Fujitsu Licenses Green Technologies to Kyushu University and University of The Ryukyus

Introduction

Recently, Fujitsu Ltd. announced the signing of Intellectual Property (IP) Licensing Agreement for certain green technologies with Kyushu University and the University of the Ryukyus. This is in continuation with it becoming a WIPO Green partner in September 2018. WIPO GREEN, since its inception in 2013 has now grown to 6,000 individuals and organizations from over 170 countries around the world in participating in its network. In an announcement Fujitsu’s President Tatsuya Tanaka said that Fujitsu is very happy to be a partner of WIPO Green in achieving the United Nation‘s broader purpose of Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. Tanaka also mentioned that Fujitsu possesses various green technologies and it would like to share it with the public for the betterment of the global environment. He appreciated the WIPO Green framework as an ideal to work with others in fulfilling – the purpose of the greater good – and work towards building a sustainable society.

Fujitsu Ltd. is Japanese multinational information technology equipment and Services Company with it’s headquarter in Tokyo, Japan. In 2015, it was the world’s tenth-largest IT services provider company measured by IT services revenue (after IBM, HP and Accenture). Fortune named Fujitsu as one of the world’s most admired companies and a Global 500 company.

Kyushu University was founded in 1911 as one of Japan’s Imperial University. At Kyushu University the courses consists of the Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences (graduate education body) and the Department of Bioresource and Bioenvironment, School of Agriculture (undergraduate education body).

Founded in 1950, University of the Ryukyus is a non-profit public higher education institution located in Nishihara, Okinawa. This institution is officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. University of the Ryukyus offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees in several areas of study.

WIPO GREEN is a platform to facilitate access to new green technologies and it has been launched by World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). It is an online database listing of existing and new clean-tech companies, new technologies and those with the know-how on minimizing green-house gas emissions.

SDG’s are a collection of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); it is an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. It recognizes the ending of poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all the while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Licensing Agreements

Fujitsu has concluded the following environmental technologies and would also be providing technical support for these as per the agreements.

1. Technology to visualize regional characteristics (IP license agreement with Kyushu University), – relates to EvaCva –sustainable information sharing and analysis web app which visualizes the “natural capital” (e.g. total number of forests) of Japanese cities, town and villages to facilitate policy making and promoting a particular region revitalization. Using the data this app analyzes unique regional characteristics and attributes value to all environmental resources.
2. Technology for species identification and its population prediction (IP license with University of the Ryukyus)

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a Smartphone application to implement a technology for biodiversity conservation for identifying and predicting the population of an organism from data such as maps of plant growth, topography and weather information, bio geographical information and data bases of species characteristics.

Uses For The Licensed Technologies

Kyushu University and the University of the Ryukyus would utilize Fujitsu’s green IP in impacting and benefiting society and people in a bigger way and have path-breaking solutions. It is notable that the parties have collaborated for the transfer and application of environmental technology and services to a local level of governance. Since last year in September 2017 it had registered more than 200 intellectual property assets related to green technology in the database of WIPO GREEN.

Through the licensed green IP technologies, Fujitsu would contribute in the achievement of Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Goal 15 (Life on Land) of Sustainable Development Goals of preservation of natural capital and biodiversity.

Conclusion

The further development of these technologies and collaboration would go a long way in promoting inclusive growth that is vital for the achievement of the Sustainable Developmental Goals. The said green technologies would also lead to effective environment preservation, which in turn would immensely contribute to sustainable development.

Author: Ms. Tanuja Prasad, Associate at Khurana & Khurana, Advocates and IP Attorneys. In case of any queries please contact/write back to us at [email protected].

References:

[1] WIPO GREEN

[2] Fujitsu Partners with WIPO GREEN to Achieve SDGs

[3] Fujitsu Works to Conserve Biodiversity with Start of Technology Trial to Predict Deer Populations in Yamanashi