On July 12th, we participated in the 2024 IMAT face-to-face networking event hosted by the Japan Microalgae Technology Association (hereinafter referred to as IMAT).
IMAT is an incorporated association established for the purpose of promoting the industrial use of microalgae and the development of related technologies. Junpei Nomura, a seconded employee from Chitose Laboratory, serves as IMAT Secretary General, and Shinichi Aoki serves as Director of Research and Development. Together with all the relevant parties, we aim to build a research foundation for microalgae.
Chitose is promoting the MATSURI project in cooperation with IMAT regarding various standards and regulations necessary for the establishment of the algae industry, with a view to developing research and development and building a value chain through industrialization.
The event was led by IMAT Secretary General Hitoshi Nomura and included an exchange of opinions between engineers and businesses considering industrial applications of microalgae, a tour of the Research Institute for Fundamental Technology, and a study session with a lecture by an algae researcher.
On the day, a total of 59 people from 13 institutions and 6 universities participated, both in person and online, and company representatives from different business sectors and industries actively exchanged opinions about their respective roles on the common topic of "businesses using microalgae." During the laboratory tour, local participants asked many in-depth questions about the extraction and purification techniques for microalgae components using hydrothermal liquefaction treatment and the Soxhlet extraction method, and the culture techniques and experimental conditions for each type of microalgae using multiple photobioreactors, indicating a high level of interest in the fundamental technology.
Participant impressions
All IMAT member companies are conducting technical verification at IMAT in order to develop businesses using microalgae, so the questions asked during the networking event were of advanced level. Researchers including Nomura and Aoki from the IMAT secretariat provided more specific explanations, including technical terms, and it was impressive to see lively discussions taking place among the participants from IMAT member companies.
Although the business types and industries of the participants were diverse, the commonality of microalgae led to lively conversation. In addition to exchanging information about each other's businesses and progress, there was also an opportunity to exchange opinions about the difficulties and obstacles facing business development using microalgae, making it a very fulfilling networking event.
By participating in this networking event, I was able to strongly feel the potential for algae to replace petroleum and become the core of a new industry.
Chitose Group and IMAT will continue to leverage their respective strengths to strengthen their collaboration and promote MATSURI in order to build the algae industry.
Exchange meeting overview <br>Date and time: July 12, 2024 (Friday) 13:00-16:30
Organizer: Japan Microalgae Technology Association Venue: Japan Microalgae Technology Association, Basic Technology Research Institute 6208-1 Nakano, Osakikamijima-cho, Toyota-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture
Contents: Technical exchange meeting with businesses considering industrial applications using microalgae; tour of the Fundamental Technology Research Institute; study session (Speakers: NEDO Chief Researcher Takahisa Yano; Hiroshima University Graduate School Professor Ryuichi Hirota; University of California Davis Professor Shota Atsumi)
Related information
[External] Japan Microalgae Technology Association
[NEWS] We held an information sharing session exclusively for MATSURI partner companies, with the theme of "The latest information on biofuels in the United States"
