Value Creation toward global business with TIA-nano Efforts

 4 years have passed since the global nanotechnology research and education complex TIA-nano (Tsukuba Innovation Arena for nanotechnology) was launched in Tsukuba City. More than 60% of planned budgets have been spent for the investment. We, members of TIA-nano, realized that now is the right time when we must manage to create a common value toward global business.
 Last year on March 11, the devastating East/Northeast Japan Earthquake and Tsunami brought serious damages to the TIA-nano facilities. However, by the tremendous efforts of the institutes including National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and the University of Tsukuba, those forming TIA-nano, the infrastructures and the facilities were almost completely restored. After riding out the shortage of electric power supply in the last summer, we resumed our research and education activities in full-scale to catch up our initial plan. We would like to express our great gratitude for all the efforts and supports, which contributed to the restoration.
 This year, TIA-nano started many new research projects including EUV lithography research by EIDEC (EUVL Infrastructure Development Center) and Green sensor-net research by the development partnership of NMEMS and new partnership programs including MEMS foundry for small volume (MNOIC) and sample supply of Carbon Nanotube to explore novel applications. Moreover, from this April, TIA-nano will start industry-funding-based open innovation consortia such as TPEC (Tsukuba Power-Electronics Constellation) for power electronics developments and TIA Nano-Green for materials research for a low-carbon society.  We will also start new challenges for the graduate school education such as an endowed courses with the help of power electronics industry and a graduate school programs linking with research activities in TIA-nano.
  These research and education activities aim to contribute to the global competitiveness of Japan by the nanotechnology innovation and create a new global business with cultivating next generation for the prosperity of Japan. “Science, Technology and innovation (STI)” is stated as “creation of intellectual / cultural values based on new knowledge obtained from scientific discovery, invention, etc., and the innovation to develop such knowledge into economic, social, or public value.” in a Forth Science and Technology Basic Plan, which was approved in a cabinet on August 2011. With our confidence, TIA-nano activities will implement this science and technology innovation, and create the common value toward global business with all the projects and programs of TIA-nano.