ACE Open Innovation Center

Open Innovation Center (ACE)

The Open Innovation Center (ACE) takes its name from the first letters of the three universities’ core fields: “A” for Agriculture at Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, “C” for Commerce at Otaru University of Commerce, and “E” for Engineering at Kitami Institute of Technology. ACE aims to create a system in which producers, universities, and companies can collaborate on research to address the challenges facing Hokkaido. Using the national ICT infrastructure, ACE also establishes an information-sharing platform across the three universities to integrate, manage, utilize, and disseminate research information. ACE takes a central role in research projects that aim to realize the visions of companies and field practitioners. By applying innovative approaches to problem-solving, the center also enhances demonstration trials to test and validate solutions.

University of Obihiro Animal Husbandry, Otaru University of Commerce, and Kitami Institute of Technology

Promoting future-oriented open innovation to meet the expectations of industry, academia, government, and the finance sector

ACE plays a central role in setting challenges based on backcasting from companies and field sites, while strengthening demonstration trials in real-world and model environments.
To address the challenges facing the Hokkaido region, we are building a system that enables producers, universities, and companies to collaborate on research.
We realize the “social implementation of knowledge” by integrating, managing, and disseminating research information, and by conducting interdisciplinary research aimed at creating a knowledge-intensive society.

Create innovation by promoting industry, academia, government, and finance sector collaboration

Actions for establishing a system that consolidates and transmits research seeds at three universities

To establish information sharing system among three universities utilizing the ICT base of National Institutes of Informatics (NII)
To centrally manage research information and utilize and disseminate it to enhance research capabilities and promote the social implementation of technologies
To work together seamlessly with the collaboration of ICT and personnel exchanges

Open Innovation Center (ACE) — Research Vision Utilizing DIAS and SINET

Creating innovation with an eye on the knowledge-intensive society of the future

[AI/IoT Smart Agriculture and Livestock Industry Project]
A concept of establishing a next-generation eco system, the new primary industry education and research platform, where nature and technologies are working together

To establish an education and research environment where primary sectors, classrooms and laboratories are integrated and/or working together using knowledge from the commerce, agriculture, and engineering sectors along with IoT technology
A next-generation primary industry research center that emphasizes on-site demonstrations in order to realize SDGs through co-creation of producers, industry, academia, government and the finance secto
To carry out practical education and research in both soft and hard aspects, and supply smart, industry-ready individuals capable of working in the primary sector to local governments and companies

Strengthening the Latest IoT Equipment for Agricultural and Livestock Environments through Industry Collaboration — A Commerce, Agriculture, and Engineering Partnership Initiative

[Disaster Prevention Project]
A concept of creating a local community in different fields and forming general disaster prevention measures

To implement rapid study and research to develop countermeasures for disasters
To send accurate information and research results to improve disaster prevention capabilities
To develop an cross-disciplinary organizational structure and regional collaborations that can respond to disasters and help manage recovery
To establish an all-Hokkaido system through the collaboration of the three Universities, apply the research results to local cities, and improve disaster prevention capabilities

Transformation toward a Data-Driven Society through Data Integration, Sharing, and Provision (Knowledge-Intensive) — Transformation of Local Communities Leveraging Regional Networks and Local Understanding of Regional Universities (Community-Rooted)

[Tourism Project]
A concept to establish new tourism and food businesses and vitalize the region using airports in Hokkaido

To examine “Hokkaido New Business” using airports that are important infrastructure of Hokkaido
To support tourism, food and agricultural, and fisheries industries, which are Hokkaido’s main industries and have a wide base, and to enhance their presence in the region
To support regional economic revitalization in Hokkaido, a region where the population is decreasing by a significant extent, and to establish a sustainable regional revitalization model

Analyzing the movement and satisfaction of domestic and international tourists visiting Hokkaido through data to explore tourism business models based on findings — Examining regional economic revitalization strategies, using the expansion of the intra-Hokkaido air network as a springboard for promoting tourism, agriculture, and fisheries — Exploring a business model for selling Hokkaido food products overseas via air cargo while maintaining quality at competitive prices