＜Why I started my own venture company＞Creating a place where researchers in different fields can get together through entrepreneurship (Kenzo Iwanoh, Osaka Heatcool Co., Ltd.)

　Mr. I Niwano has been working on plasma fusion research. He studied in the U.S. for his master's degree and then returned to Japan to earn his Ph.D. From 2014 to the present, he has been conducting research as an assistant professor at the university while also working on the 2020Osaka Heat Cool Co.He founded the company One would think that he would have started a business in a field close to the theme of his research, but in fact, it is in a completely different field. Why did Mr. Ibarino start a business in a field different from his own research?　(Reprinted from incu-be issue 64)

A sense of stagnation at Japanese universities that I noticed while studying abroad

　Mr. Ibarino, who studied abroad at the University of Illinois in the U.S. in 2007, says that one of the symbolic differences between universities in Japan and those in the U.S. is the "on-campus bar. At the University of Illinois and other American universities, there are places on campus where people can socialize over drinks. It is a place where faculty members and students can frequently talk with each other about personal and professional matters. This is a place where people can talk with people outside of their own field, which results in interaction with different fields and broadens the scope of their research. In Japan, there are very few people you can meet inside a university. For example, researchers in similar fields who are doing joint research, or at best, patent attorneys...nothing more. And that is considered fine by society," he says. Feeling a sense of stagnation in such a situation at Japanese universities, he began to think that he would like to create a place like the bar in Illinois in Japan.

It doesn't have to be your research topic.

　Having been attracted to work outside of the university, Ibayano was approached by a university official who asked him if he would be interested in starting his own business. Recently, universities have been promoting the establishment of university-launched ventures. Mr. Ibarino felt that starting a business by a faculty member would be a good opportunity for interaction within and outside the university, and would also be a positive step toward improving the university, so he became enthusiastic about the idea. Mr. I Niwano's field of expertise is plasma fusion system research. Although this sounds like it could lead to the development of new energy sources, in his own research, he thought that even if each element of plasma fusion technology could be realized, there is a high possibility that it would not work in its current state when combined as a whole. Even though it was a theme that he wanted to pursue as research, there was no way he could start a business on a theme that he himself thought would not work. At one point, he seriously considered starting a bar or distillery. What prompted Mr. Ibarino to make a concrete move toward starting a business was the words of a university official who said, "Professor, it doesn't have to be your research theme. 

At the exhibition where "ThermoScratch" was presented, which can relieve itching without damaging the skin by creating the illusion of scratching.

Focus on people and venture into different fields 

　Even before he thought about starting his own business, Mr. Ibidono made a conscious effort to get out of the office because he knew that he would not be able to meet many people at the university. Since some of his research dealt with semiconductor manufacturing, he attended SEMICON Japan, an exhibition focusing on semiconductors and electronics. There I met Toru Sugawara, who also specializes in semiconductors at Osaka University. We later conducted joint research, but when I thought about starting a business with someone else, Mr. Sugawara was the first person who came to mind. I approached Mr. Sugawara with the idea that we could work together with someone who is easy to communicate with and has a good sense of humor, and he was open to the idea of starting a business. Based on Mr. Sugawara's technology, Osaka Heat Cool was established in 2020. Starting with the development of "ThermoScratch," a system that uses semiconductors to create the illusion of scratching by applying thermal changes to the skin, the company is now developing devices that use semiconductors as actuators to stimulate the human body. 

Meet people and gain knowledge in the course of your work. 

　Although he had done some research on semiconductor fabrication, the development of devices using semiconductors is a far cry from his specialty of nuclear fusion. Even though he is taking on a challenge outside of his field of expertise, "Researchers are naturally curious. I think this is a good opportunity for me to learn. For Ibano, the value of the project is that he is able to gain new perspectives and knowledge while being paid by the client for his work. The team now includes researchers in psychology and sociology, who are also interested in fields outside the university and the field, and has become like a testing ground for their ideas in a different location from the university. The new company has created a kind of bar within the university where people from various fields gather to talk about their research. (Text: Dulla, Yevgeny Aster)

＜プロフィール＞

Kenzo Ibano

After studying at the University of Illinois, he received his degree in fusion energy research at Kyoto University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Ritsumeikan University and the University of Tokyo, and joined the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University as an assistant professor in August 2014. 2020, he established Osaka Heat Cool Co. and is promoting social implementation of small flexible thermoelectric conversion devices.