As the kick-off for a growing partnership between UCSD and Osaka
University in Japan, the von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center and Global Connect
welcomed the program’s leadership, comprised of faculty, researchers and senior
administrators from Osaka University.
The objectives of the three year program are to grow the
innovation eco-system in Japan, provide accelerated technology
commercialization training and assist with bringing technologies out of the lab
and into the marketplace. The program teaches the importance of
customer input early in the technology development process as well as the
importance of the ability to “fail fast,” iterate fast and to develop better
solutions that fit the market.
Program participants bring technologies created at Osaka
University and will be working on them during the program. This will include
presentations to and advice from von Liebig business mentors, development of
the business model, and understanding customer needs and market size.
Dr. Shintaro Hisatake brought a technology that may help engineers
design safer cars through better radar detection systems. Hisatake said, “First
of all, I would like to appreciate everything what you have done for us. Your
program has changed my mindset. I would like to come back to next fall!”
In addition to going through the training program, the faculty
tested the program for students who will begin arriving in Fall 2015. The
program’s curricula includes the von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center’s full
commercialization program, from idea validation through proof of concept to
venture formation. Session topics include customer development, finance,
pitching and
intellectual property.
Yuki Nagano is an experienced venture investor and Associate Professor in the Office for University-Industry Collaboration.
“The program was way beyond what I
expected,” said Nagano. ”I thought many times, I wish I could have taken this
program, maybe ten or twenty years ago, then, my job in the venture capital
firm would have been much easier.”
Osaka University professor, Dr. Yasuo Kanematsu believes that the
program will be a great opportunity for open minded, challengeable students
looking for improvement. After observing a session of the NSF Innovation Corps
program held at the von Liebig Entrepreneurism Center, Kanematsu explained that
it has been more difficult to provide the same type of mentor relationship and
feedback to Osaka University students, and that this program will be a unique
opportunity for Japanese students.
Dr. Satoshi Kabasawa, former project professor at Keio University and current regional director and specially appointed professor at Osaka University, has been studying innovation for 10 years. He believes that the
final program will be important in changing the mindsets of Osaka University
faculty and students who are not so eager to fail.
“Our students are not so
sure what to do when they fail,” Kabasawa said. “And though we want to make the negative
impact from that failure to be small, failure is important to allow them to
innovate, be creative and assess what are the next steps to move forward.”
Both parties are in agreement that the program will be an exciting
opportunity for joint educational, cultural and research activities, the
exchange of scholars and researchers, as well as the exchange of knowledge and
academic materials for both UC San Diego and Osaka University.
The team will soon define the student selection criteria for its
first cohort of 10 students, estimating that the program will expand with
additional cohorts every 6 months, for a program total of 50 participants.
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