Kobe University and KANEKA CORPORATION reached an agreement on wide-ranging collaboration

Kobe University, with the aim of developing their technology and maximizing their social contribution, has concluded the Inclusive Agreement with KANEKA CORPORATION on the 14th of December, 2010. This new partnership covers a wide range of collaborative activities and thus enables both parties to work more closely on the benefit to local communities by efficient two-way knowledge exchange.

Since the commitment to achieving Global Excellence in Social Contribution is one of Kobe University's three missions paralleling Education and Research, Kobe University endeavors to disseminate its cutting-edge research findings and provide highly qualified human resources to the region and to the world. KANEKA which has been engaged in the manufacturing and sales of a great diversity of products including functional plastics, expandable plastics & products, functional foodstuffs, pharmaceutical intermediates, medical devices, electronic materials, synthetic fibers, chemicals, foodstuffs products, has significant presence in Osaka-Kobe district. Hence, the close partnership between these two parties is expected to achieve significant contribution to the economic and technological development of the local community.

For accelerating Kobe University's Research, Education and Social Contribution as well as KANEKA's technology advancement, both parties have been collaborating in various fields before the inclusive partnership. For example, with the assistance from KANEKA Belgium N.V., Kobe University opened its Brussels office as the first European branch in September 2010. This marked the start of the Kobe University-KANEKA collaboration to a global level. Under such background, Kobe University and KANEKA have decided more strategic partnership, with special emphasis on Engineering, Agriculture, Health Science and Business Administration.

Kobe University and KANEKA are now organizing working groups focusing on bio-refinery, food production support, manufacturing technologies, health science, business model evaluation and professional continuing education. As planned, these activities will start this academic year.

Kobe University

http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/index.htm

KANEKA CORPORATION

http://www.kaneka.co.jp/kaneka-e/index.html