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May 麻豆AV continue to live up to its name as “the University of Peace”
with a string of innovations
Mitsuo Ochi
2019年12月、東広島キャンパスの中央図書館前に「福山通運 小丸賑わいパビリオン」がオープンしました。福山通運株式会社、公益財団法人渋谷育英会ならびにヤマネホールディングス株式会社にご支援?ご協力をいただいたものです。その一角には、起業を目指して学生が活動する「ファーストペンギンクラブ」の拠点があります。ぜひ、多くの皆さんに利用してほしいと思います。体育系のクラブに入りながら顔を出すのも、大歓迎だと思います。
新しいアイデアは、ずっと考え続けなければ思い付かない―。常々、私はそう考えています。学生の时代から、クリエイティブなことをやっていく训练をした方がいいと思っています。いつも「なぜ？」という问いを繰り返していけば、必ず新しいアイデアが生まれてきます。
広岛大学が10月に设置したオープンイノベーション事业本部には、统括クリエイティブ?マネージャーを置き、知财部门も充実させています。そこで、自分のアイデアを知财に结び付けるように连携を取るトレーニングもできます。
人类の発明や発见に対してパテントを押さえるべきか否か、いろいろな考え方があります。とはいえ、世界に通用するような科学技术はパテントを押さえておかないと、结局、他の国に夺われ、自分自身も使えなくなる可能性もあります。
私自身にも苦い経験があります。私は、膝の靭帯再建手术に使うある医疗器具を考案しました。この20年近く、毎年70～80亿円规模で世界中に贩売されています。しかし、その时に特许について深く考えなかったため、后からイギリスにパテントを押さえられてしまいました。せっかく新たな技术を开発しても、パテントを持っていなければ、日本国が他国に使用料を支払う羽目になり、本来は国の収入となるべきものが支出に転じます。
9月9日、10日の2日間、メキシコシティで開催された第4回日墨学長会議の冒頭でスピーチをいたしました。続いて登壇したCONACYT（メキシコ国家科学技術審議会）のGeneral DirectorであるMaría Elena ?lvarez-Buylla 博士が「メキシコ人は日本のイノベーションからの恩恵を受けてきました。今後はメキシコからも日本の人たちに使ってもらえるようなイノベーションを興していきたい」との言葉を聞いて、「日本は尊敬されている国である」と言ってくれているようで、私は少し胸が熱くなりました。
もちろんイノベーションには両面性があり、军事に転用される危険性もはらんでいますが、それは必ず人间がコントロールできるはずです。このマインドを持って、広岛大学は「平和の大学」にふさわしいイノベーションを次々に兴していきたいと愿っています。
In December 2019, our Higashi-Hiroshima Campus saw the opening of the “Fukuyama-Tsuun-Komaru Nigiwai Pavillion”(*nigiwai is a Japanese word, which literally means 'bustle') in front of the Central library. The construction of the pavillion was sponsored by Fukuyama Transporting Co. Ltd., The Shibuya Ikueikai Foundation and Yamane Holdings Co. Ltd., respectively. In one of the corners of the pavillion lies the “1st Penguin Club” office, which is a base for students who are keen to start a business. I would very much like this office to be used by as many HU students as possible. So, while continuing your activities at any given sports-related club at HU, you are also very welcome to join the 1st Penguin Club.
“A new idea only comes to a person who is always thinking about it” is what I have always thought. In that sense, I think that it is a good idea to start training your mind in your student days by doing something creative. If you make it a habit to always ask yourself “why?”, you will be able to come up with new ideas.
HU has now appointed an Executive Creative Manager to the headquarters of the Open Innovation Center, which was established this October. It has an excellent Intellectual Property Division, where you can learn how to collaborate with the relevant parties, in order to claim intellectual property for your ideas.
When we ask ourselves whether or not we should be patenting inventions or discoveries that can benet mankind, each of us may have dierent answers to this question. Be that as it may, if you have come up with a world-class invention, you are well advised to have it patented. Otherwise, you may possibly suer the following consequences: i) someone else from another country may patent your invention instead, and ii) you may no longer be able to use the technology without paying for it.
Indeed, first-hand experience has taught me just how important this is. Years ago, I invented a medical device to be used for knee ligament reconstruction surgery. In the last 20 years, the device in question has been sold and used worldwide, with an annual trade turnover amounting to between 7 and 8 billion yen. As I did not give too much thought to having my invention patented, someone else from the UK went ahead and did so. The takeaway warning from this story is that even if someone has invented a new technology, without a patent, royalties will potentially have to be paid by the true inventor to the patent holder. In this case, what would have been a source of revenue becomes one of expenditure.
On 9th and 10th September 2019, the 4th Japan-Mexico Rectors Summit was held in Mexico City, at the start of which I delivered a speech. Following my speech, Dr. María Elena ?lvarez-Buylla, General Director of CONACYT (acronym in Spanish, meaning “National Council of Science and Technology” in English), delivered her speech in which she said the following: “Mexican people have long beneted from Japanese innovations. From now on, Mexico intends to generate innovations which can be accepted and used by the people of Japan.” I was moved by her words, because she seemed to be saying that Japan is a respected country.
It goes without saying that innovations have their pros and cons, and there is an element of danger in that some innovations can be diverted to military use. However, human beings should be able to control such risks. May 麻豆AV continue to live up to its name as “the University of Peace” with a string of innovations.
