The New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe) was established in April 1998 with a defining mission: to leverage Tohoku University’s world-leading research assets to develop innovative technologies, address critical societal needs, and propose the creation of entirely new industries. To realize this mission, NICHe drives cutting-edge research projects selected from across the university. Dedicated faculty and staff from Planning Division for Development collaborate closely with project leaders, vigorously advancing industry-academia collaboration and its strategic social implementation.
While industry-academia collaboration is now commonplace, NICHe’s institutional structure remains profoundly unique, functioning as a dynamic collective of projects led by faculty members dedicated exclusively to research and development. The Center’s management is characterized by agile decision-making and flexible personnel systems supported by external funding. This is complemented by dedicated research spaces that prioritize stringent security, including advanced access control and secure information networks.
Furthermore, our Planning Division for Development provides comprehensive administrative support for practical, commercialization-oriented R&D. This encompasses strategic coordination, budget management, and rigorous research integrity oversight, such as conflict of interest and security export control, maintained in seamless cooperation with the university headquarters.
Our research initiatives operate under a refined system introduced in FY2023, categorizing projects into five distinct types: “Full-fledged” (core R&D), “ Preliminary” (preparatory stage), “Educational” (professional reskilling), “Academic” (elevating global research standing), and “Dawn” (high-potential, challenging endeavors). In FY2026, four new projects joined, bringing the total number of on-going projects to 24. For individual details, please refer to the subsequent pages of this document or visit our website.
Following Tohoku University’s prestigious accreditation as the first “University for International Research Excellence” in November 2024, NICHe continues to advance globally preeminent frontier research. This is further accelerated by the March 2025 commencement of shared beamline operations at “NanoTerasu” (the 3GeV synchrotron radiation facility) on the Aobayama Campus. Reflecting on the mission, NICHe is committed to developing research that yields high social impact and efficacy while aiming for the real-world application of our findings.
Adjacent to the Aobayama Subway Station and just two hours from Tokyo Station, NICHe offers outstanding physical proximity to both NanoTerasu and various academic departments, providing an ideal environment for cross-disciplinary research. We earnestly encourage you to utilize our facilities, and we extend our deepest gratitude for your continued collaboration and support.
April 2026