About the Symposium

This symposium will focus on a fundamental challenge facing socially valuable research: how to sustain innovations that deliver clear public benefit but lack commercial viability. Many researchers develop impactful solutions (such as coral reef restoration methods or support frameworks for ADHD-affected families) and may even pilot them successfully. Yet once initial funding ends, there is often no clear pathway to maintain or scale these outcomes over time.

Because these solutions do not naturally attract paying customers or traditional business investment, their long-term sustainability is far from straightforward. Through this symposium, we aim to openly discuss this gap and explore practical models, partnerships, and institutional approaches that can help ensure such critical innovations remain accessible to society beyond the research phase.

Date and Venue

Date: Monday, March 9th, 2026
Time: 9:30-17:00 (JST)
Venue: Sydney Brenner Lecture Theater (B250),
             OIST Main Campus, Center Building
             Map: https://www.oist.jp/ja/campus/access-map

Arrangement Type: Hybrid (Onsite and Zoom)
Event Language: English (Simultaneous interpretation available)

Registration
Please regiseter from here. Deadline is February 23, 2026.

Agenda

Time and details are subject to change.

Time Session Details Speaker(s)
 9:30 Welcome & Opening Remarks Introduction of the Healthy Society Stream Hiroaki Kitano
Adjunct Professor and Project Leader, COI-NEXT Program at OIST
10:10

Keynote: The Challenge of Establishing a Marine Remote Sensing Hub

Introduction to Activities by Hiroshima University and Kure City Yuji Sakuno
Professor and Project Leader, COI-NEXT Program at Hiroshima University
10:50 Coffee Break & Photo    
11:15

Keynote: Surprising thermodynamics of landfalling typhoons

How rethinking where we study tropical cyclones (moving from ocean-centric to land-focused perspectives) can deepen fundamental understanding while increasing societal relevance and impact Pinaki Chakraborty,
OIST Interim Dean of Faculty Affairs
11:55 Talk: Plankton eDNA as a Policy Tool: Early Warnings for Healthier Oceans and Coastal Communities How fisheries managers, policymakers, and coastal communities can use plankton eDNA as an early-warning system to detect shifts in species composition, harmful algal blooms, and ecosystem stress long before they become visible Filip Husnik,
Associate Professor at OIST
12:10 Lunch    
13:10 Talk: Beyond the Technology: How Japanese Attitudes Toward Waste Shape Biowaste Innovation How cultural perceptions of waste in Japan influence the adoption of biowaste upcycling technologies Karim Honein,
Founder of TLALOC BLUE
13:25 Talk: From Data to Dialogue: The Research Value of Deep Stakeholder Engagement How research becomes stronger, more accurate, and more impactful when stakeholders are included as active partners rather than passive data sources Jamila Rodrigues,
COI-NEXT Fellow at OIST
13:40 Talk: Building with Families, Not for Them: Lessons from Developing an ADHD App  How co-designing creates more relevant, effective, and sustainable tools grounded in real-life needs Gail Tripp,
Professor at OIST
13:55 Talk: Mapping Vulnerability: The Policy Value of Understanding Health Shocks TBD Yuliya Kulikova,
Science and Technology Associate at OIST
14:10 Keynote: No Profit, Big Impact: Rethinking Sustainability Through Social Entrepreneurship How social entrepreneurship can create sustainable support structures for high-impact projects that are neither profitable nor commercially viable, ensuring their long-term societal value is not lost. Takuji Hiroishi,
CEO of empublic Ltd.
14:50 Parallel Group Discussions (3 groups) Guided discussions on collaboration, community engagement, institutional support, and governance Session Moderators
15:50 Coffee Break    
16:10 Plenary Integration & Call to Action: Where Could We Go from Here? Parallel Discussion reports on aligning scientific work with community needs Session Moderators
16:40 Closing Remarks Leadership responses and introductions of two new roles Gil Granot Mayer,
Executive Vice President for Innovation and Outreach, Vice CEO at OIST

Keynote Speakers

Hiroaki Kitano   Project Leader, COI-NEXT Program at OIST

Yuji Sakuno   Project Leader, COI-NEXT Program at Hiroshima University

Pinaki Chakraborty Professor, OIST

Takuji Hiroishi    CEO of empublic Ltd.

Gil Granot Mayer   Executive Vice President for Innovation and Outreach, OIST

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to coi-next@oist.jp