About
Open InnovationDivision
The Open Innovation Division is responsible for developing and strengthening collaborative frameworks between campuses and campus offices and organizations to create and advance joint research projects for industry-academia collaboration. The department also supports external contract negotiations and their conclusion, as well as partnerhip management. By creating and advancing major joint research with large corporations and startups, we will accelerate the application of Keio University’s research findings in society.
Member
Masami Iida
Director of Open Innovation Division, Project Professor
Masami Iida
Director of Open Innovation Division, Project Professor
Masami Iida is the head of the Open Innovation Division at the Keio University Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a position he has held since November 2023. Iida supports the development and strengthening of collaborative frameworks between campuses, campus offices, and organizations, to accelerate the real-world implementation of research seeds generated by the university scientists and continue to respond to the unmet needs of the world. Prior to joining Keio University, he has experience in both the research and development divisions at Seikagaku Corporation as the Central Research Laboratory Vice President, Head of Research Strategy, and Department Manager Drug Discovery. During his 25 years in drug discovery research and development, he has engaged in discovery of several clinical stage compounds and multiple development candidates, mainly on orthopedic disorders and ophthalmic diseases, and oversaw collaborative research agreements with domestic and international academic institutions. Iida received a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo.
Akio Kakefuda
Project Professor
Akio Kakefuda
Project Professor
Akio Kakefuda joined the Open Innovation Division in October 2023 to contribute to the real-world implementation of research seeds generated by the university scientists and increase the associated intellectual property income. He spent 15 and a half years at the drug discovery research division of Astellas Pharma Inc. working as a medicinal chemist for 11 drug discovery research projects and contributing to the discovery of 4 clinical development compounds. Kakefuda then pivoted to business development and was involved in various provisional business projects spanning research collaboration, technology/development program licenses, company acquisitions, and product/asset divestiture, which he did for 15 years. Kakefuda graduated from Hokkaido University and received a Ph.D. from the Tokyo University of Science.
Yusuke Hirano
Project Associate Professor
Yusuke Hirano
Project Associate Professor
Yusuke Hirano joined the Open Innovation Division in September 2023 to contribute to the promotion of collaborative research activities at the university. He spent 20 years as a researcher in the Drug Discovery Research Division of Astellas Pharma Inc., during which time he was involved in 10 pre-clinical research projects and contributed to the creation of two clinical development products. Hirano was then put in charge of research-related contracting, and over the following 12 years oversaw many collaborative research agreements with domestic and international academic institutions and private companies, and was involved in strategic research partnerships with several academic institutions in Japan. Hirano holds an Master of Science from Tokyo Metropolitan University.
Kazumi Takebe
Project Associate Professor
Kazumi Takebe
Project Associate Professor
Kazumi Takebe joined the Open Innovation Division in August 2023 to contribute to bridging the gap between world-class Japanese researchers and global business/social implementation. As a business consultant in a research and consulting firm, she supported bio-ventures and major manufacturers’ entry into the medical/healthcare markets, as well as industry-government-academia projects. She was also in charge of new product marketing strategy for several blockbuster drugs at three major foreign pharmaceutical companies and leading the customer insights and analytics division. Since going independent in 2019, she has supported new business development and R&D strategy planning in the pharmaceutical, medical device, life and general insurance, and systems development industries, while devising market strategy for startup companies. Takebe holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA).