Forest and Global Connections
Unlocking the Potential of Forests
International Collaboration for Sustainable Societies
Forests Connecting Us
to Global Knowledge
Japan, Finland, and Sweden share key challenges such as achieving carbon neutrality, promoting a circular bioeconomy, making multifunctional use of forests, and responding to aging societies.
In Japan, however, university-based innovation has yet to fully mature, and collaboration with advanced international institutions presents a promising path forward.
To address this, Akita COI-NEXT partners with leading overseas research organizations—particularly the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)—to advance joint research and host symposia led by early-career researchers.
Positioning LUKE as a European hub, the initiative fosters diverse collaborations with universities, research institutes, and companies in Finland and Sweden.
Through these efforts, the project aims to deepen existing themes, identify new ones, and drive innovation through international cooperation.
Research contents
International Collaborative Research
At Akita COI-NEXT, early-career researchers play a leading role in advancing collaborative research with partner institutions in Finland, Sweden, and other countries.
These efforts focus on shared challenges such as the high-value utilization of forest resources and the social implementation of circular bioeconomy principles.
Through ongoing international collaboration, researchers engage in the exchange of materials, shared testing environments, and joint publications.
These activities not only foster the professional growth of young researchers but also strengthen the research capacity and global network of the entire project.
Strategic Partnership Meetings
To build mutual understanding and strengthen collaboration among partner institutions, regular meetings are held between Japanese and Finnish stakeholders.
These meetings take place flexibly in both countries, depending on timing and purpose.
Participants exchange ideas on research seeds, technological needs, and policy frameworks for social implementation.
Beyond academic researchers, the meetings also involve government and industry representatives, fostering cross-sector, cross-cultural dialogue.
This process is helping to bridge disciplines and regions, supporting the project’s broader international expansion and sustainable cooperation framework.
International Symposiums
To promote global research exchange and inspire new avenues for collaboration, international symposiums are held on a regular basis.
These events showcase the research themes of Akita COI-NEXT and highlight the work of partner institutions abroad.
By bringing together researchers from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds, the symposiums provide opportunities for new connections and ideas to emerge.
They also serve as a platform for sharing research outcomes and cultivating the next generation of globally minded researchers, thereby expanding the intellectual network and reinforcing the foundation for sustainable international co-creation.
