Fieldwork was carried out in Japan as part of the "Symbiotic New Industry Creation Colloquium" organized by the OEGs Development Program of the University of Tokyo, in cooperation with CHITOSE Group

January 24, 2025

Group photo of Hiroshima fieldwork participants

The fieldwork was conducted as part of a new course called the "Symbiotic New Industry Creation Colloquium"2 organized by the One Earth Guardians Development Program (OEGs)1 of the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo. The purpose of this fieldwork is to inspect microalgae-related technological development efforts in Hiroshima and Saga, and to learn about future challenges and prospects. In addition, OEGs and Saga City have long been involved in the "MATSURI" project, which is an environmentally sustainable industry creation project based on algae, which is being implemented by the CHITOSE Group, which led to this visit.

The first domestic fieldwork took place over two days, on December 9th and 10th, 2024, and was attended by 19 colloquium participants and related parties.On the first day, we visited IMAT (Japan Microalgae Technology Association) in Osakikamishima, Hiroshima Prefecture. IMAT is a general incorporated association established with the aim of promoting the industrial use of microalgae and the development of related technologies. Junpei Nomura, who is seconded from Chitose Laboratory Corp., serves as Secretary General, and Shinichi Aoki serves as Director of the Research and Development Department. At IMAT, the group had the opportunity to see the microalgae research being carried out on the premises and the development site for related technologies.

Afterwards, the participants visited two related facilities as an opportunity to learn about local business and research activities. At Farm Suzuki, which cultivates oysters and prawns using microalgae as feed, the participants toured the farm ponds and gained a deeper understanding of the possible applications of microalgae. Next, the group visited the laboratory of Associate Professor Mio Onuma at Hiroshima National College of Technology, where she is researching marine algae cultivation and improving the production efficiency of algal biofuel. At each visit, lively discussions were held about the challenges associated with microalgae production, building on the knowledge gained in previous courses.

The second fieldwork in Japan was conducted in Saga City on January 10, 2025. Seventeen people participated and, with the cooperation of the Saga Algae Biomass Council, visited the Saga City Waste Incineration Plant (a waste incineration facility). At this facility, we had the opportunity to tour a facility called a CCU plant*3. CCU plants are facilities that separate and capture only the CO2 from the exhaust gas generated when waste is incinerated, and the captured CO2 is used for purposes such as cultivating microalgae. This is said to be the first time that a CCU plant like this has been introduced at a waste incineration facility in Japan.

These two fieldwork sessions provided an opportunity for the students to see the actual sites where the knowledge they had learned in this course since October of last year was being used, and it was a valuable opportunity to further deepen their understanding of the potential applications of microalgae unique to each region through interactions with people involved in the research.

The next fieldwork will involve a visit to CHITOSE Carbon Capture Central (C4), the world's largest microalgae production facility operated by CHITOSE in Sarawak, Malaysia. Click here for more details.

1 The One Earth Guardians 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.
2 This course was established following the adoption by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization).
*3 Abbreviation for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilization

Overview of the Symbiotic New Industry Creation Colloquium
Date: October 2024 - March 2026
Time: Thursday 5th period, 16:55-18:35
Venue: Yayoi Campus, University of Tokyo

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