#Japan #Innovation #Okayama #Okayama University #Venture Company

Okayama University Awards 2026 Venture Company Titles

Okayama University, headquartered in Okayama City and led by President Yasuyuki Nasu, held the 2026 Venture Company Award Ceremony on April 9, 2026, in the President's Office at the Tsushima Campus. This initiative, started in the 2021 academic year, aims to provide recognition and support to venture companies established by the university’s students and staff, or those utilizing research achievements from the university.

The award system offers significant advantages, such as incentives regarding intellectual property rights and preferential terms for renting university facilities. Additionally, it allows for commercial registration at the university's address. In this fiscal year, two companies received the prestigious title after undergoing a rigorous screening process. The recipients were 'Health Science Evaluation Academy,' represented by Associate Professor Hiroaki Hamano of the Research Institute for Biomedical Science, and 'L-Create,' represented by Professor Rei Shinaoka from the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

During the subsequent discussion with President Nasu, the representatives exchanged lively ideas regarding future business expansion and collaboration with the university. President Nasu presented specific proposals for cooperation, including integrating athlete data from other universities, emphasizing the importance of translating research outcomes into societal applications. He also mentioned the necessity of securing CXO talents to enable researchers to focus on their work, indicating the university's aspiration to develop a supportive infrastructure for this purpose.

Looking ahead, Okayama University remains committed to fostering entrepreneurship among its faculty and students while promoting innovation and the practical implementation of research seeds into society. Both Health Science Evaluation Academy and L-Create are anticipated to contribute significantly to this vision.

Overall, the event embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation that Okayama University seeks to inspire in its community, as it continues to establish itself as a leading research institution in the region.

For further details on the startup ventures and support systems at Okayama University, please check the following links:

• - Okayama University Research and Innovation Co-Creation Organization
• - Okayama University Venture Support Terrace V-Story
• - Health Science Evaluation Academy Official Website