Industry-academia collaboration

Promotion of priority research and strategic research

Among universities specializing in information technology, our university is characterized by its emphasis on developing information technology for designing society and information technology centered on human beings, and by the constant organization of open collaborative research among faculty members. The Center for University-Society Relations and Collaboration (CRC) supports and promotes the creation of value through industry-academia and social collaboration, keeping an eye on the emergence of new research and the potential value of research results. We have utilized the university's research grant system to foster the growth of original research in systems information science and research that contributes to regional and social collaboration. We are committed to nurturing our university's unique priority and strategic areas, and to supporting not only academic contributions but also the transfer of technology to the region, the expansion of intellectual property value, and contributions to social innovation.

Collaborative Laboratory (Co-Lab) System

As a new system to support the systematic development of priority research and strategic research,2012 2012 We have launched the "Collaborative Laboratory" (abbreviated as "Co-Lab"). It is a project-based research institute that does not have dedicated facilities or full-time researchers, but is flexibly organized by faculty members across the entire university. Currently, the following seven Co-Labs are active.

Marine IT Laboratory

• Resesarch topics
  Marine IT Lab, based on the concept of "creating communities that live in harmony with the sea," is working on themes related to fisheries DX, fisheries GX, and the marine industry. The research leaders believe that sharing, circulating, and distributing information and resources across the boundaries of fishing, aquaculture, processing, food service, and tourism will lead to nurturing the sea, raising fish, nurturing people, and nurturing fishing villages. Drawing on their knowledge of systems information science and coastal engineering, they are designing new social systems aimed at realizing the well-being of people and communities.
• The purpose of the installation
  To realize sustainable fisheries, the Fisheries Agency is promoting smart fisheries. While the introduction of ICT at the individual level, such as at the level of fisheries cooperatives and divisions, is progressing through the use of dissemination promotion programs, it is believed that organizational efforts are necessary to realize sustainable fisheries for the future. One form of this is the smartification of fishing villages in rural areas, and the Marine IT Lab will be established with the aim of designing social systems from a multifaceted perspective.
• Lab Director (Research Representative)
  Professor Masaaki WADA
• Lab members (research collaborators)
  Professor Ken Nagasaki　Professor Shigeya Yasui

Kurashi Design LAB

• Resesarch topics
  Designing artificial structures, environments, and systems that enable diverse residents of Hakodate to live equally and fairly.
• The purpose of the installation
  While information technology is advancing and becoming widespread, elderly and disabled people living in local communities often cannot benefit from IT and are being left behind by society. Furthermore, although the need for community-based design practices that involve diverse people is being advocated, concrete measures are not yet fully clear. Therefore, this co-lab aims to create a local community where it is possible to implement the design of artifacts, environments, and systems that enable residents of Hakodate, with their diverse attributes and characteristics, to live equally and fairly.
• Lab Director (Research Representative)
  Associate Professor SAKAIDA Rui
• Lab members (research collaborators)
  Professor Kiyohide ITO　Professor Sadayoshi Mikami　Keisuke Shimakage, Associate Professor

Social AI and Behavior Change

• Resesarch topics
  Elucidating the mechanisms of generating social presence based on interaction between human beings and social AI agents with embodied and nonverbal behaviors, and applying this to behavioral change.
• The purpose of the installation
  In recent years, social AI, such as virtual agents and robots, has been rapidly developing toward the realization of a society where humans coexist and collaborate. However, there is still a lack of systematic understanding of the impact that interactions through embodiment and nonverbal behavior have on people's social cognition, psychological state, and behavioral changes. This co-lab aims to clarify the design principles of social AI through interdisciplinary collaboration spanning AI, HCI, and psychology.
• Lab Director (Research Representative)
  Professor SUMI Kaoru
• Lab members (research collaborators)
  Professor Yasuyuki Sumi　Associate Professor SAKAIDA Rui

Material Interaction Design Lab

• Resesarch topics
  Design and fabrication of functional materials using digital fabrication, and their application in the field of interaction design.
• The purpose of the installation
  This research project will promote the integration of material design and manufacturing technologies with interactive system and experience design, with digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printers and UV printers at its core. In particular, it aims to establish an integrated design foundation for experiences utilizing new materials by expanding lens fabrication technology using UV printers to handle multi-view displays, rhinestone fabrication, and accessible devices across disciplines. This co-lab aims to deepen internal collaboration in generative AI, UI design, accessibility, and other areas, and to function as a flagship interdisciplinary research hub at the university that deals with both materials and interactions.
• Lab Director (Research Representative)
  Professor Koji Tsukada
• Lab members
  Professor Yasuyuki Sumi　Professor Shigeya Yasui　Professor Kiyohide ITO

Next-Generation Medical AI Co-creation Institute: Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Empathy in Medicine

• Resesarch topics
  Formalizing tacit knowledge through collaboration between AI and humans, and building and implementing a next-generation healthcare and medical ICT infrastructure that is patient-centered.
• The purpose of the installation
  The modern medical field faces numerous challenges in response to the increasing demand for medical care due to the declining birthrate and aging population, including a severe shortage of doctors and nurses, uneven distribution of medical resources across regions, and the personalization of advanced procedures and communication skills. This laboratory is established with the aim of overcoming these challenges through cutting-edge AI and ICT technologies and creating a sustainable and compassionate future medical system.
• Lab Director (Research Representative)
  Professor Ikuma Sato
• Lab members (research collaborators)
  Professor Yasuo Ishigure　Professor Koji Kato　Professor Yasuyuki Sumi　Professor Sadayoshi Mikami

Stats.Hakodate Laboratory

• Resesarch topics
  Designing a citizen-participatory, collaborative meaning generation and future-oriented thinking support environment using local historical statistical data.
• The purpose of the installation
  This research focuses on the Hakodate City History: Statistical Materials, a historical statistical document of the region. It aims to clarify the process by which citizens interpret this material, share insights and interpretations, deepening their understanding of and attachment to their region, and fostering imagination for the future. It also seeks to create an information environment that supports this process. While statistical tables may appear impersonal and difficult to understand at first glance, careful reading reveals diverse questions and insights arising from changes in numerical values ​​and discrepancies in items. This research emphasizes the process of describing and sharing these insights and fragments of thought as annotations, thereby inducing new interpretations and imaginations from others. By layering the thoughts of multiple citizens from their respective perspectives, it reveals a co-creative way of generating meaning where interpretations unfold in a chain reaction. By supporting such activities in a digital environment, the historical statistical materials accumulated in the region can be reconstructed not merely as records, but as an experiential intellectual resource. The goal is to build a foundation for thinking about the state of society at the time, using past data as clues, and for considering the present and future of the region.
• Lab Director (Research Representative)
  Professor Kumiyo Nakakoji
• Lab members (research collaborators)
  TERASAWA Kengo Associate Professor　MOTOKI Tamaki Associate Professor　

Collaboration to Promote Better Educational Use of Generative AI

• Resesarch topics
  Realizing a learner-centered learning support environment that leverages AI.
• The purpose of the installation
  The aim is to utilize AI in education in a way that is desirable for both learners and the university. This will be effectively promoted both within and outside the university, strengthening collaboration not only in programming education, which is currently a central focus, but also in other educational fields and with other universities, while also highlighting the unique aspects of Future University's approach to AI utilization.
• Lab Director (Research Representative)
  Professor Kei ITO
• Lab members (research collaborators)
  Associate Professor Shigemi ISHIDA　Professor Takashi Ishio　 Professor NIIMI Ayahiko　　
• Lab Website
  https://sites.google.com/fun.ac.jp/gen-ai-edu