Community Impact in Action

Shin-Kawasaki Town Campus (K²) was established in the Shin-Kawasaki Forest of Creation in the year 2000, in collaboration with Kawasaki City. As a base for industry-government-academia collaboration, the campus promotes cutting-edge research, new industries, and new business initiatives. Specifically, 19 research projects in the fields of robotics, environment, energy, self-driving automobiles, and other areas were implemented (AY 2024) and the campus has brought forth new technologies, new industries, and venture companies by linking the diverse research outcomes of each of these projects with the resources and needs of companies or other organizations. In addition, in collaboration with Kawasaki, open seminars were held for companies, research institutions, and individuals to present their results. (In AY 2024, a total of three seminars were held: a science café, a field trip for high school students, and an in-person seminar.) On top of that, opportunities were provided for children to learn about science and technology, and to experience the excitement of these fields through events such as “A Happy Day Playing with Science.”

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CReM TONOHANE was formed in the Tonomachi and the Haneda area in June 2024 to address policy and social issues regarding implementing regenerative medicine in society. The goal was to bring together academia, companies, public research institutions, and local governments, and jointly—using cross-disciplinary R&D and data from medical institutions—develop regenerative medicine and cell therapy in Japan and abroad. These advances would be rooted in hard evidence to ensure their efficacy and safety.
Specific activities include the following.
-Expansion of iPS cells and MSC cultures based on quality by design principles
-Development of a range of evaluation methods to ensure quality in each stage of every process—whether working with raw materials or finalizing the end product—and to create added value in regenerative medicine
-Presentations at academic conferences and other venues, as well as external communications through sponsored and co-sponsored symposiums and the CReM website (https://crem-tonohane.jp/).
*Keio University serves as the secretariat and chair of the steering committee, in addition to engaging in R&D.

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In preparation for GREENxEXPO, an international horticultural exposition to be held in Yokohama in FY2027, activities were developed with the goal of proposing a behavioral change model to reduce the risk of heat stroke in a hot environment. In FY2024, with the cooperation of the Public Works Office of the Kohoku Ward Office, we visualized and analyzed the risk of heat stroke during work for employees doing civil engineering work outdoors in the hot sun, and constructed a hypothesis for risk reduction.
Of the nine employees who worked throughout the day on a sunny day in early September, we obtained heart rate and location data for three employees of different ages, as well as environmental data such as temperature, humidity, and ground surface temperature. As a result, it was confirmed from the increase in heart rate data that the workload of "Collaborative projects with the City of Yokohama Kohoku Ward" was particularly heavy in an environment where the ground surface temperature increased, and at the same time, it was confirmed that a reduction in the load could be achieved by taking breaks at appropriate times.

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In 2007, a groundwater supply system using a "groundwater membrane filtration system" for a stand-alone water supply dedicated for private use began operation.Until April 2020, well water was used as drinking water and greywater, but due to the closure of campuses as a result of the spread of COVID-19, water usage had decreased considerably. Therefore, well water was used only in the greywater system for miscellaneous purposes. Water usage has since recovered from May 2022 onwards and usage of well water as potable water has resumed. Approximately 26,800㎥ of well water was used in AY 2024.

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Working towards the realization of Level 4 automated operation in passenger transportation based on the memorandum of understanding for joint research between Keio and Kanachu, Keio promoted the operation, problem identification, system improvement, and evaluation of the automated loop shuttle bus system at SFC (Shonan Fujisawa Campus).

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Keio University’s Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) has, over the around 30 years since its opening in April 1990, conducted various research, education, and development alongside diverse local actors to lead the way into the future while respecting the communities and culture of Shonan. In 2020, which marked the 30th anniversary of SFC, the Keio Research Institute at SFC and five local authorities in the Shonan region, pledging to continue to collaborate in various initiatives founded in their accumulated experience and achievements, concluded a partnership agreement for the realization of “Future Cities for Well-being in Shonan area”. To coincide with this, the “SHONAN FUTURE CITY” research project was launched based on the research consortium system at the Keio Research Institute at SFC. This calls on various actors in industry, government, academia, and the financial and private sector, to strengthen mutual cooperation and endeavor to build frameworks to promote research development which co-creates the future.
In AY 2024, while continuing its existing collaborations in various regions, Keio also launched new activities in others. In Endo Ward in Kanagawa Prefecture’s Fujisawa City, Keio University students volunteered weekly in an afterschool program to help junior high school students with their studies. In Kamakura City, university students served as “youth supporters” (volunteers) at COCORU Kamakura, which is a space established by the city as a “place for junior high and high school students.” In the Shonan Ward of Chigasaki City, a series of film screenings were held as part of the effort to create a place where local residents could gather in a relaxed atmosphere. These were followed by an outdoor film screening. These screenings were made possible thanks to the efforts of many people in the community. At the venue, people were able to freely interact and chat with each other even if they were meeting for the first time, expressing sentiments such as, “I’m glad I had the opportunity to watch a movie with the community.”

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To raise citizens’ disaster awareness, we developed a framework for disaster reduction activities that combines citizen science and participatory art in disaster reduction and developed digital tools to support these activities. The proposed activity framework consists of (1) conducting workshops to express disaster risk and disaster reduction behavior in artworks, (2) exhibiting the artworks on the internet, and (3) appreciating the artworks. Workshops were held with students and citizen participants to test the effectiveness of the digital tools.

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