National Knowledge Manufacturing Awards" Implementation Report

Friday, April 18, 2025,National Knowledge Manufacturing Conference 2025was held at the MMA's booths in the city's downtown area, with more than 475 attendees and 60 companies exhibiting their booths. The day featured a panel discussion as well as the first-ever National Knowledge Manufacturing Awards.

Reference｜[Implementation Report] National Knowledge Manufacturing Conference 2025 was held on Friday, April 18, 2025.

The National Knowledge Manufacturing Award is a system to recognize projects that have created new knowledge and taken a step forward to meet the challenge, starting with the National Knowledge Manufacturing Conference. We will further encourage a shift to knowledge manufacturing by honoring achievements that have contributed to Japan taking a step forward into a new era by taking on the challenge of "knowledge manufacturing," in which people share passion and ambition to create new knowledge by combining their knowledge with each other to solve unsolved problems, and by demonstrating to society that this is possible. For this first implementation, three themes (two companies for each theme, for a total of six companies) were selected. Here are the award-winning reasons and award-winning comments from each team.

Commemorative photo after the awards ceremony. (from left to right) Mr. Maru K. Riverness, Mr. Kiridori, Intelligent Surfaces Corporation, Mr. Yoshida, Tochigi Seiko Corporation, Mr. Tanaka, Sanko Giken Corporation, Mr. Misawa, Amplat Corporation, Mr. Sato, Kankyo Neisuiming Resource Institute, Mr. Inokuchi, VanTech, Ltd., Mr. Adachi, Mizuho Bank, Ltd.

Knowledge Manufacturing Theme
A future that brings together manufacturing technology and knowledge in Chatbot.

Sanko Giken Co.
Amplat Corporation (Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture)

Reference｜Sanko Giken Co., Ltd. and Amplat Corporation Jointly Develop "Sanko-kun," a Chatbot for Precision Punching Processes

<Reasons for the award
They met at the Knowledge Manufacturing Conference 2024 and hit it off. In just four months, they developed and released Chatbot, a tool for openly sharing the technology and knowledge of Sanko Giken, which specializes in precision punching. The company aims to further expand its target area and create a future where the technologies and knowledge of the manufacturing industry are gathered into a Chatbot to share knowledge.

<Award Comment
A press manufacturer in Higashi Osaka is creating something new with Mr. Amplat, a venture company that specializes in bioinformatics. This is something that could only be accomplished here. The Japanese manufacturing industry will decline if things continue as they are. Everyone, let's start up something new together. (Mr. Tanaka, Sanko Giken)

Knowledge Manufacturing Theme
Tackling Vietnam's Water Environmental Challenges with Japanese Technology

Vantec Corporation (Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture)
Kankyo Naisui Shisui Kenkyujo (Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture)

<Reasons for the award
Discussions began because both companies were working on water environment issues. In particular, Vantec, which has been facing aquaculture and water treatment issues in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, formulated a hypothesis that the fine bubble technology of the Kankyo Nensui Shisui Kenkyusho (KNSC) could be applied to local issues that cannot be addressed by its own technology alone. Currently, three demonstration studies are underway in the region.

<Award Comment
I feel once again that these kinds of encounters are expanding the possibilities for our company. In this Mekong Delta project, we still need technology to solve various issues. We would very much appreciate your cooperation. (Mr. Inokuchi, Vantec)

Reference｜Case Studies in Collaboration Vantec, Ltd. ✕ Kankyo Inland Water Resources Research Institute, Inc.

Knowledge Manufacturing Theme
Adding Value to Medical Devices through Biomimetic Coatings

Tochigi Seiko Corporation (Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture)
Intelligent Surfaces Corporation (Kashiwa, Chiba)

<Reasons for the award
A case study of collaboration discussions between Tochigi Seiko, which is involved in medical devices such as dental hemp-zyzumi needles, and Intelligent Surfaces, which has MPC polymer coating technology with excellent biocompatibility, was shared in a session at the Knowledge Manufacturing Conference 2024. Subsequently, the collaboration developed into a capital alliance. As a role model for the knowledge manufacturing industry, future developments are highly anticipated.

<Award Comment
In the course of our monthly visits and discussions, we have come to believe that Tochigi Seiko is to us and MPC Polymers what water is to water fish. Through this "medical" (medical device company) and "engineering" (manufacturing industry) collaboration, we aim to create high value-added medical devices that can only be achieved through the efforts of both companies. (Mr. Kiridori, Intelligent Surfaces)

For inquiries, please contact
RIVANES Corporation Manufacturing and Development Division (Okazaki, Uchida)
e-mail : [email protected]