Tohoku University and its regional partners have been recognized for their outstanding efforts and have received an award at the "Systematic Innovation Management Award (SIMA)" hosted by the Japan Innovation Network (JIN).

This award is a new management award planned and implemented by the "Executive Innovation Committee" (Secretariat: Tokyu Research Institute, Inc., The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd., and JIN), which was established by JIN. It focuses not only on the "results" of innovation but also on the "organizational power" behind them, with the aim of discovering and disseminating excellent examples.

In this selection, the "systematic approach" that integrates the following three elements was highly evaluated:

• Empathy for Society: Activities based on a deep understanding of social issues and customer needs.
• Organizational Capability and Culture: High execution power and organizational transformation power to realize innovation.
• Systematic Approach: Innovation methodologies as reproducible "mechanisms."

This award recognizes the implementation of NanoTerasu—a state-of-the-art facility—into the regional ecosystem through the world's first system design based on public-private partnership.

At the award ceremony held on February 3, Masaki Takata, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (Associate Vice President of Tohoku University in charge of NanoTerasu Co-creation), participated as a representative of the regional partners, including this university.

Encouraged by this award, the NanoTerasu Co-creation Promotion Organization will continue to promote systematic innovation centered on the utilization of NanoTerasu and contribute to the development of regional and international society.