ASU innovation expands global reach to Japan

Technological discoveries from ASU and several Japanese universities will gain access to new markets through an innovative cross-marketing partnership between Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE) and Japan Technology Group (JTG).

The agreement, announced today, will enable AzTE and JTG to collaborate on commercializing selected technologies from ASU and eight prominent Japanese universities. AzTE will market Japanese intellectual property in the United States and JTG will return the favor on behalf of ASU in Japan with the goal of accelerating university innovations into the marketplace.

The exposure of intellectual property from ASU researchers to Japanese industry increases the chances that these discoveries will be developed further and potentially commercialized, according to Augustine Cheng, managing director of AzTE.

“This collaboration allows ASU and these Japanese universities to expand their international reach in the technology space,” Cheng said. “Our engagement with dynamic, entrepreneurial universities worldwide supports ASU’s objective of expanding the global impact of its research, discovery, entrepreneurship and scholarship.”

AzTE has established existing partnerships with a number of international and U.S. universities. This is the first formal collaboration with a U.S. university for JTG, according to their president, Taro Yaguchi.

“AzTE has a proven technology licensing record, as well as an extensive network of domestic and international companies and universities in their roster,” Yaguchi said. “It is extremely beneficial to foster friendly ties with an established entity such as AzTE.

“We will for the first time establish systematic exchange of technology IP information for the purpose of creation of innovation/industry matches for development and commercialization, as well as joint research opportunities between the U.S. and Japanese universities.”

Based in Philadelphia with offices in Tokyo, JTG represents technologies from Nagoya University, Waseda University, Tokyo University of Science, Hokkaido University, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Kyushu University, Kumamoto University and Iwate University.  

This relationship also opens the door to potential future economic development in Arizona, especially considering AzTE’s close ties with, and location at, SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center.

“International partnerships like this only increase the likelihood that global discoveries will be commercialized utilizing Arizona networks,” said Julia Rosen, associate vice president of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at ASU. “Over time, ASU's development of vibrant global networks will positively impact economic development in the state."

Arizona Technology Enterprises (AzTE) is a non-profit organization that operates as the exclusive intellectual property management and technology transfer organization for ASU and its research enterprise. Comprised of industry and university veterans, AzTE brings together ASU’s researchers and industry partners to transform discoveries into marketable products and services, taking innovation out of the lab and into the commercial marketplace.

Japan Technology Group, Inc. (JTG) is a technology-based intellectual property transfer company, serving as a link between non-Japanese companies and untapped promising Japanese innovations, as well as between Japanese companies and Western innovations. Our mission is to promote, foster and add value to trans-Pacific technology and intellectual property transfers, especially between Japan and North America.