PDF

Global News

19 February 2016

Suzuki Foundation Announces Research Funding for Fiscal 2015
- Total disbursements of ¥76.82 million
- Of which 29 research funding worth a total of ¥68.03 million

On 19 February, 2016, the Suzuki Foundation (Chairman: Osamu Suzuki) selected 29 scientific technology and proposed subject research initiatives from universities and other research institutes in Japan to receive fiscal 2015 financial assistance worth a total of ¥68.03 million. The Foundation also announced other financial assistance, bringing its overall fiscal 2015 disbursements to ¥76.82 million.

Financial assistance for fiscal 2015 Number of
assistance
Disbursements
(1) Scientific technology research projects 26 ¥34.00 million
(2) Proposed subject research projects 3 ¥34.03 million
Total of (1) + (2) 29 ¥68.03 million
(3) Other financial assistance 33 ¥8.79 million
Total number of assistance and amount of disbursements 62 ¥76.82 million

(1) Financial assistance for scientific technology research projects

The Suzuki Foundation has decided to support 26 original, advanced scientific technology research projects on seven fields: production technologies; environmental and resource energy technologies; measurement, control, and analysis technologies; material technologies; electric, electronics, and information technologies; human engineering and medical technologies; and robot technologies. The Foundation’s financial assistance for these 26 projects totals ¥34.00 million.

(2) Financial assistance for proposed subject research projects

As well as supporting fundamental and original research projects in the field of natural sciences, since fiscal 2003, the Suzuki Foundation has been selecting contemporary problems that it believes need to be resolved, inviting proposals for research projects to address them, and selecting the most outstanding proposals for funding. It funds each selected project for two years and has selected 20 projects in the past 13 years.

For fiscal 2015, the Foundation has decided to fund the following three researches such as for: safety technologies of automobiles and other transportation, aimed to lead to securing independent living of elderly and handicapped persons; and assistive device targeted for actual use in 2020.

  • 1) “Development of High-Level Driving Assistance System that Enables Coevolution of Driver-and-Automobile and Automobile-and-Automobile”, a research on control of automatic driving system.
  • 2) “Mobility for Long-Term Use Targeted to Enhance Transportation Quality of Elderly Users”, targeted to develop a personal mobility with independent support mechanism for elders.
  • 3) “Design and Development of Sports Prosthesis that Fits Athletes through Simultaneous Optimization of Human Movement and Mechanical Product”, targeted to develop sports prosthesis that maximizes competition performance.

The Foundation will disburse a total of ¥34.03 million for these three projects and for the second year of funding for two projects that it selected in the previous year.

(3) Other financial assistance and activities

The Suzuki Foundation also conducts a wide range of other activities. Notably, it promotes awareness of research results and further development of research projects by funding symposiums, subsidizing transportation and accommodation for Japanese researchers attending overseas academic meetings, and subsidizing programs in Japan for researchers from overseas including Budapest University of Technology and Economics. The Foundation’s fiscal 2015 support for such activities totals ¥8.79 million. The Foundation also publishes a Foundation newsletter.

About the Suzuki Foundation

Suzuki Motor Corporation established the Suzuki Foundation in March 1980 to mark its 60th anniversary. Thus far, the Foundation has supported 1,441 scientific research projects with financial assistance worth a total of ¥1,618.89 million. The latest round of financial assistance for scientific research is the 36th to be announced by the Foundation.

Overview of the Suzuki Foundation

Chairman: Osamu Suzuki
(Representative Director and Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Total assets: ¥8,000.93 million (as of the end of March 2015)
Goals: The Suzuki Foundation aims to contribute to the development of the Japanese machinery industry and to the national welfare by supporting scientific research related to the production and use of machinery and by disseminating the fruits of such research to the general public.