Shimadzu Corporation and Waseda University have signed a "Basic Agreement on Comprehensive Collaboration" on October 10th to promote mutual cooperation in research and development, personnel training, etc. Based on this agreement, both parties will work on the development of new products through joint research and the training of advanced specialists to achieve a carbon-neutral society contributing to well-being.

Waseda University established the "Carbon Neutral Society Research and Education Center" directly under the President in 2022, and has been promoting industry-academia collaboration research and interdisciplinary research in the field related to carbon neutrality. Shimadzu Corporation has included the life sciences field in its mid-term management plan, defining health care and the pursuit of carbon neutrality as green (GX) for social value creation. It also engages in initiatives such as the "REACH Project" to dispatch researchers and engineers to important research areas in graduate doctoral programs.

Shimadzu Corporation and Waseda University initiated joint research involving three entities including Horiba Manufacturing Plant in August 2020. In June 2021, the research results were commercialized and released as an analysis device, the "LC-Raman System," which can easily estimate unknown components in mixed compositions from Shimadzu Corporation and Horiba Manufacturing Plant. Starting in 2022, joint research between the two parties began, leading to the establishment of the "Waseda University Shimadzu Collaboration Lab" within the Waseda University Research Innovation Center in August 2023. They will establish a measurement flow to quickly identify unknown natural compounds using mass spectrometry, contributing to the creation of pharmaceuticals, functional foods, and specialty chemicals.

Moving forward, the collaboration will further develop new analytical instruments to contribute to the fields of next-generation pharmaceuticals, food sustainability, and decarbonized society. In addition, by integrating comprehensive knowledge held by measurement instrument manufacturers and academia, they will continue to foster talent capable of creating new societal values without being restricted by specific fields.

From left to right: Shujiro Ogura, General Manager of Life Science Business Division at Shimadzu Corporation; Masami Tomita, Managing Executive Officer and Head of Analytical Measurement Business Division; Hiroto Itoi, Managing Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer.
Waseda University: Aiji Tanaka, President; Taihiro Hayashi, Director of the Carbon Neutral Society Research and Education Center and Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering; Haruko Takeyama, Vice Director of the Carbon Neutral Society Research and Education Center and Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Related links
Press Release on August 3, 2020
Shimadzu Corporation and Horiba, Ltd. partner in the development and sales of the measurement device 'LC Raman'
Realizing a measurement device that combines high-speed liquid chromatography and Raman spectrometer

Press Release on June 25, 2021
Shimadzu Corporation and Horiba, Ltd. release the measurement device 'LC-Raman System'
Providing new value in research and development in various fields through the fusion of 'separation' and 'visualization' technologies

Press Release on August 1, 2023
Establishing a rapid identification flow of natural substances for the creation of new pharmaceuticals and functional foods
Establishment of the Waseda University Shimazu Collaboration Lab.