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I4Collective
I4C:Collectively analyzing science for a better, brighter future
The Investigation with Integrity, Innovation for Impact (I4) Collective is a unit that provides strategic analysis and recommendations directly under the president and chief executive officer of Science Tokyo. The I4Collective, or I4C, conducts research, analysis, and information sharing that contribute to strategic decision-making at the national level—including for universities and corporations—to maximize the value of knowledge and realize a better society.
Purpose
I4C aims to promote the integration of science, technology, and policy, thereby contributing to the realization of a better society and a more desirable future. The unit’s name is a homophone of the English expression “I foresee,” reflecting the future-oriented approach of the organization.
Mission
Research within the deep tech field, one of Science Tokyo’s strengths, holds the potential to impact society by addressing critical economic and societal challenges facing nations and the world. The mission of I4C is to analyze the knowledge and technology cultivated through this research, and based on strategic foresight, provide information and policy recommendations to realize a better life, society, and planet.
Features
- While leveraging Science Tokyo’s prowess in deep tech, I4C seeks participation from researchers in science, engineering, and the medical and dental sciences to incorporate diverse expertise and intuition into its analyses.
- As a collective, I4C unites researchers and practitioners in economics, political science, the social sciences, international relations, and other fields from inside and outside the Institute to form flexible analysis teams in line with specific target projects.
- As a university-based analysis unit, I4C shares its findings openly with the public, unless commissioned analyses are conducted under contracts with external organizations. Recommendations are also incorporated into Science Tokyo’s Visionary Initiatives.
- As part of an academic institution, I4C also seeks to nurture the next generation, developing and running programs to train think tank talent for analysis in the deep tech field.
Message from Leadership
Science and technology analysis and recommendations for a better, brighter future
Kaoru Kuwata, I4Collective Director
I4C conducts research and analysis to assimilate national and international trends in science and technology, gauge the landscape of global collaboration and competition, and communicate to society the challenges that need to be addressed.
While promoting scholarly research, I4C addresses complex issues by leveraging the expertise of pioneering Science Tokyo researchers in the medical and dental sciences, and science and engineering, as well as a network of leaders across various fields both within and beyond Science Tokyo. Through a collective approach, I4C formulates a comprehensive, holistic perspective to advance our understanding of society and the future.
Based on thorough insights, and with the aim of contributing to the creation of a social movement to realize a better, brighter future as envisioned by Science Tokyo, I4C prioritizes discussions and collaborations with the diverse stakeholders shaping our social systems, helping to bridge the gap between aggregated specialized knowledge and sociogenetic activities. The unit also seeks to systematize the analytical methodologies accumulated through its activities, making them broadly available for future strategic discussions.
As an organization based within a university, I4C is committed to providing analyses and information that earn the trust of the public by approaching increasingly complex societal issues with a sense of ethics and transparency, while maintaining a broad, bird’s-eye view.
Enhancing science and technology forecasting, designing sustainable society
Yukio Takeda, I4Collective Vice Director
I4C conducts multifaceted analyses of science and technology trends and provides information and policy recommendations that contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.
Beyond future predictions, I4C’s approach involves designing a comprehensive framework that integrates a shared vision, the scientific and technological advances that support it, the broader social landscape, and other relevant factors. In addition to analyses grounded in highly reliable sources, I4C draws on the unique insights and intuition of researchers engaged in cutting-edge research, thereby enhancing the rigor and sophistication of its science and technology forecasting.
Building on this foundation, I4C advances its analyses from progressive, creative, and holistic perspectives. By incorporating insights from experts across diverse fields, it drives the design of future societies and communicates its findings along with the key challenges that must be addressed in the years ahead.
Technical assessments and policy recommendations for more sustainable social security
Shusho Okada, I4Collective Vice Director
Science Tokyo is working on various initiatives that aim to realize a better, brighter future. A look at the current state of Japan’s healthcare reveals that many major hospitals, including university hospitals, are struggling financially. Mounting challenges such as rising healthcare costs, labor shortages, and insufficient funding for social security are casting a shadow over the sustainability of the nation’s social security system. Potential answers to these problems lie in the ongoing advancements in science and technology.
I4C reexamines innovative research in areas such as information and communication technology and drug discovery to help maintain Japan’s social security infrastructure. The unit seeks to deepen discussions on the design and implementation of concrete systems that lead to the rapid adoption of research findings and the establishment of a more circular economy. Interested parties are invited to join us in creating these solutions.
I4Collective overseas hub
Visiting Professor Masaaki Maeda, Executive Director of the Nippon Club, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, Inc. (JCCI) and the J.C.C Fund
Drawing on my global professional network, practical experience, and proven track record of fostering connections among businesses, universities, government agencies, and communities — particularly in New York — I will work to support I4C’s mission of linking Science Tokyo’s knowledge and innovation with society and creating new opportunities for collaboration.
