Kubota-UTokyo Laboratory held its first research-theme sharing meeting on Friday, May 24, 2024, at Tokyo Midtown YAESU. The purpose of this meeting was to bring together researchers from both Kubota and the University of Tokyo who are participating in collaborative project through joint research, sponsored courses, social cooperation courses and was to enhance a better understanding of the concept of this collaborative project, and to build relationships to promote this project.

Researchers and students from all of the research teams at various stages attended, ranging from research that has been conducted for a year since the start of joint research to research that has just started this April and research that is in preparation for its start. The attendees shared their research themes with each other, with an awareness of the relationship toward the “creation of a glocal bio-loop of food, water, and the environment” that the collaborative research project aims to achieve.

At the meeting, after the lab director introduced the “purpose of the collaborative project,” a total of 19 research titles were presented from the following areas: research for building a future vision, research for smart agriculture, research for smart water infrastructure, and research for smart resource circulation. Subsequently, researchers from both organizations engaged in open and lively communication during the reception.

In the post-event survey, all respondents rated the meeting as satisfactory (including fair satisfaction). Below are some of the comments.

• – I gained insight into the outlines of all joint research themes and courses, obtaining a bird’s-eye view of the entire process. I am now convinced that “we can do for the Earth 100 years from now” will be based on the consistent research conducted by the Kubota and University of Tokyo Cooperative Research Initiative.
• – It is crucial to consider how one’s theme can extend to others in alignment with the vision that the collaborative project aims to achieve. I believe that the opportunity to cultivate new research themes through cross-cutting collaboration is highly significant. The fusion of various fields across borders will lead to even more intriguing ideas and themes.

We have also received a variety of comments and suggestions regarding the next event. We will apply your comments and suggestions to improve the Kubota-UTokyo laboratory activities.

During this initial phase of joint research, we anticipate that cross-cutting collaboration among researchers will be fostered as we learn about each other’s work within the framework of the collaborative research project. This, in turn, will facilitate new collaborations and joint research endeavors.

We would like to thank all the participants and all those who cooperated in organizing this event.