The Tohoku Forum for Creativity is based on the founding motto of striving for “a fellowship of knowledge open to the world, where people can gather, learn, and create,” and Tohoku University is the first university in Japan to introduce this research program, which is held at a visitor research institute. The program has been fully supported by Tokyo Electron (TEL) since its establishment in 2013.
Through this program, we hope to contribute to the realization of our Corporate Philosophy and the development of global human resources among young researchers who will lead future research.
The Tohoku Forum for Creativity workshop was held on September 14–15, 2023. This fiscal year marks the second year of the second period of the collaborative program between TEL and Tohoku University.
The program theme was “Designing a Digital × Sustainable Society,” and three locations—Minamisanriku, Tokyo, and Sendai—were connected online with the topic of “Weaving New Networks of Interdependency with Forests and Oceans.”
Each location held a discussion about the issue of “sustainability of local communities” in a hypothetical depopulated area.
The discussions were carried out using an online board, addressing issues such as the shortage of human resources due to a declining population, the declining birthrate, and the aging population, and proposing solutions such as promoting dating apps that use AI, activating community exchanges, and advancing regional branding through education on the marine industry.
In addition to solving various issues using digital technology, there were many references to the value of face-to-face communication and the real world. The content made us realize once again the importance of the value of real communication after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tokyo（Head Office）
