Kyushu University has positioned ‘decarbonisation’ as a priority area for the university, and is aiming to resolve issues for the future society by mobilising all its resources.

The m-DAC® technology being researched and developed by the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER) at Kyushu University is the first technology in the world that captures and concentrates CO2 simply by filtering air through a membrane, and if this technology is converted into equipment, CO2 capture will be possible in various locations. Kyushu University is strongly promoting the practical application of this m-DAC® and CO2 conversion technology with the support of the Moon Shot Type R&D System (*2) supported by the Cabinet Office.

A memorandum on social implementation of m-DAC® and CO2 conversion technology was concluded with Sojitz on 9 February 2022 with the aim of early commercialisation of this technology, and as a result of diligent discussions, it was decided that collaboration with potential customers from the research and development stage is essential, and on 26 May 2023 Sojitz took the lead in a joint venture with chemical venture companies, including a chemical venture company, on 26 May 2023. The decision was made to invest in and participate in the business of Carbon Xtract for the first time as Kyushu University, with the aim of further collaboration by strengthening support that goes beyond conventional joint research and patent licensing to the provision of related equipment and facilities and support for intellectual property rights.

This will be the first time that Kyushu University, which produces advanced research seeds, and Sojitz, a general trading company that has various corporate networks as an operating company, have collaborated and jointly invested in a business form. Since its establishment, Carbon Xtract has set up an office in Ito Lab+, a facility operated by Fukuoka City for research and development and industry-university collaboration with Kyushu University, and has started full-scale operations. Aiming for collaboration with a wide variety of industries, Carbon Xtract is currently discussing collaboration with a number of companies and is considering business tie-ups with several companies under the formulation of specific policies, etc. A prototype of the m-DAC® CO2 recovery system is being developed for practical use in the late 2020s with the aim of completion during this year, and once completed, the system will be tested with several collaborating companies. Once completed, the prototype will be tested with a number of collaborating companies, with the aim of developing the DAC equipment required by the market. Kyushu University and Sojitz have promoted industry-academia collaboration initiatives in the past, such as Sojitz’s investment in a start-up company originating from Kyushu University, and will continue to pursue further possibilities for collaboration in the field of decarbonisation projects.

Starting with this first investment, Kyushu University will continue to provide support for the creation of promising seeds, strategic intellectual property support with a view to business, and commercialisation support based on collaboration with companies.