NPI2013_Asia-Pacific

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURENATURE PUBLISHING INDEX 2013 | ASIA-PACIFICRIKENFROM BASIC RESEARCH TO SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONWith five major campuses in Japan andcollaborations with institutions all overthe world, RIKEN is Japan’s powerhousefor basic and applied research. As thecountry’s largest research organization,RIKEN is playing an important role in promotinginnovation, and is strengtheningits commitment to helping solve thebiggest and most pressing challenges ofour time.A home for basic researchRIKEN has made dramatic advances inbasic research and continues to takeresearch to ever higher levels in a vastnumber of scientific fields includingnuclear physics, neuroscience, materialsscience, computing, plant science, genomicsand developmental biology. Every year,RIKEN welcomes outstanding studentsand junior researchers from Japan and allover the world to join its talented team.RIKEN’s high-quality, high-performanceresearch environment, combined with aunique bottom-up approach to scientificinnovation, has enabled it to foster an environmentin which researchers can thrive.Top-notch facilitiesRIKEN is home to a number of worldleadinglarge-scale facilities. The Kcomputer, one of the world’s fastestsupercomputers, has already deliveredoutstanding results in fields such as neuralnetwork simulation and drug discovery.SACLA, Japan’s X-ray free electron laser,is set to deliver data at unprecedentedresolution on the structures of atomsand molecules. The Radioisotope BeamFactory (RIBF) is being employed byresearchers from all over the world to betterunderstand the atomic nucleus andthe creation of the universe.InnovationRIKEN is promoting innovation in manyareas of special interest, such as regenerativemedicine, technology for the lifeand medical sciences, emerging materialsand green innovation. A number ofnew centers were created in 2013 to takeon this challenge. RIKEN is committed toensuring that its research in science andtechnology is put to the service of societythrough technology transfers andpartnerships with the private sector.Innovation in medical technologyThe RIKEN Center for Life ScienceTechnologies is an example of howRIKEN is developing new methods tounderstand and treat the human body,providing the fundamental buildingblocks for the development of newpharmaceutical and medical applicationsthat will turn preemptive andpersonalized medicine into reality. Andat the RIKEN Center for DevelopmentalBiology, researchers are investigating thegeneration of human induced stem cellsand their use in regenerative medicine;in 2013 RIKEN launched the first clinicalresearch designed to test the use ofinduced pluripotent stem cells to treathuman disease.Public engagementRIKEN recognizes the need to engagewith society through education andcommunication. It is dedicated tomaking the best of its research accessibleto the public, engaging with thelocal community and fostering a passionfor science among young people.Thousands of visitors come to RIKENevery year for guided tours of its facilities.RIKEN scientists engage withtheir local communities by presentinglectures and workshops in museumsand schools and organizing activities atscience fairs and festivals.RIKENwww.riken.jpAdvertiser retains sole responsibility for content