Okayama University Holds "PSI Entrepreneurship Support Seminar in Okayama" to Promote Commercialization of Research Seeds

Okayama University, a participant in the Peace & Science Innovation Ecosystem (PSI), a startup ecosystem in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, held the "PSI Entrepreneurship Support Seminar in Okayama" at its co-creation and innovation lab, "KIBINOVE," on the Tsushima Campus.

The seminar was conducted with the aim of creating global startups that can compete on the world stage and startups that tackle social and environmental issues, based on innovative technology seeds from universities in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions.

On the day of the event, more than 40 people participated both onsite and online. A wide range of participants, including PSI GAP Fund recipients, university faculty and staff, students, and the general public, gathered for lively discussions and opinion exchanges.

In the first part, an entrepreneurial lecture was given by Mr. Tsuyoshi Ueda, CEO of Hydrovenus Inc., a university-launched venture that commercialized the research seeds of Professor Shinji Hiejima from the university's Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology. Mr. Ueda shared concrete stories based on his actual experiences, discussing the challenges he faced in the process of developing research results into a business and how he overcame them. This provided participants with a valuable opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the realities of university-launched startups and the perspective required for commercialization.

In the following panel discussion, venture capitalists with experience supporting university-launched startups took the stage to discuss the potential of such startups, key points for commercialization from an investor's perspective, and expectations for researchers. The subsequent networking session became a valuable opportunity for speakers and participants, as well as participants among themselves, to exchange opinions directly and create new connections.

In the second part, a workshop was held for PSI GAP Fund recipients and related parties. In addition to organizing the challenges for commercialization, the recipients discussed how to find talent and build a team, which are crucial for commercializing research results, and future actions, deepening their practical considerations for social implementation.

Okayama University will continue to collaborate with universities and related institutions in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions to promote entrepreneurship support and human resource development for the creation of university-launched startups. The PSI GAP Fund is also scheduled to be implemented this fiscal year. Researchers interested in commercializing research results or creating university-launched startups are encouraged to contact the inquiry point below. Please look forward to the continued efforts of Okayama University, an open regional core and research-oriented university, and the Peace & Science Innovation Ecosystem (PSI).

This matter was released on June 8, 2026.