The “Innovative GX Technology Creation Project (GteX)” will be launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and JST to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero as a whole, which the government has set as “carbon neutral in 2050”. It will be a research and development project aimed at creating innovation.
The background to the establishment of this innovative GX technology creation project by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) established the “Green Innovation Fund” in the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), and NEDO From around April 2021, we have been promoting research and development and commercialization of industrial technologies that maintain the global environment (the start time varies depending on the budget of the project and the selection process of the executor).
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and JST have put together the academic research of the research and development capabilities of universities and national research and development institutes to support the Green Innovation Fund project being implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and NEDO. In order to support research and development and commercialization from the academic side, it seems that it plans to “strengthen the research foundation and develop human resources” (the concrete plan is still under discussion).
The concept of the business is “Innovative batteries with low environmental impact and dramatic performance (electricity storage technology)”, “Hydrogen innovation (hydrogen conversion technology) based on the essential understanding of hydrogen functions”, and “New technologies by clarifying unknown metabolic pathways”. It seems that the three themes of “bio-production technology (bioproduction technology)” will be implemented (still under deliberation). We are proceeding with a plan to invest about 10 billion yen each fiscal year for these three themes over the next five years. It seems that each goal will have its own stage gate.
President Hashimoto said, “Researchers from universities and national research and development institutes in Japan will work as one team to promote this project and demonstrate Japan’s research and development capabilities.”
Outline of GteX business (Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Innovative GX Technology Development Subcommittee (2nd meeting) handout)
At the same press conference, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s large-scale research and development project, ALCA (advanced low-carbon technology development), has been underway since 2011. It was explained that in this project, nine teams had researched and developed nine themes, such as “electricity storage devices” and “solar cells and solar energy utilization systems.” Among them, the explanation by Fellow Kohei Uozaki of the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) about the actual state of the research and development team of the next-generation storage battery, which is believed to have achieved relatively good research and development results, was very suggestive. . Fellow Uozaki served as the Research Supervisor and Operation Supervisor (PO) for research and development on the theme of next-generation storage batteries.
In April 2013, research and development on the theme of next-generation storage batteries began, and four teams were organized to research and develop all-solid-state batteries and Kinzo-air batteries. To be more precise, in April 2013, an open call for research and development themes was made, and excellent themes were selected from among those proposed in June. rice field.
Fellow Uozaki explains, “The big result of the research and development results of this next-generation storage battery theme was the transfer of personnel from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.” When NEDO on the side of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry moves in parallel from the first stage to the second stage of advanced and innovative storage battery material evaluation technology development, university professors and others from the research and development team of the next-generation storage battery theme affiliated with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. transferred to NEDO as a researcher and developer to promote the second phase of advanced and innovative storage battery material evaluation technology development. Until now, there was a transfer of research and development results, but the reality was that there was almost no transfer of research and development personnel. At that time, about a dozen people were said to have moved.
This “innovative CX technology creation project” includes the aim of transferring personnel from the JST side of the research and development system side to the person in charge of developing the NEDO side of the research and development theme. can be estimated.
Although researchers at Japanese universities, graduate schools, and public R&D institutions have achieved research results in basic research, there is an image that they have not contributed much to the recent launch of new businesses by Japanese companies. . Researchers at Japanese universities and public research and development institutes have the intention of contributing to the foundation of each new business that will achieve “carbon neutrality” by 2050. It can be inferred that it is included in “creation business”.