The University of Tokyo OEGs Development Program, which CHITOSE Group is cooperating with, has opened a new course, "Symbiotic New Industry Creation Colloquium," which proposes future industries based on microalgae.

On Thursday, October 10th, the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences/Faculty of Agriculture One Earth Guardians Development Program* hosted a new course called "Symbiotic New Industry Creation Colloquium" to propose future industries based on microalgae.

This course focuses on microalgae, which is currently expected to be put to use, and aims to cultivate human resources who can contribute to the creation of a new symbiotic industry that achieves people's well-being in harmony with the environment and at the same time coexists with it. The course will focus on microalgae and will include not only lectures but also hands-on training, workshops, fieldwork, etc., providing an opportunity to learn and interact in an actual industrial setting. Chitose Group (hereinafter, Chitose), which leads the MATSURI project to build a new industry based on microalgae, is fully supporting this course.

On the first day, an orientation was held, where the course was explained, participants introduced themselves, and Mr. Fujita, CEO of CHITOSE Group, gave a speech.

Fujita told the students, "The algae industry will never get off the ground because discussions are based on the broad subject of 'algae.' I hope that through this course you will be able to have high-resolution discussions. We will provide all our cooperation to achieve this. "I would like you to discuss "production costs" and "selling price" separately. I would like to see research into how algal biomass can be produced cheaply, as well as discussions on how to increase the number of people who recognize the value of algal biomass. Japanese universities tend to be weak at the latter type of discussion, so I hope that participants, mainly working adults, will engage in constructive discussion about how to add value." told him.

For the first lecture on Thursday, October 17th, CHITOSE Group Executive Officer and Chief BioEngineer, Mr. Hoshino, gave a talk entitled "Towards the Industrial Use of Microalgae." Based on the current state of energy consumption, I gave a lecture on why we should use algae to produce energy through photosynthesis, and also on the challenges and possibilities of large-scale production of microalgae. The participants asked many questions not only during the lecture but also afterwards, making it a very meaningful session.

*The One Earth Guardians Training Program was launched in December 2017 by the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo with the aim of cultivating the talent necessary to create a world 100 years from now in which humanity can coexist with everything on Earth. The CHITOSE Group supports and cooperates with the initiative to develop "Earth Doctors = One Earth Guardians," scientists with the "ability to involve others" and who can create new value through various activities such as seminars, lectures, and workshops.

Event Outline
Date: October 2024 - March 2026
Time: Thursday 5th period, 16:55-18:35
Venue: Yayoi Campus, University of Tokyo
Field work conducted at IMAT (Japan Microalgae Technology Association), Saga Algae Biomass Council, and C4 (Chitose Carbon Central Capture)

Scheduled appearances
◯CHITOSE Group will be speaking
・January 9, 2025 (Thursday) CHITOSE Group Executive Officer and Chief Innovation Officer Ken Kasahara: "Application Development of Algae Biomass" (changed from October 24, 2024)

◯Presentations from MATSURI participating companies
・January 30, 2025 (Thursday) Shiseido Co., Ltd. Brand Value Development Research Institute Development Promotion Center Raw Material Development Department Manager Nozomi Oguchi "Development of Cosmetic Raw Materials"
・Thursday, February 6, 2025(Thursday) Yumiko Fukui, President and CEO of Musashi Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. "The Popularization of Biomass Paint"