Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (Headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, President and CEO: Karl Deppen, hereafter “MFTBC”) and National University Corporation University of Yamanashi (Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, President: Nakamura Kazuhiko, hereafter “University of Yamanashi”) signed a comprehensive agreement on December 2, 2024.
The agreement will cover a wide range of collaboration in fields including (1) research and development, (2) staff exchange, (3) training and education and (4) other topics, toward the mutual development of both organizations and society as a whole. MFTBC and the University of Yamanashi will conduct joint research and share technical knowhow on using renewable energy, particularly hydrogen fuel cells, in order to create solutions for energy conservation, global warming, and a sustainability society. The agreement will also foster the academic development of students and researchers at the university.
MFTBC has set a target of offering a full line-up of carbon-neutral new vehicles in Japan by 2039, having launched its electric light-duty eCanter truck in 2017 as part ongoing work developing hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric vehicle technologies. At its Clean Energy Research Center and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Nanomaterials Center, the University of Yamanashi is working to make the basic technology that will result in full-scale adoption of hydrogen fuels high-performing, reliable, and affordable.
According to their respective areas of expertise, the parties will work on the following projects under this agreement.
(1) Research and development
- Sharing information and raising awareness on initiatives for the adoption of fuel cell vehicles
- Sharing knowledge on zero-emission vehicles and identifying issues with fuel cells
(2) Staff exchange
- Joint research and the dispatch of personnel between the organizations
- University of Yamanashi students participating in internships at MFTBC
- MFTBC researchers and engineers receiving training at the University of Yamanashi Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Nanomaterials Center
(3) Training and education
- Joint use of research and test facilities
- MFTBC employees giving lectures to University of Yamanashi undergraduate and graduate students as adjunct lecturers
- Supporting career development and academic research through workshops between MFTBC employees and University of Yamanashi graduate students and young researchers
(4) Other topics
Under this sweeping industry-academia agreement, the parties will work to develop technologies to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 through the promotion of innovation and talent development.
Quotes from representatives:
Kazuo Matsunaga, Chairman of MFTBC: “Through having access to the University of Yamanashi’s stores of advanced knowledge on hydrogen and fuel cells, we aim to boost our company’s technological development. At the same time, we at MFTBC will generously share our expertise with the students at the University of Yamanashi with the hope that they make good use of it in their studies. We hope that this agreement with the university will deepen and broaden our partnership, and that it will contribute to building talent and innovation, and, ultimately, to the realization of a carbon-neutral Japan.”
Kazuhiko Nakamura, President of the University of Yamanashi: “Within this partnership lies the possibility of improving the level of technological research here at the university and at MFTBC, a company working towards the realization of a carbon-neutral society. Together we will be able to create solutions to pressing issues through talent development and by applying research findings for society’s benefit. We are confident that we can make a significant contribution to building sustainable communities not just throughout Japan, but across the world.”
SOURCE: MFTBC
