Activity Report
Preliminary Report on Results of Perception Survey Regarding Societal Issues (November 5)
ICF conducted a perception survey on societal issues, covering 30 themes across 7 focus areas (DE&I, Education and Human Resource Development, Energy and Environment, Mobility, Food and Agriculture, Resilience, Wellness) that are expected to be resolved through innovation.
The preliminary results show that on the one hand, respondents have a strong awareness of societal issues that are immediate and closely connected to daily life. On the other, some topics, such as DE&I and career development continue to receive relatively low levels of recognition and priority.
These results indicate clear disparities in awareness and perceived importance across the various themes.
Furthermore, it is essential to engage more with younger generations -through educational programs and hands-on opportunities- to raise their awareness of societal issues and encourage them to take action in resolving those issues.
News Release: https://www.mri.co.jp/news/press/20251105.html (in Japanese)
Article Published on MRI note (October 30)
How do companies use the “Listings of Societal Issues 2025”? Cases from NTT DATA Japan Corporation and Mitsubishi Shokuhin Co., Ltd.
NTT DATA Japan Corporation has established a new company to focus on nursing care to support company employees in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities.
Mitsubishi Shokuhin Co., Ltd. analyzed food and environmental issues and shared the results across its entire supply chain.
This session will share practical insights on how to launch new businesses originated from societal issues and how to implement co-creation initiatives.
MRI note: https://note.mri.co.jp/n/n134e6101da95 (in Japanese)
Reports Released for the Events Held in September
The following event reports have been published, with the release dates included in parentheses.
– ICF Autumn Forum 2025 (October 17)
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24732/ (in Japanese)
– Robotics Study Group #3: From cutting-edge robotics research to societal implementation (October 31)
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24818/ (in Japanese)
– Inaugural general assembly and commemorative event of the Japan CDR Coalition (October 31)
https://icf.mri.co.jp/j-cdr/information/jcdr-report20251031/ (in Japanese)
ICF Quarterly Report (July to September 2025)
ICF Quarterly Report (July to September 2025), which was previously released exclusively to ICF members, has now been made available to the public.
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/?lang=en
Upcoming Activities
Eleventh session of ICF Online Discussion: Discover the Seeds of Innovation for the Future Society Together with College
There is often a gap between universities and companies regarding the utilization of academic research. How can businesses make effective use of the cutting-edge technologies and knowledge held by universities?
Professor Kiyoko Mashio, a specially appointed professor at Institute of Science Tokyo, will engage in a discussion on emerging opportunities for collaboration between academia and industry.
Please refer to more details at
https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-25029/ (in Japanese)
Registration:
https://mri.smartseminar.jp/public/application/add/9884 (in Japanese)
Nuclear Fusion Energy Study Groups #1 and #2 (December 12 and December 19)
The first session will focus on understanding the fundamentals and emerging trends of nuclear fusion, featuring an explanation of the Fusion Energy White Paper published by the industrial organization J-Fusion in June 2025. Mitsubishi Research Institute will also share the latest information on the fusion industry.
The second session will focus on how fusion reactor development projects are actually managed. It will explore the current state of technological development and the upcoming needs and challenges by focusing on major projects such as ITER, FAST, and Helix Program, led by major industrial players in Japan.
These study groups aim to broaden the foundation of the fusion energy industry. Those who have little or no prior experience with nuclear fusion are also warmly welcomed to join the event.
Please refer to more details at
Session #1: https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24942/ (in Japanese)
Registration:
https://forms.office.com/r/fjcz9uCN0b?origin=lprLink (in Japanese)
Session #2: https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-24954/ (in Japanese)
Registration:
https://forms.office.com/r/u5VnsHwHDu?origin=lprLink (in Japanese)
New ICF Members
From October 7 to November 13, 5 companies/organizations joined ICF.
《Current list of ICF members》
https://icf.mri.co.jp/member/ (in Japanese)