2025-11-19

Establishment of 'Collaborative Research Institute for Accelerating Innovation with Nanomaterials' by NanoFrontier, Nittobo, and Tohoku University

Key Points of the Announcement

  • NanoFrontier, Nittobo, and Tohoku University have jointly established the “Collaborative Research Institute for Accelerating Innovation with Nanomaterials” to comprehensively promote new nanomaterial production processes, material design, and commercialization.

  • By utilizing cross-appointments and other methods, corporate personnel will participate as specially appointed faculty members, enabling rapid research advancement through a permanent cross-departmental collaborative platform.

Overview

Tohoku University, NanoFrontier Co., Ltd., and Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd. (Nittobo) have jointly established the “Collaborative Research Institute for Accelerating Innovation with Nanomaterials” in November 2025.

This collaborative research institute will strengthen cooperation between Tohoku University, startups, and large corporations as a permanent collaborative hub that integrates new nanomaterial production processes, material design, product and application development, and human resource development. By establishing a permanent route for integrated operation from research to Proof of Concept (PoC) and technology transfer, the institute aims to accelerate the social implementation of key applications such as specific hazardous substance detection technologies, while enhancing theme creation capabilities and implementation speed through interaction with corporate personnel.

Founding members of the Collaborative Research Institute

Research Background

Nanomaterials are becoming increasingly important as a fundamental technology across various fields, including environmental monitoring, next-generation batteries, thermal management, hydrogen energy, and drug delivery. However, industry-academia collaborations tend to be dispersed into individual research projects, leading to duplication of contracts and procedures, and a lack of continuous exchange of personnel and knowledge, which hinders the speed from exploratory research to PoC and commercialization.

To address these challenges, a permanent collaborative platform will be established within the university, with a framework (secondment and cross-appointment) that allows corporate personnel to participate as specially appointed faculty members. This will enable collaboration with multiple departments and faculty members on a regular basis, aiming for rapid research advancement through cross-functional teams.

Future Developments

  • Establish a permanent consultation and implementation route that can integrally operate from research to PoC, contract manufacturing, and technology transfer, with the collaborative research institute serving as a hub for university, university-born startups, and large corporations.

  • Accelerate the social implementation of organic nanoparticles that enable on-site, real-time detection of specific hazardous substances, starting with the environmental measurement field and gradually expanding to other areas.

  • To enhance industry-academia collaboration and advanced human resources, corporate personnel will be assigned as specially appointed faculty members through secondment or cross-appointment, simultaneously strengthening theme creation capabilities and implementation speed with cross-departmental support teams.

Overview of the Collaborative Research Institute

Collaborative Research Institute Overview

Name: NanoFrontier x Nittobo x Tohoku University Collaborative Research Institute for Accelerating Innovation with Nanomaterials

Location: 2nd Floor, Material Solutions Center (MaSC), Tohoku University

Duration: 3 years (November 2025 - October 2028)

Structure:

  • Overall Management Director: Hiroyuki Kawanishi, Specially Appointed Professor (Research) [General Manager, Technology Development Division, Nittobo]
  • Co-Management Director: Katsuya Saito, Specially Appointed Associate Professor (Operations) [Technical Advisor, NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.]
  • Operational Support Director: Hiroki Oka, Associate Professor [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University]
  • Participants: Koichi Nakamura, Specially Appointed Professor (Visiting) [Executive Officer, Head of Technology Development Division, Nittobo] Kazuhiko Igarashi [Senior Technology Supervisor, Nittobo] Hitoshi Kasai, Professor [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University] Ryo Yoshino, Assistant Professor [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University]

Activities:

  1. Joint development and business promotion of nanomaterial production technologies
  2. Human resource development through nanomaterial R&D

Terminology

Cross-appointment: An employment and collaboration system where roles and time allocations are defined between multiple institutions such as universities and companies, facilitating the exchange of personnel and knowledge. This research institute will utilize it for appointing specially appointed faculty members from companies.

NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.: A Tohoku University-born startup established in April 2025, headquartered in Sendai City. Based on its proprietary continuous nanomaterial purification technology, the company is promoting applications such as specific hazardous substance detection, focusing on organic nanoparticle technology to address challenges in environmental, energy, and life science fields. (URL: https://nanofrontier.jp/)

Nittobo: A materials manufacturer primarily focused on special glass-centered glass fiber, developing products such as in vitro diagnostic pharmaceuticals. (URL: https://www.nittobo.co.jp/)

Company Profile

  • Company Name: NanoFrontier Co., Ltd.
  • Representative: Seiya Inoue, Representative Director
  • Address: Room 215, Material Solutions Center (MaSC), Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi Prefecture
  • Established: April 7, 2025
  • Business Activities:
    • R&D, manufacturing, and sales of reagents and functional materials using organic nanoparticle technologies
    • Contract manufacturing of organic nanoparticles and provision of related technologies
    • Technology licensing and consulting in the field of organic nanoparticle technologies
  • Website: https://nanofrontier.jp

Last updated: 2025-11-19