Okayama University of Science established two new centers on April 1: the Center for Quality of All Lives, “IkimonoQOL” in Japanese, which aims to improve the well-being of both animals and humans, and the Entrepreneurship Center, which promotes entrepreneurial thinking and serves as a hub connecting academia, industry, government, and the community. Both centers are expected to generate significant impact by leveraging the university’s broad research capabilities.
The concept of “Quality of All Lives” brings together engineering faculty from the Okayama Campus and veterinary faculty from the Imabari Campus to develop innovative veterinary-related devices that enhance the quality of life (QOL) of pets, livestock, and their owners. Ongoing projects include a bandage pressure measurement device for veterinary nursing training, a system that allows animals to walk while receiving IV treatment, a rehabilitation wheelchair that enables therapy during walks, and an early diagnostic device for pet frailty. The initiative has also led to product development through industry–academia–government collaboration, such as tangle-resistant towels and pet food made from local specialty products.
These activities are now anchored in the newly established Center for Quality of All Lives with facilities on both the Okayama and Imabari campuses. The center is directed by Masumi Eto, Professor in the Department of Veterinary Medicine, with Tetsuya Akagi, Professor in the Department of Information Science and Engineering, serving as Deputy Director. Drawing on the strengths of a comprehensive university, the center brings together faculty and students from diverse disciplines, as well as facilitates collaborations with local industries and governments, to expand the Quality of All Lives initiative as a research and development platform focused on creating new devices and rediscovering underutilized regional resources.
“Our center is distinctive in that it focuses not only on animals, but also on the quality of life of those who care for and live with them,” said Director Eto. “It serves both as a hub for generating new innovations through collaboration between veterinary and engineering fields, and as a gateway for addressing regional challenges. By involving students in these efforts, we aim to cultivate individuals who can transform real-world issues into value and grow alongside their communities.”
The Entrepreneurship Center is led by Shinji Honge, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Management, with Tsunehiro Hayashi, Professor, serving as Deputy Director. The center’s mission is to “support the development of students’ and researchers’ ideas and technologies into viable businesses through education, startup support, and collaboration across academia, industry, government, and the community, thereby contributing to the creation of an ecosystem that generates new value in partnership with local communities.”
The establishment of the center builds on the university’s participation over the past two and a half years in the PSI (Peace & Science Innovation Ecosystem), a collaborative initiative among universities in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions aimed at advancing entrepreneurship education and fostering university-based startups. Working in partnership with external organizations, the center will support students and researchers in taking on new challenges.
“With experience founding and managing my own company, I see entrepreneurship as just one possible means,” said Director Honge. “What truly matters is the willingness to take on challenges without fear of failure. Faculty should not simply provide answers, but act as challengers themselves. We aim to encourage not only students but also faculty and staff to embrace entrepreneurship.”