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Upon completion of the Kyushu University Center for Advanced Medical Innovation, an opening ceremony was held at both the center and at the Kyushu University School of Medicine Centennial Hall on July 27, 2011. The center aims to promote joint efforts between industry and academia to develop and commercialize innovative medicines and medical devices.
The goal of the center is to commercialize research results achieved in the field of advanced medicine through clinical tests to be used in medical practice. The center building, which has six floors and a total space of 5,411 square meters, is equipped with facilities both for research and diagnosis, including research chambers, laboratories, a clinical trials unit, a clinic for out-patients, and operation rooms. The center is the first institute of its kind to be established among national universities in Japan.
The ceremony was attended by Hiroshi Ogawa, Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture, Kiyoshi Shimizu, Administrative Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and about three hundred other interested persons. At the ceremony, the director of the center, Makoto Hashizume (Professor of the Faculty of Medical Sciences) delivered an address, saying, “I am pleased to see the completion of the center, a facility which can cater to all the processes from research and development through clinical tests. It is my earnest wish that the center will play a vital role in promoting local industries as well as the public health, with the aim of commercializing the advanced medicinal technology as soon as possible.” President Setsuo Arikawa said in his remarks, “This center represents a new effort among industry, government and academia, and meets the needs for the development of innovative medical technology, medicines and medical devices.”
During the ceremony, a commemorative lecture titled, “The Future of Medicine and Challenges Facing Our Nation,” was delivered by Hiroo Imura, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University.
Following the ceremony, a memorandum to begin discussion toward the conclusion of academic exchange agreements was signed between the Center for Advanced Medical Innovation and the University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. Both parties plan to proceed with talks toward the conclusion of agreements aimed at promoting academic exchange and cooperation in advanced medicine, specifically, research and development, clinical trials, and human resource development.
Top: Ribbon-cutting in front of the main entrance of the center
Middle: Participants observing the suture with the use of 3D glasses
Bottom: Memorandum being signed by Wai Lun LAW, Professor and Division Chief of Colorectal Surgery, Hong Kong University and Makoto Hashizume, Director of the Center for Advanced Medical Innovation
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