Towards an Era of Learning End-to-End from Design to Manufacturing: The Forefront of "Implementation-Oriented Human Resource Development" as Envisioned by Autodesk and Kogakuin University
Autodesk and Kogakuin University are collaborating to create an educational model that trains students in "implementation-oriented human resource development," equipping them with skills from design to manufacturing and implementation. This initiative, which includes hands-on experience with advanced technologies like 5-axis machining and uses Autodesk Fusion for integrated workflows, aims to address Japan's manufacturing labor shortage by fostering proactive, problem-solving individuals. The program's success is demonstrated by students developing and racing a solar car in a global competition, showcasing their ability to learn, create, and improve independently.
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- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 19:00
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Japan's manufacturing industry is facing a major turning point due to labor shortages caused by an aging population and declining birthrate, as well as advancements in AI and digital technologies. In this context, what is needed are not just individuals with design skills, but those who can handle everything from design to manufacturing and implementation.
Autodesk Inc. and Kogakuin University have jointly presented an educational model that offers one answer to these challenges.
Tomoyuki Nakanishi, President of Autodesk Inc., commented on the current situation:
"What companies face today is not a shortage of technology, but a shortage of people who can master technology. Especially with the progress of AI and digital technologies, there is a demand for individuals who can grasp design, manufacturing, and implementation as a single entity. Previously, design and manufacturing were separate, but this boundary is disappearing. That is why learning from the educational stage must be based on the premise of 'making'."
The type of talent companies are seeking is definitively changing. To adapt to this change, the redesign of education itself is required.
At Kogakuin University, they have constructed an educational model that integrates what were traditionally separate:
* Classes (Theory)
* Projects (Practice)
* Design and Manufacturing
Professor Hiroto Hamane of the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kogakuin University explains:
"What we aim for is not just individuals who can design, but 'individuals who can create things that actually work.' Not just drawing diagrams, but processing, verifying, and improving with their own hands. It is important to provide experience in this entire process. By connecting classes and student projects as an integrated workflow, rather than separating them, we are creating an environment where learning is directly applied to practice'."
Students experience the entire process from design to manufacturing, achieving learning where theory and implementation are not separated.
Symbolic of this educational model is the handling of 5-axis machining by students from their second year of undergraduate studies. 5-axis machining is an advanced manufacturing technique used in fields such as aerospace and motorsports, and is typically dealt with in graduate school or corporate training.
However, at Kogakuin University, students experience a flow that includes:
* Design
* Analysis
* Machining
* Verification
from an early stage.
«It is too late if we wait until they join a research lab. It is important to be exposed to practice at an early stage» (Hamane)
This initiative was adopted as an educational equipment development project by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in fiscal year 2023, and its significance is recognized at the national level.
Supporting this education is Autodesk Fusion®.
Fusion is a cloud platform that integrates:
* Design
* Analysis
* Manufacturing preparation
* Data sharing
within a single environment.
Rumi Shimada, a third-year student in the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering at Kogakuin University and leader of the solar car team, says:
"By using Fusion, we were able to proceed with everything from design to manufacturing in a single flow. Sharing data on the cloud and communicating with members and professors in real-time has greatly improved development speed'."
Students share designs on the cloud, discuss them through comments, and proceed through a cycle of connecting to manufacturing and verification.
As a result of this education, students are engaged in the development of a solar car. Notably, first and second-year students are primarily responsible for the design and manufacturing.
"We were able to experience the entire process from design to manufacturing in about a year and a half. By connecting classes and projects, we were able to learn through actual development" (Shimada)."
The entire car body is manufactured in-house and successfully traversed approximately 3,000 km under the harsh conditions of the Australian continent in the world's premier solar car race, the 'Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025'.
During the race, a part breakage incident occurred. However, the students themselves analyzed the cause, revised the design, and manufactured the replacement parts.
"Because we designed and manufactured it ourselves, we were able to think of repair methods and respond on-site" (Shimada)."
This is not just technical skill, but the ability to solve problems in real-world situations.
Hamane speaks about proactivity as follows:
"Proactivity is not fostered through lectures. It is cultivated through the experience of actually working with our hands, thinking, and making mistakes'."
This educational model fosters proactivity through a process of:
* Independently identifying challenges
* Trialing
* Improving
Nakanishi states regarding this initiative:
"The concept of Design & Make lies in seamlessly connecting design and manufacturing in a continuous flow. Kogakuin University's initiative is a symbolic example of this concept being implemented in education'."
Through these initiatives, Autodesk and Kogakuin University are co-creating a new relationship between education and industry.
Amidst growing labor shortages, what is required is not merely the acquisition of knowledge, but the cultivation of the 'ability to learn, create, and improve oneself' through experience in actual work environments.
Autodesk will continue to further promote the development of next-generation manufacturing talent through its collaboration with Kogakuin University.
Autodesk Inc. and Kogakuin University have jointly presented an educational model that offers one answer to these challenges.
Tomoyuki Nakanishi, President of Autodesk Inc., commented on the current situation:
"What companies face today is not a shortage of technology, but a shortage of people who can master technology. Especially with the progress of AI and digital technologies, there is a demand for individuals who can grasp design, manufacturing, and implementation as a single entity. Previously, design and manufacturing were separate, but this boundary is disappearing. That is why learning from the educational stage must be based on the premise of 'making'."
The type of talent companies are seeking is definitively changing. To adapt to this change, the redesign of education itself is required.
At Kogakuin University, they have constructed an educational model that integrates what were traditionally separate:
* Classes (Theory)
* Projects (Practice)
* Design and Manufacturing
Professor Hiroto Hamane of the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Kogakuin University explains:
"What we aim for is not just individuals who can design, but 'individuals who can create things that actually work.' Not just drawing diagrams, but processing, verifying, and improving with their own hands. It is important to provide experience in this entire process. By connecting classes and student projects as an integrated workflow, rather than separating them, we are creating an environment where learning is directly applied to practice'."
Students experience the entire process from design to manufacturing, achieving learning where theory and implementation are not separated.
Symbolic of this educational model is the handling of 5-axis machining by students from their second year of undergraduate studies. 5-axis machining is an advanced manufacturing technique used in fields such as aerospace and motorsports, and is typically dealt with in graduate school or corporate training.
However, at Kogakuin University, students experience a flow that includes:
* Design
* Analysis
* Machining
* Verification
from an early stage.
«It is too late if we wait until they join a research lab. It is important to be exposed to practice at an early stage» (Hamane)
This initiative was adopted as an educational equipment development project by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in fiscal year 2023, and its significance is recognized at the national level.
Supporting this education is Autodesk Fusion®.
Fusion is a cloud platform that integrates:
* Design
* Analysis
* Manufacturing preparation
* Data sharing
within a single environment.
Rumi Shimada, a third-year student in the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering at Kogakuin University and leader of the solar car team, says:
"By using Fusion, we were able to proceed with everything from design to manufacturing in a single flow. Sharing data on the cloud and communicating with members and professors in real-time has greatly improved development speed'."
Students share designs on the cloud, discuss them through comments, and proceed through a cycle of connecting to manufacturing and verification.
As a result of this education, students are engaged in the development of a solar car. Notably, first and second-year students are primarily responsible for the design and manufacturing.
"We were able to experience the entire process from design to manufacturing in about a year and a half. By connecting classes and projects, we were able to learn through actual development" (Shimada)."
The entire car body is manufactured in-house and successfully traversed approximately 3,000 km under the harsh conditions of the Australian continent in the world's premier solar car race, the 'Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2025'.
During the race, a part breakage incident occurred. However, the students themselves analyzed the cause, revised the design, and manufactured the replacement parts.
"Because we designed and manufactured it ourselves, we were able to think of repair methods and respond on-site" (Shimada)."
This is not just technical skill, but the ability to solve problems in real-world situations.
Hamane speaks about proactivity as follows:
"Proactivity is not fostered through lectures. It is cultivated through the experience of actually working with our hands, thinking, and making mistakes'."
This educational model fosters proactivity through a process of:
* Independently identifying challenges
* Trialing
* Improving
Nakanishi states regarding this initiative:
"The concept of Design & Make lies in seamlessly connecting design and manufacturing in a continuous flow. Kogakuin University's initiative is a symbolic example of this concept being implemented in education'."
Through these initiatives, Autodesk and Kogakuin University are co-creating a new relationship between education and industry.
Amidst growing labor shortages, what is required is not merely the acquisition of knowledge, but the cultivation of the 'ability to learn, create, and improve oneself' through experience in actual work environments.
Autodesk will continue to further promote the development of next-generation manufacturing talent through its collaboration with Kogakuin University.