The COI-NEXT Business Briefing 2025 was held.

　On Friday, April 25, Reiwa 7, we held the “Nagaoka University of Technology COI-NEXT ”Rice-Producing Region’ Niigata Regional Co-creation for a Fully Circular Resource Bio-Community Hub” Project Briefing 2025 at Aore Nagaoka.

　To begin with, Specially Appointed Professors Teiichi Oya and Atsushi Tsurushi, who joined our university this academic year, introduced themselves. With their arrival, we expect that research at Nagaoka University of Technology—not only within the COI-NEXT project but across the board—will be further advanced in the future.

In the first part of this briefing, Project Leader Wataru Ogasawara gave a presentation on the overall vision and progress of this project. In his presentation, he noted, “Rice is closely tied to our daily lives, yet consumers often cannot see the faces of the producers—their dedication and the thoughts behind ‘who grows it, with what intentions, and how.’ We want to place greater emphasis on ‘transparent processes.’” He also stated, “By using science to prove that the food produced through this ‘transparent process’ holds ‘value,’ we aim to realize sustainable agriculture.”

At the end of the presentation, mention was also made of the “Regional GX Innovation Co-creation Center” at Nagaoka University of Technology, which is scheduled to open this July. This center was established to serve as a venue for achieving “self-sufficiency” in energy and food, as well as for conducting “demonstration projects” unique to this location. By creating a research field across the entire region and conducting research in all fields, it aims to advance research toward the realization of “sustainable agriculture.” As one of the major research projects to be conducted there, the speaker mentioned plans to scientifically demonstrate how rice changes when stored in a “snow cellar,” and the participants listened with great interest.

In Part 2, we received progress reports on the research projects from the project leaders for Projects 1 through 6.
Participants who attended this presentation commented, ”Three years have passed since the COI-NEXT Project began, and sharing the current progress—which we’ve reached through trial and error—not only within each research topic but also across topics provided valuable inspiration and insights for everyone.” The presentation session raised expectations that each research project will be further advanced in the future.

In Part 3, we held a panel discussion.
The panelists included Professor Wataru Ogasawara, project leader of this center; Mr. Osamu Ikeda of Hyakusho-kai Co., Ltd., Mr. Shigeyuki Nagabe of Nagabe Farm, Mr. Shinichi Yamazaki, a researcher at the RIKEN Institute, Associate Professor Yosuke Shida and Assistant Professor Yuya Takimoto of Nagaoka University of Technology, and, serving as moderator, Specially Appointed Professor Toru Nakamura, the center’s deputy project leader.
Farmers and researchers engaged in lively discussions from their respective perspectives on topics such as achieving “self-reliance” in agriculture—free from dependence on conventional farming methods—and realizing a form of agriculture that can be passed on to the “next generation.” In particular, participants listened intently as farmers working on the front lines shared their “passion for agriculture” and their “concerns about the current situation.” We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Ikeda and Mr. Nagabe for joining us, despite this being the busiest time of the year just before rice planting.

Following that, we held a workshop. Representatives from the organizations participating in each research project gathered to engage in lively discussions centered on the themes of “realizing sustainable agriculture” and “passing the torch to the next generation,” focusing on questions such as “What should we do now?” and “What can we do?” Although this was the first workshop held since the center began its activities, it was heartening to see representatives from companies, research institutions, students, and farmers engaging in serious discussions from their respective standpoints and perspectives. The passion that each individual has for this project was palpable.

Finally, to conclude the event, Mr. Satoshi Nakagawa of the Bioindustry Association delivered closing remarks. In his summary, Mr. Nakagawa noted that the session had been exceptionally informative, offering many fascinating insights, and that it was a wonderful event. He also expressed his high hopes that the next generation of researchers will go on to build a bright future.

On the day of the event, we had 96 participants from both within and outside the prefecture (68 in-person and 28 online).
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us despite your busy schedule at the start of the fiscal year.

We would appreciate your continued support in advancing this project.