Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology opened the West Tokyo International Innovation Collaboration Hub—nicknamed “Kaisenkan” for much-needed brevity—on its Fuchu Campus on April 19th.

The three-story facility will act as an industry-academia collaboration hub. With a total floor space of almost 3,000 m2, the estimated 1.7 billion yen price tag of the project was made possible with 1 billion yen in government subsidies. In collaboration with local businesses and public institutions, the facility will create new businesses based on food and agriculture research.

The facility includes a co-working office for start-ups, a test kitchen for prototyping and testing, an area for seminars and displays, and even a store for merchandise.

At the opening ceremony, President Kazuhiro Chiba said, “cooperation between the public, private, and academic sectors is essential to make Tokyo the world's No. 1 innovation city.”

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