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News

[Event Report] AI Research Forum Launched in Collaboration with Startups
— 84 Participants Attend the First Meeting, Marking the Start of an Industry–Academia Collaboration Community —

The Graduate School of Information Science and Technology (IST), The University of Tokyo, held the 1st meeting of the UTokyo–Startup Collaborative AI Research Forum on May 28, 2026, at Takeda Hall on the 5th floor of the Takeda Frontier Science Building.

The forum was established and organized by IST with the cooperation of several companies, including Fixstars Corporation, as a community dedicated to advancing cutting-edge AI research and its practical implementation through collaboration between academia and industry. The forum aims to rapidly and efficiently build optimal research frameworks based on research and application themes proposed by participating companies.

A total of 84 participants attended the inaugural meeting, including 51 representatives from 21 companies, 17 faculty members from IST, and 16 graduate students. Participants were divided into four groups and engaged in active discussions based on research topic proposals prepared in advance. Each group exchanged concrete ideas on matching industry needs with academic expertise, making the event a productive opportunity for collaboration despite being the forum’s first gathering.

Professor Shigeru Chiba, who delivered opening remarks on behalf of IST, commented:
“Although this forum has only just begun, we hope to establish a new model of industry–academia collaboration in the field of information technology through these activities.”

The next forum meeting is scheduled for July 23, 2026, and will also be held at Takeda Hall.

Group Photo at the End of the Forum

Group Discussion Session (1)

Group Discussion Session (2)

Closing Session of the Group Discussions

(This English article was translated with the assistance of AI.)