Keio UniversityOffice of Innovationand Entrepreneurship

What is the “innovation” in our office’s name? For companies, innovation may refer to the creation of new services and products. But for universities, innovation is the process of finding real-world applications for researchers’ work to improve people’s lives—the end result being ingenuity that benefits many. A university is a place where bright and talented young people can get together and engage on a deep level with experts who are leaders in advanced disciplines of learning. In due time, these young people will become the leaders of the next generation with the ability to change organizations and make a lasting impact on society. The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship utilizes academia’s strengths while serving as an organization to create a pro-innovation environment around the world. And at the root of that is the spirit of Keio University founder Yukichi Fukuzawa’s philosophy “kyuko jissen“, or acting on one’s principles.

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.