Keio UniversityOffice of Innovationand Entrepreneurship

At the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we define innovation as the process of nurturing a spark of curiosity born in the lab into a mechanism that enriches society, fusing both diverse knowledge and perspectives. While developing groundbreaking products and services is certainly important, in a university setting, it is the continuous cycle of ideas and exploration itself that lies at the heart of innovation.
As science and technology advance, specialization deepens. That is why, beyond segmented expertise, it is essential to engage in dialogue across disciplines and cultures, embracing diverse viewpoints with openness and flexibility. Today, when cutting-edge knowledge holds significant influence on society, we must also move forward with a strong sense of ethics and responsibility.
Keio University fosters a culture that values open dialogue, creative thinking, and a spirit that embraces challenge. The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship seeks to further cultivate this fertile ground, functioning as a hub where the bold inspire and empower the next generation of innovators.
Our mission proceeds from the spirit of our founder, Yukichi Fukuzawa, who advocated kyūkō jissen, which means to act upon one’s beliefs and lead by example. Using this spirit of independence and self-respect, let us each showcase our full potential to the world, and together harness the winds of change that will usher in a better future.

The Keio University Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship includes the Startup Division, the Intellectual Property Division, and the Strategic Planning Section. Working together, they promote the real-world implementation of university research findings. Through the commercialization of intellectual assets, research outcomes find their way into the hands of consumers. This allows the university to see a return on their investment in research and generate a profit which, in turn, can be allocated toward further research and educational programs, leading to more new technologies with more real-world applications. This cycle is at the core our innovation ecosystem, and the ultimate goal of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Researchers pour their lives into their work, and we strive to follow that example, create a thriving ecosystem, and tackle the social challenges facing our world through passion and a strong business mindset.

By teaming up with industry partners and leveraging Keio University’s collective knowledge, technical skills, and the intellectual assets of its researchers, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship has established itself as a launchpad for driving advanced, knowledge-intensive industries through the formation of ecosystems for innovation and startup creation. The office consists of the Startup Division and the Intellectual Property Division, along with the Strategic Planning Office, which coordinates the two divisions. The office maintains a diverse portfolio of projects involving various stakeholders from outside of the university.