Mitsubishi Electric and Kobe University Establish Industry-Academia Collaborative Course: "Smart Sensing Course"

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (hereinafter, Mitsubishi Electric) and Kobe University (hereinafter, Kobe University) will establish an industry-academia collaborative course titled the "Smart Sensing Course" within the Kobe University College of System Informatics (CSI) on April 1, 2026. This course aims to promote the research and development of next-generation systems that integrate sensing and energy harvesting technologies (*1) and to achieve their implementation in society. The course will focus on the practical application of battery-less IoT sensors that do not require wiring or battery replacements. By enabling continuous data acquisition in "field" environments—such as environmental monitoring, disaster prevention, and infrastructure maintenance—this initiative will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by promoting digital transformation (DX) and creating new businesses.

To achieve DX, the acquisition and analysis of field data are essential, and there is a global demand for sensing in diverse environments across cities, regions, and industrial sectors. However, in practice, power constraints—such as the difficulty of wiring in many locations where sensors need to be installed, or the inability to frequently replace batteries after installation—pose challenges to obtaining necessary data in a timely and continuous manner. To solve these issues, there is a need to build new systems that integrate autonomous power supply to sensors with high-precision sensing.

Kobe University established the CSI in April 2025 as a new academic hub that emphasizes both research activities and social implementation. In response, Mitsubishi Electric and Kobe University will launch their first joint industry-academia course at the CSI in April 2026. By combining Kobe University's community-rooted network with the technical capabilities of Mitsubishi Electric, which maintains research and business bases in Hyogo Prefecture, the two parties will strengthen cooperation with local governments and companies to promote activities aimed at the social implementation of research results.

In this course, through research and development that fuses Kobe University's sensing technology with Mitsubishi Electric's energy harvesting technology, the partners will work to realize sensing in locations where it was previously difficult by building mechanisms for sensors to secure power autonomously. This will expand the application areas for sensors and accelerate DX in a wide range of fields, including environmental monitoring, disaster prevention, and infrastructure maintenance. Furthermore, the course will conduct practical, problem-solving-oriented research that emphasizes potential applications. The research and development results will be subjected to rapid Proof of Concept (PoC) (*3) testing, and by building a reliable and smooth social implementation process based on verification results, the partners will create new businesses, such as degradation diagnosis for infrastructure facilities, and promote activities aimed at solving local social issues.

Overview of the Industry-Academia Collaborative Course

Name: Smart Sensing Course Location: 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe University College of System Informatics (CSI) Duration: April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2029 (planned) Research Topic: Research, development, and social implementation of next-generation systems integrating sensing and energy harvesting Research Structure: <Kobe University, Graduate School of System Informatics> - Research Representative: Professor Futoshi Kobayashi - Research Staff: Professor Hiroyuki Nakamoto - Specially Appointed Professor: Yukio Goto (scheduled to be seconded from Mitsubishi Electric) - Specially Appointed Professor: Takeshi Musha (scheduled to be seconded from Mitsubishi Electric) <Mitsubishi Electric, Advanced Technology R&D Center, Sensor Information Processing System Technology Department> - Research Representative: Masateru Hayashi, Group Manager, Applied Physics Solutions Group - Research Staff: 1 person, Applied Physics Solutions Group

About Mitsubishi Electric Group With constant technological innovation and boundless creativity, the Mitsubishi Electric Group contributes to the realization of a vibrant and affluent society. We accelerate "Trade-On" activities that develop our business while enriching society and the environment, thereby achieving sustainability. Furthermore, by utilizing our digital platform "Serendie®," we aggregate and analyze data obtained from customers in digital space, and promote "Circular Digital Engineering" to create new value and contribute to solving social issues through strong internal collaboration and the sharing of wisdom. Since our founding in 1921, we have over 100 years of history and operate businesses in social systems, energy systems, defense and space systems, FA systems, automotive equipment, building systems, air conditioning and home appliances, digital innovation, and semiconductors and devices. With over 200 group companies worldwide and approximately 150,000 employees, our consolidated net sales for fiscal year 2024 were 5.5217 trillion yen. For more details, please visit www.MitsubishiElectric.co.jp.

About Kobe University Originating from the "Kobe Higher Commercial School" established in 1902, Kobe University has continued to develop under the academic spirit of "Integrity, Freedom, and Cooperation" and the founding philosophy of "Harmony between Theory and Reality." Today, it boasts one of the largest scales in Japan as a comprehensive university with 11 faculties and 15 graduate schools, centered on four academic fields: Humanities and Human Sciences, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Life and Medical Sciences. Aiming for further evolution, under the long-term vision of being a "Global Hub for Interdisciplinary Research and Education that Creates Knowledge and People," the university has established the "Digital Bio & Life Science Research Park (DBLR)." By centering innovation creation and social implementation efforts around the DBLR and expanding them across the entire university, we aim to transform into a global innovation campus.

*1 Technology that converts minute energy existing in the world in various forms, such as light, heat, vibration, and radio waves, into electrical energy for use. Press release dated February 12, 2025: https://www.MitsubishiElectric.co.jp/ja/pr/2025/0212/ *2 Abbreviation for College of System Informatics, an academic hub established by Kobe University in April 2025. The Department of Information Intelligence and Informatics of the Faculty of Engineering was reorganized into the Faculty of System Informatics, with the faculty and graduate school operated in an integrated manner. *3 Abbreviation for Proof of Concept, which involves verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of new concepts, theories, or ideas before moving them to productization.

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