Held the COI-NEXT Symposium 2025
On Thursday, November 7th, we held the “JST Co-creation Plaza Formation Support Program (COI-NEXT) ”Niigata Regional Co-creation for a Fully Circular Bio-Community Hub in the "Rice Bowl Region"' Symposium 2025" at Aore Nagaoka.
In this symposium, we held discussions, exchanges, and information sharing regarding not only activity and research reports from this base but also future prospects for this base's activities. On the day, many people participated both in person and online from within and outside the prefecture. Thank you to everyone who participated.
In the first part, President Shigeharu Kamado (National Institute of Technology, Nagaoka), Mr. Hiroki Hirano (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), and Mr. Kunihiro Nishimura (Japan Science and Technology Agency: Deputy Program Officer) gave opening remarks and discussed their expectations for this center.
In the subsequent "Base Activity Report," Professor Wataru Ogasawara, the project leader of this base, explained the objectives of this project, the outlines and achievements of each research and development task, future activities to return rice cultivation to a growth trajectory, and the facilities and roles of the Regional GX Innovation Co-creation Center completed in May 2025. As many participants were encountering this COI-NEXT base's initiatives for the first time, a detailed explanation of the project's background was provided. The presentation concluded with a message emphasizing the importance of each individual embracing their role as a member of society in creating a circular economy.
In the "Research Activity Report," Assistant Professor Akihiro Nakamura from our university first provided an overview of the research. He discussed the significance, current technological progress, and future outlook of the yeast-based oil production technology utilizing underutilized resources in Research and Development Challenge 4. Following that, Associate Professor Takada Watari from our university spoke about the development of water purification systems utilizing the power of microorganisms, as well as technological development and prospects for land-based aquaculture.
This symposium, themed ”Connecting to the Future,” was planned and held to provide an opportunity to listen to and contemplate how the younger generation is inheriting businesses and creating new value with the goal of connecting Niigata's rich food and culture, as a "rice-producing region," to the future.
In the second part, titled "Lectures," we had Shunsuke Takasawa, Overseas Sales Manager in the Market Development Headquarters of Kikusui Sake Brewing, and Hikari Kobayashi, Representative Director of Honen Agri Co., Ltd., give their lectures. Mr. Takasawa spoke on "A Sake Brewery Connecting to the Future," covering the history of Kikusui Sake Brewing, the crisis in the sake industry, examples of utilizing sake lees as a resource, initiatives for co-creation with local communities, and the development of KIKUSUI Kura GARDEN as a communication hub. He mentioned that despite being a sake brewery, they aim to foster future generations by engaging people of all ages, from children to adults.
Mr. Kobayashi spoke on the theme of "Soil Cultivation Connecting to the Future," discussing Hōnen Agri's history, cultivated technologies, and three challenges to overcome changes in the agricultural environment: soil cultivation through resource recycling, the significance of regional collaboration, and the active introduction of biotechnology. At the end of his lecture, he stated that alongside soil cultivation, nurturing people is important, and that the company is working to create an environment where people can grow and thrive.
In the "Panel Discussion" of the third part, our panelists were Mr. Takazawa from Kikusui Corporation, Mr. Kobayashi from Honen Agri, Associate Professor Watari from our headquarters, and Assistant Professor Nakamura. The moderator was Professor Toru Nakamura, Deputy Project Leader of our headquarters. Following discussions on human resource development in corporations and universities, visions for the future and technological development towards them, and the significance of industry-academia collaboration, an engaging exchange of opinions took place from each of their perspectives. Furthermore, the two representatives from the companies shared what inspired them to decide on succession, and the two from our headquarters spoke about what motivated them to pursue academia. To achieve the vision of the COI-NEXT headquarters in the remaining six and a half years, it is essential to share the future envisioned by this project with the local community and to rally the enthusiasm of young people. This symposium served as a meaningful opportunity, fostering new connections and providing numerous learnings and discoveries, such as how the younger generation is determined to shape the future.
Mr. Toru Hasegawa (Nagaoka City: Director of Industrial Policy) gave a speech to close the meeting and provided an overview.
We will continue to advance toward the realization of a fully circular bio-community hub based on regional resources, together with all stakeholders.