Kochi Prefecture x Hyper Interdisciplinary Conference in Agri-Tech Forum

Conference Theme
Creating the Future of Kochi's Agriculture with Technology
Day & Time
Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 13:00-17:30
Place
Chiyori Machi Terrace Chiyoterra Hall *Online participation is also possible (free of charge)Access

Kochi Prefecture aims to attract start-up companies and researchers with advanced technological seeds to the prefecture and collaborate with businesses and entrepreneurs in the prefecture to create highly unique demonstration projects in Kochi's rich natural environment.
which is developing a platform for the creation of new knowledge, the "Society of Hyperdisciplinarity," throughout Japan, we are pleased to announce the Agri-Tech Forum, which will focus on the assets Kochi Prefecture possesses and what can be done with the knowledge of startup companies and researchers.

We invite you to join the forum and start a new project together!

<Format
Residents in Kochi Prefecture can participate at Chiyori Machi Terrace Chiyoterra Hall. Online participation is also available. (The moderator and speakers from companies in Kochi Prefecture will be speaking at Chiyoterra Hall.)
*Online only may be available depending on the status of the spread of coronavirus infection. Please understand this in advance.

<To whom it may concern
Companies and entrepreneurs interested in new business development, producers, industrial support organizations, higher education institutions, students, municipalities, etc.

<Project Keywords.
Stable production, cultivation technology, product value, unutilized resources, etc.

<Registration
Audience participation deadline: last minute registration possible

<For Poster Presenters and Booth Presenters
Poster and booth presentations will be in the form of a 3-minute pitch.

<Participation fee for auditing
There will be no charge for auditing participation.

<Implementation System
Organized by: Kochi Prefecture
Operated by: LIVERNESS Co.
Supported by: Kochi Bank, Kochi Shinkin Bank, Shikoku Bank, The Shoko Chukin Bank, Japan Finance Corporation, Hata Shinkin Bank, Kochi Industrial Promotion Center, Kochi Prefectural University Cooperative Council, Kochi Prefecture Agricultural Cooperative Central Association

This forum will be held under the Kochi Prefecture New Business Creation Human Resource Development Project for FY 2020.

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Download below

Wednesday, September 16, 2020 13:00 - 17:30

13:00-13:10

  • Chiyoterra Hall/Online

Opening Talk (Opening Ceremony)


Director, Kochi Prefecture; Director, Center for Industry-Academia-Government-Private Partnership
Hirochika Sawada
Joined the Kochi Prefectural Government in 1987. After joining the government, he completed the Regional Policy Course at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. After serving as Director of the Planning and Promotion Division, Director of the Cultural Promotion Division, and Director of the Human Resources Division, he became Deputy Director of the Industrial Development and Promotion Division in 2016, in charge of population issues, comprehensive strategies, and regional development. He is also in charge of the management of the Industry-Academia-Government-Private Cooperation Center (commonly known as Kokopura) and various other measures to enable industry, academia, and government to work together to promote industry and solve regional problems.


Regional Development Division, LIVANES, Inc.
Masayuki Kishimoto
Born in Kochi Prefecture. M.S. (Science), Graduate School of Comprehensive Human and Natural Sciences, Kochi University. Joined LIBANES with the aim of realizing a society in which mathematicians play an active role. While communicating the fun of mathematics and science through the development of educational CSR programs in collaboration with companies, the development of math research experience classes, and the production of "someone", an introductory science booklet for junior high and high school students, he is also responsible for creating new businesses in Miyagi, Shiga, Osaka, and other regions.

 

13:10-13:20

  • Chiyoterra Hall/Online

keynote speech
Agri-Tech will change! Agriculture, Forestry, and Livestock Bring True Wealth

summary

<Speakers


Group CEO and Representative Director, LIVERNESS Co.
Yukihiro Maru
D. in Applied Biotechnology from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo. 2002, while still a graduate student, he founded LIBANES with only undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering. In 2002, while still in graduate school, he founded LIVERNESS, a business that offers "delivery laboratory classes in cutting-edge science" for the first time in Japan. He operates a "knowledge manufacturing business" that creates new knowledge by combining technologies and management resources that lie dormant in universities and local communities. As the instigator of one of Asia's largest venture ecosystems, he works to solve global-scale social issues by discovering deep tech from around the world. He is also an innovator involved in the launch of numerous deep tech ventures, including Euglena.

13:20-14:10

  • Chiyoterra Hall/Online

Session 1 Panel Discussion
What are the necessary elements for profitable agriculture?

Various technologies such as robots and sensing systems have been introduced in the agricultural industry to solve problems such as stable production, light labor, and automation. However, these technologies do not always lead to solutions or profitability, depending on the production environment and human resources. In this session, we will discuss how to solve issues in the field and make profitable agriculture through the use of technology and human resource development by presenting issues in the field from the perspective of Ohara Noen, a company that has introduced cutting-edge agricultural technology and a start-up company that has introduced new cultivation technology and robots. The participants will discuss how to solve the problems in the field through the use of technology and human resource development, and how to make farming more profitable.

<Speakers

Ohara Noen Co.
President and Representative Director
Yoshiaki Ohara

At the age of 25, he started farming in Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, where horticulture is popular. 31 years old, he transferred the management of his farm to another farmer and expanded its scale. When he participated in a study tour of the Netherlands conducted by Kochi Prefecture, he learned about environmental control technology, which he later introduced to increase yields. At the age of 37, he incorporated and established Ohara Noen Co., Ltd. and the following year, he expanded the scale of cultivation with next-generation greenhouses and challenged to grow peppers using nutrient solution cultivation. Currently, in addition to improving cultivation techniques, he is working on improving the working environment, working style, and studying management.


AGRIST Corporation
Director and COO
Yoshihiko Takahashi

Born in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, he began designing at a printing company at the age of 10. After graduating from high school, he went to the U.S. by himself. Studied design, video, and web production at a university in Silicon Valley, USA. After returning to Japan, he established an advertising agency. He has achieved a great deal of success with government agencies and large corporations. Later, he started a crowdfunding project to develop human resources and rehabilitate vacant houses. In August 2018, he moved to Miyazaki Prefecture with his family. He established AGRIST to contribute to the future of humanity by solving global agricultural issues from rural Japan.


Agri Blue Corporation
President and Representative Director
Hiroshi Kajiyama

Realizing that weak light, about one-millionth of sunlight, greatly promotes plant growth and secondary metabolism, he began research on next-generation cultivation technology for leafy greens, fruit trees, seaweed, and microalgae. They aim to implement the technology in outdoor cultivation, institutional horticulture, and artificially-lit plant factories. After working at Hitachi, Ltd., the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, and the graduate school of Hiroshima University, he joined the Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokushima Bunri University in 2012. He holds a Doctor of Science. He specializes in surface physics and photophysics. During his time at Hitachi, he was exposed to Japan's first plant factory research, an experience that is useful today.

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Agronome Research Institute, Inc.
President and Representative Director
(Leave a Nest Co.,Ltd.)
Yosuke Miyauchi

D. (Agronomy), Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University. In graduate school, he worked with local researchers in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to establish high-yield cultivation technology for soybean. At RIVANES, he is involved in research projects based on his experience, and in 2019, he established the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Research Center to actively promote cross-sectional research in the field of agriculture. In the same year, he became the president of Agronome Research Institute, Inc. to conduct projects and research on the realization of fully cyclical agriculture for sustainable food production.

14:20-15:10

  • Chiyoterra Hall/Online

Session 2: Agri-Tech Case Studies
Agri-tech is being implemented in the field

Kochi Prefecture boasts long hours of sunshine, but is prone to typhoons and rain, making it difficult to cultivate wine grapes due to its high temperature and humidity. In this session, Mr. Nishioka of Kisvin Science, who aims to improve the quality of wine grapes by using sap flow sensors and grafting technology, Mr. Tsuboi of SAgri, who uses satellite data to sense farmland, and representatives from Inoue Lime Industry will discuss the effectiveness of introducing technology into the agricultural field and how to improve quality. Ltd. will discuss the effectiveness of introducing technology in agriculture and approaches to improving quality, using case studies.

<Speakers

Kisvin Science Corporation
Director CTO/COO (Inventor)
Kazuhiro Nishioka
He developed a low-cost sap flow sensor that measures the flow rate of sap sucked up by plants from their roots, and founded several ventures at the University of Tokyo to promote the use of the sensor in the agricultural scene. He has been involved in winery management mainly in Yamanashi for the past 15 years, and has also worked as a flying consultant both in Japan and abroad. He is the founder of the online salon "Wine Kaitai Shinsho" (New Book of Wine Demystification) with internationally active Japanese winemakers.


SAgri Corporation
Representative Director Global CEO
Shunsuke Tsuboi
While a student at Yokohama National University, he founded UCHU Co. He later founded SAgri Corporation, which utilizes satellite data for agriculture. He was also commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) to build a system to digitize farmland management that relies on visual inspection and paperwork through satellite data and machine learning. In addition, he is accelerating the business globally and creating new business opportunities in order to realize the current status of farmland and production forecasting in a wide area. The company has received 13 awards in the past.


Inoue Lime Industry Co.
Manager, Breeding Group
Hirofumi Ohata
Born in Shimane Prefecture. After majoring in fruit trees at Kochi University, he worked for a company dealing with irrigation systems. He was mainly involved in the cultivation and management of high-sugar tomatoes. In 2014, he joined Inoue Lime Kogyo Co., Ltd. and was involved in the cultivation of a proprietary tomato variety. He then became involved in the company's wine grape cultivation.

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Leave a Nest Co., Ltd.
Director, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Center
(Agronome Research Institute, Inc.)
Yosuke Miyauchi

D. (Agronomy), Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University. In graduate school, he worked with local researchers in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to establish high-yield cultivation technology for soybean. At RIVANES, he is involved in research projects based on his experience, and in 2019, he established the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Research Center to actively promote cross-sectional research in the field of agriculture. In the same year, he became the president of Agronome Research Institute, Inc. to conduct projects and research on the realization of fully cyclical agriculture for sustainable food production.

 

15:20-15:50

  • Chiyoterra Hall/Online

Pitches by start-up companies, researchers, Kochi Prefecture businesses, etc.
Poster and Booth Presentations

summary

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Business Name Presentation Theme
1 Agri-Shot Corporation Agri-Shot, a pest AI diagnostic application
2 Agri-Light Research Institute, Inc. Investigation into the construction of a cultivation environment for pesticide-free ginger using light
3 Grand Green Corporation Grafting Cassettes Revolutionizing Grafted Seedling Production
4 SOFIX Agricultural Promotion Organization We support soil cultivation that energizes soil microorganisms.
5 FKG Corporation Agricultural production using a new functional soil conditioner made from ash
6 Kochi Agricultural Council Introduction of Koch Agri-Management Club
7 Admetec Corporation Quality preservation technology for agricultural products that does not rely on chemicals
8 Shiraki Orchard Labor-saving transportation and production for the next generation
9 Monju Co. Proposal for low-tech local resource recycling agri-tech
10 Fight Chemical Products Co. Creating Infinite Value from Untapped Resources

 

16:00-16:50

  • Chiyoterra Hall/Online

Session 3 Panel Discussion
Businesses utilizing unutilized resources that are circulating local resources

Various unused resources are generated in the production and processing of agricultural products. These resources remain unutilized due to cost, but through the collaboration of technology and businesses, some of them have become resources and new businesses have been born. In this session, Mr. Yamashita of Kochi Agricultural Cooperative will talk about the current issues regarding yuzu juice residue, one of the unutilized resources generated in the prefecture, and Mr. Sakai of Farmen Station, who grows high-yield rice in fallow rice fields to produce functional ethanol, will discuss the commercialization of ethanol made from apple juice residue in partnership with Farmen Station. Mr. Sakai from Farmen Station, who grows high-yield rice in fallow fields to produce functional ethanol, and Mr. Toriumi from East Japan Railway Company, who worked with Farmen Station to produce ethanol from apple juice residue and commercialize it, will discuss the possibility of utilizing unused resources.

<Speakers

Kochi Agricultural Cooperative
Agricultural Products Sales Section, Agriculture and Livestock Department, Agriculture and Marketing Division
full-time section manager
Tsukasa Yamashita

In October 1998, it was merged into Tosa Aki Agricultural Cooperative Association, and on January 1, 2019, two federations of 12 JAs were merged into Kochi Agricultural Cooperative Association. Kochi Prefecture boasts the largest production of yuzu in Japan, and 7,000 to 8,000 tons of yuzu balls (raw material) for processing are brought to JA plants annually. He is involved in the marketing of yuzu for processing, and aims to promote the commercialization of its juice, peel, seeds, and other products.


Furmen Station Co.
CEO
Rina Sakai

The company is developing a regional recycling system to produce ethanol and distillation lees from unused resources. Rice-derived organic ethanol and distillation lees are sold to major cosmetics manufacturers as raw materials for cosmetics and sundries, and original products are planned and sold to major select stores. The company is developing a small-scale, self-sustainable regional recycling system with zero waste, both domestically and internationally. Currently, rice is the raw material, but in the future, the company aims to create a platform for value-added products by using a variety of raw materials.


East Japan Railway Company
Business Development Group, New Business and Regional Revitalization Division, Business Creation Headquarters
Taro Toriumi

Born in Tachikawa City, Tokyo, he joined East Japan Railway Company in 2003. After working as a station attendant and conductor in Yamagata Prefecture, he joined the International Division, where he was involved in overseas railroad projects such as the Indian High Speed Rail, etc. From 2018, at the Business Creation Division, he has been in charge of promoting collaboration with startup companies in the JR East Startup Program, food recycling and biogas power generation projects with the JFE Engineering Group, and a partnership with the German next-generation indoor vertical farming startup Infarm. He is also in charge of the food recycling and biogas power generation business with the JFE Engineering Group, and the partnership with Infarm, a next-generation indoor vertical farming startup in Germany.

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Leave a Nest Co., Ltd.
Representative Director, Group CEO
Yukihiro Maru
D. in Applied Biotechnology from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo. 2002, while still a graduate student, he founded LIBANES with only undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering. In 2002, while still in graduate school, he founded LIVERNESS, a business that offers "delivery laboratory classes in cutting-edge science" for the first time in Japan. He operates a "knowledge manufacturing business" that creates new knowledge by combining technologies and management resources that lie dormant in universities and local communities. As the instigator of one of Asia's largest venture ecosystems, he works to solve global-scale social issues by discovering deep tech from around the world. He is also an innovator involved in the launch of numerous deep tech ventures, including Euglena.

16:50-17:20

  • Chiyoterra Hall/Online

Pitches by start-up companies, researchers, Kochi Prefecture businesses, etc.
Poster and Booth Presentations

summary

.

Business Name Presentation Theme
11 Japan Moss Factory, Inc. Creating a new industry of moss with the potential to heal both the earth and human hearts
12 Terra Smile Corporation The Future of Smart Agriculture: RightARM Adopted in Southern Kyushu
13 Kochi Agricultural Cooperative To reduce labor on the farm and increase farmers' income
14 Tropical Style Co. Sense of balance as a JA-funded agricultural production corporation
15 tuliptongue (Lepidoptera tuliptta) Paddy weeding robots make organic farming easier!
16 General Incorporated Foundation INBOUND JAPAN Decomposes paint waste with microorganisms and converts it into solid fuel. Utilized for greenhouse cultivation
17 Agricultural Cooperative Shikoku Duroc Farm Duroc Farm's 6th stage initiatives and the future of agriculture
18 Musca Corporation Value Addition of Tosa Hachikin Chickens Using Yellow Fly Feed
19 Team GQ Beef Building a beef production system that fully utilizes land and science
20 Aku Planta Corporation State-of-the-art technology to protect crops from high temperatures and drought

 

17:20-17:30

Closing (Closing Ceremony)

<List of announcements

Business Name Presentation Theme
1 Agri-Shot Corporation Agri-Shot, a pest AI diagnostic application
2 Agri-Light Research Institute, Inc. Investigation into the construction of a cultivation environment for pesticide-free ginger using light
3 Grand Green Corporation Grafting Cassettes Revolutionizing Grafted Seedling Production
4 SOFIX Agricultural Promotion Organization We support soil cultivation that energizes soil microorganisms.
5 FKG Corporation Agricultural production using a new functional soil conditioner made from ash
6 Kochi Agricultural Council Introduction of Koch Agri-Management Club
7 Admetec Corporation Quality preservation technology for agricultural products that does not rely on chemicals
8 Shiraki Orchard Labor-saving transportation and production for the next generation
9 Monju Co. Proposal for low-tech local resource recycling agri-tech
10 Fight Chemical Products Co. Creating Infinite Value from Untapped Resources
11 Japan Moss Factory, Inc. Creating a new industry of moss with the potential to heal both the earth and human hearts
12 Terra Smile Corporation The Future of Smart Agriculture: RightARM Adopted in Southern Kyushu
13 Kochi Agricultural Cooperative To reduce labor on the farm and increase farmers' income
14 Tropical Style Co. Sense of balance as a JA-funded agricultural production corporation
15 tuliptongue (Lepidoptera tuliptta) Paddy weeding robots make organic farming easier!
16 General Incorporated Foundation INBOUND JAPAN Decomposes paint waste with microorganisms and converts it into solid fuel. Utilized for greenhouse cultivation
17 Agricultural Cooperative Shikoku Duroc Farm Duroc Farm's 6th stage initiatives and the future of agriculture
18 Musca Corporation Value Addition of Tosa Hachikin Chickens Using Yellow Fly Feed
19 Team GQ Beef Building a beef production system that fully utilizes land and science
20 Aku Planta Corporation State-of-the-art technology to protect crops from high temperatures and drought

Dear all visitors, please cooperate with us in taking measures against new strains of coronavirus infection.
Please wear a mask at the venue.
Please take your temperature and disinfect your hands at the reception desk.
If you have any of the items on the health checklist below, please refrain from participating.

<Health Check Sheet
1. fever.
2. difficulty breathing
3. cough symptoms
4. strong lethargy (fatigue)
5. sore throat
6. runny nose symptoms
7. vomiting symptoms
8. diarrhea.
9. a person living with the patient has cold symptoms with fever
10. history of travel abroad within 2 weeks
11. have had concentrated contact with a person residing abroad within 2 weeks
12. have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for novel coronavirus infection
*Excluding hay fever and allergy symptoms
*In cases where the above symptoms are chronic, only if the symptoms become particularly severe.

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