The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology ("OIST") has signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Bank of The Ryukyus, Limited ("Bank of The Ryukyus").
This agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions by connecting OIST's world-class research with the Bank of the Ryukyus' extensive business network, financial services, and experience in supporting business acceleration.
By working together, OIST and the Bank of the Ryukyus will contribute to the revitalization of the local economy and the resolution of social challenges through the creation of innovative startups based on technologies from OIST, Japan, and abroad.
Outline of the agreement
Purpose: To promote industry-academia collaboration at OIST, bridge research with societal impact, create startups, and establish collaborative alliances for innovation with the Okinawa community. Areas of collaboration:
- Commercialization of OIST research outcomes and innovative technologies
- Financing support for OIST startups
- Accelerating the growth and scale of OIST startups
- Human resource development and exchange
- Promotion of industry-academia collaboration at OIST
- Building innovation frameworks in partnership with the Okinawa community
- Ongoing institutional development of OIST
A signing ceremony was held on July 1 at the OIST Innovation Core, the university's newly opened startup incubation facility.
At the signing ceremony, OIST President and CEO Karin Markides stated, " By working together with the Bank of the Ryukyus, we aim to accelerate the translation of research into real-world impact, particularly by supporting startups and innovation emerging from OIST."
Ken Shimabukuro, President of Bank of The Ryukyus, Limited, commented, "Leveraging our strengths as a financial institution, we will strongly support the creation of globally competitive companies and the generation of social and economic impact through industry-academia collaboration in partnership with OIST. " This partnership marks another step forward in OIST's efforts to build strong ties with the Okinawa community and contribute to the self-sustaining development of the regional economy.
Photo caption: Signing ceremony for the collaborative agreement between OIST and the Bank of The Ryukyus, held on July 1, 2025. From Bank of The Ryukyus: President Ken Shimabukuro and Senior Managing Director Takeshi Kikuchi. From OIST: President and CEO Karin Markides and Executive Vice President Gil Granot-Mayer.
