,
and government. The total number of council members as of FY 2021 exceeded 4,000.
So that the potential of the council, which integrates the knowledge of its many members, canbe fully used for innovation, the council plans many opportunities for exchange such as seminars
and poster presentations, it encourages matching diverse “needs and seeds”, and it alsoestablishes relationships for the formation of R&D Platforms.

Member composition

Individuals

Individuals

Agriculture, forestry, andfishery businesses, etc. 96

Other(embassies,etc.)andAgriculture,
forestry,

84 96
fishery businesses, etc.
Local governments
Other (embassies, etc.)(prefectures, municipalities) 88

Agriculture, forestry,
fisheries andResearchers, etc. food industries 707

Corporations

Electromechanical/
Agriculture, forestry,
Precision device manufacturing
fisheries andindustries, etc. 225
foodindustries
707
Total
Researchers, etc.
Electromechanical/
Chemicalindustry, etc. 184
1,098
Precision device manufacturingindustries, etc. 225
As of February 2022

1,098

4,235
Total

84

Private groups (ZEN-NOH, etc.)

Local governments(prefectures, municipalities) 88

Corporations

288

4,235

Other manufacturing industries,
industry, etc. 184
290
etc.Chemical

As of February2022
IT industries
andResearch and development institutions(universities,
researchorganizations,
Privatepublic
groups(ZEN-NOH,etc.) etc.) 444

288

Research and development institutions(universities, public research organizations, etc.) 444

Wholesale and retail industries 101

Other manufacturing industries,

specialty/technical service
etc. 290
industries 597

Financial institutions (Norinchukin Bank, banks, etc.) 101
33

Wholesale and retail industries
IT industries andspecialty/technical service
industries 597

Financial institutions (Norinchukin Bank, banks, etc.) 33

Council activities
Collaboration andexchange among members
and platforms(Holding poster presentations,
Collaboration
andseminars, etc.)
exchange among members
and platforms(Holding poster presentations,seminars, etc.)

Promotion of results(Participating in exhibitions,holding meetings to report results, etc.)

Promotion of results

Committee(Participating in exhibitions,operations holding meetings to report results, etc.)(General meeting,Committee
board
of directors)

Support for
operations
overseasdevelopment(General meeting,
Organizer training(Cooperation with embassies in Tokyo,(Business Creation Conferences, etc.)board of directors) recruiting overseas members, etc.)
3

Organizer training(Business Creation Conferences, etc.)

Support foroverseas development(Cooperation with embassies in Tokyo,
recruiting overseas members, etc.)Collaboration and exchange among members and platforms (Poster presentations)
The council holds yearly poster presentations inorder to encourage mutual exchange andcollaboration among members, R&D Platforms,
and Research Consortiums. These events areattended by many non-members and the press,
and they are an opportunity for participants towidely introduce the details of their activities,
research results, examples of commercialization,etc., to those both inside and outside of the council.
In FY 2021, the event was held in a hybrid form on
the internet through specialized websites andonline sessions.

Photo of the venue

Keynote speech

Promotion of results

Seminar at the Agribusiness Creation Fair

Various opportunities are established to gain
wide recognition for the results of the Field forKnowledge Integration and Innovation.
At the Agribusiness Creation Fair (held by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries),
participate to widely promote their activities
through exhibition booths and seminars.
Also, as a part of initiatives to support thecommercialization of these results, particularly forfood industries, members are given the opportunity
to participate in the JF Food Service Buyer's
Exhibition and make proposals to restaurant andretail buyers.

JF Food Service Buyer's Exhibition4

(2) R&D Platforms
R&D Platforms are research groups formed by council memberswith shared goals. Under the lead of the organizer, they specify aresearch theme and establish intellectual property strategies andbusiness models. Also, in order to increase the number of members in a platform, encourage
collaboration among members, and form a Research Consortium, many platforms hold study
group and seminars.
In order to support the establishment of research strategies and conceptual business plans byplatforms, the Council of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration shares knowhow on how
to operate platforms and successful examples of product and business creation through Business
Creation Conferences and seminars with the participation of organizers.

The ﬁve areas of industry
In order to clarify the direction of research and development in the council, form R&D Platforms,
and encourage collaboration among platforms, the platforms have been classified into thefollowing five areas of industry. In order to advance product and business creation, theseclassifications are based on industry rather than research.
Smartization Smart Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and Smart Food Chains
Healthy
Food

Delicious and Healthy Food Development

Sustainability Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Industries
Export Promoting Export and International Collaboration regarding Agriculture, Forestry,
Promotion Fishery, and Food Products/Technologies
Biotechnology Biotechnology-based Business Creation

Innovation platform for aquaculture industries

Sustainability

The platform aims to create an industry that is highly profitable,
reliable, and international as well as a new business model, anda new environmental-friendly and low-cost aquaculture systemthat produces safe, trustable, high-quality marine products.
Through industry-academia-government collaboration andcooperation with other fields, the platform aims to solve
On-site tour problems in the marine industry and to create new businesses
in order to promote research and development as required and(Inquiries)
develop the market.
National Research and Development
Currently, over 200 members from various fields and industries
Agency, Japan Fisheries Research
are participating in the platform. The number of members isand Education Agency
increasing due to study groups and on-site tours related to
Mail: fra-sharen@ml.affrc.go.jp
HP: http://www.fra.affrc.go.jp/cooperation/ aquaculture. Many consortiums have been established from theknowledge_platform/index.html
platform, and they are involved in developing cultivation
technology for octopuses, eels, and salmon.

5(3) Research Consortiums
Research Consortiums are smaller groups established within
platforms. They perform collaborative research projects led by aresearch representative, and they act as a working group fortechnological development and commercialization.
In the Field for Knowledge Integration and Innovation, consortiums are formed for the purposeof solving various research problems in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industries. They
encompass phases from basic research through product development. The activities havevarious sources of funding. Consortiums involved in funding programs related to the Field forKnowledge Integration and Innovation make up the minority at 26%. Consortiums funded by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries or other ministries or local governments make up
36%, and the remaining activities are self-financed by private companies, etc.

Ecosystem for product creation
R&D Platforms

Research Consortiums(closed)Platforms(open)

Council ofIndustry-Academia-Government
Collaboration (open)
The goal of a platform is not always research and development through a consortium. It is
important for not just the research results, but also the management and networking
knowhow, etc., to make its way back to the platform for the formation of subsequentconsortiums and product creation by the participating companies. It is up to the skill of theorganizers to make the ecosystem function for the creation of products and businesses
through research and development.

6

Examples of R&D Platforms Results
R&D Platform for high-functionality plant factories

Smartization

Organizer: MATSUSHITA Konosuke
Research and development are underway with a focus on the social implementation of the researchseeds of Shimane University in order to stimulate the hilly and mountainous areas in the San’in region.
Specialized hydroponic cultivation methods are used to commercialize low-potassium Shimane Yume
Melons and related products, which have about 40% less potassium than conventional melons, andhypoallergenic Shimane Yume Wheat and its related ingredients and foods.

(Inquiries)
Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences,
Shimane University
Mail: asao@life.shimane-u.ac.jp TEL: 0852-34-1817

R&D Platform for a livestock production systemusing ICT

Smartization

Organizer: IKEGUCHI Atsuo
With the collaboration of members from universities, livestock farms, and the IT industry, the platform aims
for sustainable operations and productivity improvements through the use of ICT and big data.
Various ICT products have been put on the market for livestock farming, such as milking robots, wastetransport robots, automatic bedding distribution machines, and other forms of automation for work insidebarns. There is also a next-generation enclosed dairy house system with a forced push-pull low-profile crossventilation (LPCV) system that controls the local environment by using imaging to detect the position of cows
and alleviate heat stress for cows and workers; it also improves work productivity and milk yields through thereal-time detection of milk quality and the discovery of issues with individual cows based on motion detection.
Other product examples include Digital Mekan, which estimates the weight of pigs without contact based onimage processing, and Robococco, an autonomous robot for detecting deceased chickens.

Next-generation enclosed dairy house system(Inquiries)
Environmental Engineering, School of
Agriculture, Utsunomiya University
Mail: ikeguchi@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp
TEL: 028-649-5483

7

Robococco
Digital Mekan

Self food planning platform for achieving healthlongevity in society

HealthyFood

Organizer: SHIBUYA Takeshi
NARO, along with companies and universities with an interest in functional agricultural products that
include numerous functional ingredients, have gathered with the aim of innovating health, food, andlifestyles through proposals for dietary protocols that achieve health longevity.
Frozen spinach that is rich in lutein, which helps maintain eye health, is being commercialized as a Foodwith Functional Claims. Also, fresh eggplant and eggplant supplements are being commercialized basedon research results suggesting that eggplants have 3,000 times more choline ester, an ingredient that
improves blood pressure and mood, than other vegetables.

R&D Platform for innovative agricultural production
technology based on plant stimulation

Sustainability

Organizer: NARUSAKA YoshihiroThis platform aims to develop technology that activates the capabilities of plants and new technology
for agriculture production.
Biostimulant materials increase plant activity and have a positive effect during periods of plant stressand growth. The Research Institute for Biological Sciences of the Okayama Prefectural Technology
Center for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and Katakura & Co-op Agri Corporation jointly developed
and have begun to sell Strong Liquid (micronutrient fertilizer), a material that combines the micronutrientsrequired for plant growth with betaine, a substance that improves resistance to environmental stress.

Water

Treatment(Inquiries)
Research Institute for Biological Sciences (RIBS),
Okayama Prefectural Technology Center for
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
Mail: yo_narusaka@bio-ribs.com
TEL: 0866-56-9450 (Representative)

8

Basic Policy for the 2nd Term
(FY 2021 through FY 2025)
In the 2nd term, which began in FY 2021, the improvements made during the 1st term of theField for Knowledge Integration and Innovation will be used to provide focused support for thecreation of products and businesses based on research results and to improve the competitivenessof Japan's agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industries through innovation.

1

New initiatives

Creation of a startup ecosystem ( P10), promotion of smart agriculture ( P11), Encouraging
development into overseas markets ( P12, etc.)

2

Things to be reviewed

Renewal of the platform classifications (categorization by target area of industry), etc.

3

Continued initiatives

Maintaining the three-layer structure, training organizers, protecting intellectual assets,strengthening marketing activities, evaluations of activities by outside experts

Activities of the 1st term (FY 2016 through FY 2020)
During the 5 years from the start of activities in FY 2016 through FY 2020, developments
were focused on activities to acquire members, to create matching opportunities for members,
to hold seminars related to the intellectual property rights required to link research results withnew businesses, and to share information. As a result, a platform for open innovation wasachieved for exchange across various industries.

9Creation of a Startup Ecosystem
In order to create a startup ecosystem for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industries in the
2nd term, venture firms aiming to develop innovative technology or establish new businesses using
already-developed technology will be given greater encouragement to participate so that startups
can be matched with the underlying technologies of universities, perform research and development
for business creation, and expand their businesses through collaboration with large companies.

Comprehensive support for startups
In order to create new businesses in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industries,
the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started to provide comprehensive support
for startups in FY 2021. Using the new Japanese SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research)system, startups aiming to create service business entities, develop new technology, or starta new business will be supported while they participate in the framework for industryacademia-government collaboration that had been promoted previously. In FY 2021, fiveresearch and development themes were established, there was an open call for applications,and 16 topics were accepted.
Seamless support for the research and development to be performed by startups isprovided across three phases, including feasibility studies, the creation of prototypes, andpublic demonstrations. Accordingly, support is provided for the "emergent research" of young
researchers that precedes the startup stage.
Support is provided for continual support activities such as the search for startups, thematching of companies in Japan and overseas, the effective use of incubators, and otheractivities performed by venture capital (VC) firms. Additionally, support is provided toestablish an environment to quickly grow startups to be active internationally.

Comprehensive support program for startups (SBIR support)
Phase 0Phase 1

Phase 2Phase 3

(Brainstorming stage)(Concept stage)(Practical stage)(Commercialization stage)

Creation of
prototypes,
testing, etc.

Publicdemonstrations,etc.

[Research and development]

Creation of businessseeds fromemergent research

Feasibility studies
and proofs ofconcept* Support is also provided for participation in overseas exhibitions, etc.

[Continual support from program managers, etc.]○ Holding pitch contests, etc.
○ Providing training, etc.
○ Support for team compositions○ Use of incubators, etc.

Matching management, domestic/
overseas VCs, and companies, etc.
Calling for ESG investment and creating anenvironment for global development

10Promotion of Smart Agriculture
Smart agriculture, which introduces advanced technology such as robots, AI, and the IoT toagriculture, is expected to bring productivity improvements, solutions to issues such as ashrinking agricultural workforce and an aging population, reductions in the environmental burdenof chemical pesticides and fertilizer, and improvements in sustainability.
The council, which aims for open innovation across industries, has set “smart agriculture,
forestry, and fishery industries and smart food chains” as one of the five areas of industry. In orderto support the activities of council members and R&D Platforms that contribute to smart
agriculture, meetings to exchange ideas and matching seminars will be held, and industryacademia-government collaboration related to smart agriculture will be promoted.

Platform for creating new services in smart agriculture

Producers
Leasingcompanies

Manufacturers ofagriculturalequipment

Research
institutes

IT businesses
Provision of matching
opportunities
Finance11

Insurance

Smartization

Various members participate,including service businesses that
support agriculture, manufacturersof agricultural equipment, leasing
companies,
andinsurancecompanies. In order to create newservices that contribute to the
spread of smart agriculture,
information is being shared on
smart agriculture and services that
support agriculture, and matching
opportunities are being provided.

Encouraging Development into Overseas Markets
Over 60 embassies in Tokyo have joined the Council of Industry-Academia-Government
Collaboration as of February 2022, and joint events, etc., are held to support the exchange oftechnology with overseas research institutes. Also, events are held to introduce technology
uncovered in the Field for Knowledge Integration and Innovation. As of January 2022, the council
has been recruiting overseas members to accelerate collaboration for research and development
and the creation of products and businesses.

Asian Monsoon PFS Consortium

ExportPromotion

R&D Platform for farm complexes in Society 5.0

This platform aims to develop ahighly profitable IT greenhousethat can function even in hightemperature and humidity areas
through the fusion of materials
technology, temperature control
technology, LED and sensor
technology, cultivation technology,
and ICT and AI technology in orderto improve profits for operators,
shift the market from imports backto domestic products, and improve
competitiveness in overseas
markets.

(Inquiries)
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Mail: yoshida.shigenobu.mc@m-chemical.co.jp
TEL: 050-3139-3986

12

The new form of industry-academia-government collaboration

Field forKnowledge Integration and Innovation
Council of Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration

Currently open to new members