Actualization of “Well-being” Regional Society Innovation

KOICHI MURASHITA
Project Leader
Professor, Special Assistant to the President
Director-General, Research Institute of Health Innovation
Deputy Director, Innovation Center for Health Promotion
Deputy Director, Research Center for Health-Medical Data Science
Deputy Director, Center for Biomedical Research

　Under the banner of Aomori Prefecture’s “return of low life expectancy prefecture,” our university has been implementing the Iwaki Health Promotion Project (large-scale joint health checkup for residents) since 2005, with the cooperation of the residents of the Iwaki district of Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture.
　From 2013 to 2022, we focused on issues such as the development of disease precursors and prevention methods and developed research activities aimed at solving social issues, as a site for the Center of Innovation (COI) program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), focusing on issues such as the development of disease precursors and prevention methods.　In October 2 22, we were selected as a site for the Program on Open Innovation Platforms for Industry-academia Co-creation (COI-NEXT) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).Based on health, we will develop the economy by creating attractive industries that make local people healthy, enable people of all generations to continue working with a sense of purpose, and extend healthy lifespans with a high quality of life both physically and mentally. We aim to realize a model for local communities that promotes well-being. Collaboration with diverse stakeholders, like a wide range of participating companies (major influential companies, local companies, venture companies, etc.), regional finance, local governments including Hirosaki City and Aomori Prefecture, related organizations such as medical associations, and citizens such as health leaders, the younger generation such as high school and university students, is the key to success.
　We have a concept of “well-being” in COI-NEXT, with a greater emphasis on quality, and based on the results accumulated at COI, as a core university in the region, we not only contribute to the local community but also powerfully transmit research results to all of Japan and the world. Here in Hirosaki, we will continue to thoroughly pursue and challenge cutting-edge innovative health models (social experiments). We will further strengthen the research and social value of our comprehensive real-world data platform, which is based on the super-multi-item big data (3000 items) accumulated through Iwaki Health Promotion Project health checkups, and powerfully create true social innovation. We will develop HIROSAKI, which has the world’s unique ultra-multi-item big data and a strong social collaboration foundation, into one of the world’s most advanced health (preventive medicine) research centers / platforms where research institutions and diverse companies, venture companies, and universities that aim to take on innovative challenges in the healthcare (health and prevention) field gather.
　We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the residents for their cooperation, and we look forward to your continued guidance and support.

Creating life-related industries and extending healthy life expectancy

SOICHIRO MIYASHITA
Governor of Aomori Prefecture

　The purpose of Hirosaki University COI-NEXT project is to realize a well-being regional society using an “economic development model” and an “all generations approach” both based on health and aims to solve regional issues and improve the regional economy.
　Aomori prefecture is now working to promote life-related industries and extend healthy life expectancy based on the “Aomori Prefecture Life Innovation Strategy Action Plan” to realize “Aomori Prefecture where you can live a healthy, long life and a safe life.” We expect COI-NEXT program will make a significant contribution.The prefecture will continue to actively support the creation of new businesses, with industry, academia, government, and financial institutions working closely together, centered on Hirosaki University, and the entire region will continue to work together.

A new community model that maximizes the vitality of the region, both people and City are healthy

HIROSHI SAKURADA
Mayor of Hirosaki　City

　Hirosaki University COI-NEXT’s efforts aim to achieve economic development by creating attractive industries that make local people healthy, and to actualize a local community where people of all generations can continue to work with a sense of purpose. This is in line with the city’s efforts to create a “Healthy City Hirosaki” where both people and City are healthy. Utilizing the platform of people and data that is the result of Hirosaki University COI project, Hirosaki University and the city will collaborate to build a new community model that maximizes the vitality of the region, and we expect the results of this project will be spread from Hirosaki to the whole country and the world.

Hirosaki University will continue to take on the challenge of creating a healthy, happy and long-lived society!

SHINSAKU FUKUDA
President of Hirosaki University

　An initiative to return of short-lived prefecture began with the Iwaki Health Promotion Project Health Checkup, a large-scale health checkup in the Iwaki district of Hirosaki City. Following the adoption of the “Creating Innovation Program (COI STREAM),” it has developed into a huge project involving all faculties, local governments, residents, companies, and research institutes across the country, forming a major platform for industry-academia-public-private collaboration in health research. Hirosaki University (COI-NEXT) will continue to play a central role in this project, and the entire university will take on the challenge of breaking away from being the prefecture with the shortest life expectancy, innovation that contributes to the development of preventive medicine, and the creation of new industries and jobs originating from Aomori Prefecture.

COI-NEXT with a big philosophy

SHIGEYUKI NAKAJI
Chief Advisor / Special Assistant to the President

　In the 2020 ranking of prefectures with average life expectancy, Aomori Prefecture has not yet been able to escape from the lowest life expectancy prefecture. Please take some time to think about it. It is impossible to seek results hastily in COI activities that have focused on primary prevention. There is an “incubation period” of at least 20 to 30 years from the time you start smoking to the onset of related diseases. Hirosaki University COI has established many pillars.
　These include the health declaration of all municipalities, the Aomori Prefecture Health Management Certification System, health education in elementary and junior high schools, SUKOYAKA-RYOKU center (healthy promotion center) for human resource development, and the big data collected at Hirosaki University COI. One such tool is QOL health checkups. Let’s draw a big picture on top of these pillars (treasures). Our dreams are expanding, including initiatives for young people and people who are not concerned about health, secondary prevention (health checkups), and collaboration with medical care! Don’t get caught up in the short term, let’s unite behind a big idea, move forward, and aim higher. That is COI-NEXT.