Innovation

Innovation in Okinawa for Global Impact

The university’s OIST Innovation drives technology development and commercialization at the university, aiming to accelerate economic growth in Okinawa and beyond. It supports innovators through a comprehensive range of programs, networks, and resources, fostering both local and global collaborations. By leveraging world-class research, infrastructure, and an interdisciplinary environment, OIST Innovation transforms laboratory discoveries into impactful innovations.

Table of Contents

Technology Development

The R&D Cluster Programs Section supports technology development research through the Proof of Concept (POC) Program, an integrated program of support to help bridge the technical and funding gap between lab discoveries and societal impact.

OIST researchers interested in learning more about POC programs should contact the R&D Cluster Section at rdcluster@oist.jp

Key Resources

POC Projects

Proof of Concept Program

Intellectual Property Management

The Technology Licensing Section builds a strong intellectual property portfolio of licensable technologies from discoveries made by OIST researchers and markets these technologies to established companies for commercialization.

Researchers with inventions to disclose or Industry interested in licensing opportunities should contact the Technology Licensing Section at tls@oist.jp.

Key Resources

Technology Licensing

Industry Partnerships

The Business Development Section pro-actively builds strong networks with companies in Japan and around the world. The Business Development Section works closely with OIST researchers and companies to enable innovative research partnerships and negotiates sponsored and collaborative contracts with industry.

Industry interested in working with our researchers or sponsoring their work should contact the Business Development Section at bd@oist.jp.

Key Resources

OIST Innovation Network (INO) – our industry affiliates program

Business Development

New 4 teams of OIST Innovation Accelerator

Startup Support

OIST promotes entrepreneurship to advance high-growth venture creation in Okinawa. We organize seminars and workshops to strengthen networks and stimulate entrepreneurial activities. Beyond these promotional events, we also directly support promising projects stemming from OIST research.

We also provide extensive support to startups through programs, events, facilities and services including the OIST Innovation Accelerator and OIST Innovation Incubator. We support and recruit early stage startups with innovative technologies aiming to solve global challenges.