About the Innovation Center

The other major feature of the center is that we aim for a “self-supporting accounting system” by acquiring large-scale private financing, external funds, etc.
Center’s activities as such is an innovative challenge targeting the establishment of a new style of academia-industry collaboration different from conventional types and can be considered as one to succeed and expand the traditional challenging spirit of Yonezawa, as represented by the spirit of “Where there is a will, there is a way” by Yozan Uesugi, the first-in-Japan production of artificial silk by Professor Itsuzo Hata at the Yonezawa Higher Technical School, the predecessor of the Faculty of Engineering at Yamagata University (in 1918), and the first commercialization of OLED display in the world by TOHOKU PIONEER CORPORATION (in 1997).
We would appreciate further understanding and cooperation in studying the possibility of collaborating with our activities.

We develop underlying and innovative technologies towards industrialization and lead the world in practical studies of organic electronics, inkjet, and batteries linked to business. We also contribute to the creation of new business and the technical competitive edge of collaborating companies.

Positioning the contribution to industries and business as our first mission, we promote the development of practical technologies through academia-industry collaboration. To achieve this goal, we promote a “Needs First” academia-industry collaboration with first priority to corporate requirements. We aim to establish an innovative style of industry-academia collaboration, different from conventional academia-industry collaboration (Seeds First) to commercialize universities’ technological seeds.

Through academia-industry collaboration initiatives based on corporate needs and the commercial development of innovative underlying technologies, we develop global cutting-edge practical technologies of organic electronics that will be directly linked to business and lead the world. Research results can be utilized for business by collaborative companies. In addition, we develop academia-industry collaborative research in innovative research and business domains in view of coming generations.

Aiming at efficient research and development through inter-corporate combination of technology, etc., we promote multiple large-scale academia-industry collaboration programs organizing companies. Through such activities, we acquire private finance and external funds, aiming to realize a self-supporting accounting system.

Teachers who previously worked for companies with vast experience in corporate R&D and commercialization promote academia-industry collaboration from a viewpoint of business. In addition to R&D, they take advantage of their extensive networks in assisting companies build collaboration and assist sales promotion to user companies.