Studio Overview

Kyoto University's philosophy is to "take on the challenge of resolving multifaceted problems and contribute to the harmonious coexistence of global society," and its mission is to engage in education and research activities of the world's highest standard. As a designated national university corporation, it has been entrusted with the public's welfare and health, and is also tasked with the public responsibility of contributing to the development of society as well as the nation's welfare and health.
In this context, it is a great pleasure for us to collaborate with the SMBC Group, a financial group that serves as a "hub for industry" and has in recent years been promoting "social value creation" and "happy growth," to work together to resolve social issues.
Through this partnership, we hope that the diverse research fields that our university has as a comprehensive university, and the creation of outstanding knowledge cultivated in freedom of academic culture, will lead to the creation of new social value through collaboration with the SMBC Group, which is an "industrial hub" with an extensive network both domestically and internationally and has in recent years advocated "social value creation" and "fullfilled growth."

The SMBC Group has set "Creating Social Value" as a goal in its medium-term management plan. In order to advance this initiative, it is essential to work with people outside the SMBC Group who share the same awareness of the issues. In particular, we believe that collaboration with academia, which has a wide range of knowledge, will be an extremely important element in solving social issues. In this context, we have opened the SMBC Kyoto University Studio, as we empathize with Kyoto University's basic philosophy of "contributing to harmonious coexistence in global society."
This project will be a serious challenge that goes beyond the conventional framework of industry-academia collaboration, as it aims to conduct research aimed at solving various social issues and create new businesses. We will expand this initiative to the whole of Japanese society, and also focus on disseminating information throughout Asia and the world.

SMBC Kyoto University Studio is a new platform where industry and academia can engage in open dialogue with society while working to solve social issues.
The word "studio" means a workshop or atelier where experts work together to create products that will be delivered to the world. We named it "SMBC Kyoto University Studio" with our desire to create a place that not only conducts research and development, but also actively communicates with society and creates social value and movements.
As a think tank in the SMBC Group, JRI has led many business co-creation projects. In activities of the SMBC Kyoto University Studio, JRI will play the role of connecting universities and society, and will create businesses that lead to social implementation and social change.