Activity Report
Public release of “Public Affairs Guidebook (Basic Edition)”
We have released the “Public Affairs (PA) Guidance: Basic Edition,” which had previously been available only to ICF members, to the general public.
Please refer to more details at
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24377/ (in Japanese)
Inaugural General Meeting of the Japan CDR Coalition (September 11)
Mitsubishi Research Institute and Mitsubishi Corporation announced their plans to launch the Japan CDR Coalition. They looked to help accelerate efforts to promote and scale up carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which targets airborne CO2.
The Coalition has started its activities with 6 Promoter Members and 55 General Members. It will undertake a range of activities aimed at advancing the development and deployment of CDR in Japan and beyond. Plans include new research and analysis on CDR, policy proposals, and training programs. The Coalition will also share its findings and create communications on the importance of CDR and its potential. It will collaborate with organizations and stakeholders involved in CDR in Japan and around the world.
To mark the establishment of the Council, the inaugural general meeting was held on September 11, with about 200 participants joining both on-site and online.
A full event report and the official LinkedIn page of the Coalition will be published soon.
Official news release:
https://www.mri.co.jp/en/news/20250806.html
Exploring the Future Society Shaped by “Real” Technology at the Expo 2025
ICF is expanding beyond traditional societal-challenge initiatives to focus on tech-driven solutions.
In July 2025, we visited the Expo site in Osaka, Kansai, to see the latest innovations firsthand.
Among them, we were particularly impressed by technologies that don’t just exist in digital space, but act directly in the real world-what we call “Real” Technology.
We highlighted these innovations, their impact at the Expo, and the future society they could help shape in a two-part column:
– Part 1: Exploring the Current State of “Real” Technology at the Expo 2025
https://icf.mri.co.jp/information/information-24434 (in Japanese)
– Part 2: The Impact of Showcasing “Real” Technology at the Expo 2025
https://icf.mri.co.jp/information/information-24447 (in Japanese)
ICF Autumn Forum 2025 (September 17)
The ICF Autumn Forum 2025 was held on September 17 In addition to reports on societal issue research and sharing the activity plans for the second half of the year, pitches were conducted by member companies working in the fields of robotics, AI, mobility, and measures against loneliness and social isolation, as well as by Startup Island TAIWAN, a Taiwanese startup community support organization.
More details and the event report will be provided at a later date.
Acaric Co., Ltd. and ICF Co-hosted Seminar: “Rethinking Doctoral Talent: Breaking Conventional Views” (September 18)
With the release of the government’s Guidebook for Promoting Doctoral Talent in Private Companies in March 2025, interest in hiring PhD talent in Japan is on the rise.
ICF member Acaric Co., Ltd., which operates a platform used by one in two PhDs seeking private-sector roles, together with Mitsubishi Research Institute, which supported the guidebook’s creation, will co-host a three-part free seminar series on understanding, evaluating, and leveraging doctoral talent.
The first part was held on September 18, where humanities and science PhDs shared about their real-world career experiences.
In parts 2 and 3 (live on September 25 and October 2), guest companies will share case studies on hiring and utilizing PhD talent. If your company is involved in or curious about PhD recruitment in Japan, don’t miss this opportunity!
For more details and registration (in Japanese), please refer to:
– Part 1: https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24328/
– Part 2: https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24500/
– Part 3: https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24512/
Robotics Study Group #3 : Cutting-edge Robot Research and its Path to Social Implementation (September 24)
On September 24, ICF will host a visit to Department of Mechanical Engineering at Institute of Science Tokyo, where leading-edge robot research is underway.
This event offers a unique opportunity to observe “deep tech” research, a focus area of our study group, and see how it is being translated into real-world applications through collaboration with industry.
During the visit, we will visit the laboratories of Shingo Maeda and Hiroyuki Nabae, who are conducting pioneering research in soft robotics. Following the lab tour, presentations will be given by Professor Maeda, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., and Mitsubishi Research Institute, covering an introduction to cutting-edge robotics research, social implementation through open innovation, and future societal impact and Japan’s strategic opportunities.
This will be the first in-person event for the ICF Robotics Study Group.
Please refer to more details at
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24107/ (in Japanese)
Upcoming Activities
Tenth session of ICF Online Discussion: Exploring the Next Challenges and Solutions for Promoting Women’s Empowerment (September 25)
For the next ICF online Discussion, we will focus on promoting women’s active participation in the workplace. While efforts have been made to reach that goal, many challenges remain at the operational level. Women building their careers often face the dual burden of work and caregiving responsibilities, highlighting the need for concrete support measures and the sharing of successful initiatives.
This discussion will provide an overview of the current state of women’s empowerment in companies, showcase real-world case studies, and offer practical know-how. We invite you to join us as we explore the first steps toward addressing these challenges together.
Please refer to more details at
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24319/ (in Japanese)
A Future Society Connected by Data: Linking Healthcare, Business, and Citizens (September 30)
Diverse data-from genomics and electronic health records (EHR/PHR) to communication infrastructure and cloud platforms-is transforming society and industry. ICF (Mitsubishi Research Institute) and the Healthcare Innovation Association (ICF member) will co-host an in-person discussion session on September 30 to explore how medical and life science data is collected and utilized, discuss its impact on industry and daily life, and envision the future society it creates.
This event will feature TXP Medical Co., Ltd., which is promoting medical data-focused initiatives, Xcoo, Inc., which is a leading company in life sciences data analysis, and NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Inc., which is actively supporting social infrastructure and business.
A networking session will follow the talk, and we look forward to your participation!
Please refer to more details at
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24428/ (in Japanese)
Registration:
https://mri.smartseminar.jp/public/application/add/9785 (in Japanese)
New ICF Members
From August 8 to September 11, 4 companies/organizations joined ICF.
《Current list of ICF members》
https://icf.mri.co.jp/member/ (in Japanese)