[Date and Time] Friday, September 23, 2022 (National Holiday) 14:20-17:30
[Venue] Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd. Saitama Factory (Tsurugashima City, Saitama Prefecture)
[Number of Participants] 16 students
[Overview]
14:20-14:35 Business presentation
14:35-15:20 Railway model factory tour
15:30-16:20 Diorama making experience (Panda diorama kit)
16:30-17:45 Workshop: Bias Breaking (Design Thinking + SHIFT)
Workshop Instructor: Naoya Takei
(Takei Design & Technologies Co., Ltd.)
17:45 Closing remarks
by Hiroshi Kato
(President and CEO, Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd.)
and Mari Oshima
(Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo / Director, Next Generation Development Office)
■Thank you to everyone who cooperated:
Shinichi Yamamizu, Hiroshi Unezaki, Naoaki Yoneya, Ayumu Miyata, and everyone at Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd.
The second-stage participants of UTokyoGSC visited Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd., a company globally known for its model railway brand "KATO," with the aim of learning about the connection between science and technology and society
In this site visit, we learned about new ways of thinking about how to apply science and technology to society, using model trains as a theme
First, we gained an understanding of the current state of model railways through a factory tour and diorama creation experience. Next, we used "SHIFT," a new way of thinking that generates innovation, to come up with new business ideas that would overcome biases towards model railways
For the participants, it was a valuable opportunity to understand the connection between technology and products, as well as to learn new ways of thinking that allow them to view their own research from a fresh perspective
We would like to express our sincere gratitude once again to everyone at Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd. and to workshop instructor Naoya Takei for their cooperation from the preparations to the operation on the day of the event.
*Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd. is a participating company of the UTokyoGSC Consortium.
Students asking questions to factory staff
The workshop was filled with heated discussions
Students assembling a panda diorama kit provided by Sekisui Kinzoku Co., Ltd.