The new headquarters of Polito Japan Hub inaugurated in Tokyo
After opening its first office in Kyoto in 2023, the PoliTO officially inaugurated today the new headquarters of the Japan Hub in the country's capital, Tokyo, where the new offices housed in the headquarters of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan will be available to the PoliTO Japanese partners and to professors and researchers in carrying out their collaborative activities with universities, research centers, and companies in the country.
The official inauguration was held at the prestigious Italian Embassy in Tokyo, thanks to the hospitality of Ambassador Gianluigi Benedetti, who spoke alongside Rector Stefano Corgnati during the ceremony. Greetings were also given by the Vice President of the Piedmont Region, Elena Chiorino, the Mayor of the City of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, and the President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Tokyo, Takaaki Komatani.
"With PoliTo Japan Hub, we are opening up a valuable gateway and connection with Japan for our entire region, spanning businesses to the world of higher education and research. The synergy that actively involves institutions enhances and completes a high-profile international offering, allowing us to be competitive and attractive on a global scale," comments Stefano Corgnati, PoliTO Rector. "Thanks to partnerships with Japanese universities and centers of excellence, we will strengthen opportunities to create joint research and consulting activities for companies in both countries in key technological fields, from aerospace to energy, from environmental sustainability to architecture and design. The Japan Hub also aims to be a meeting point for students who want to engage in a course of study leading to a double degree from both PoliTO and its Japanese partner universities."
"The right to education knows no boundaries: investing in university education means giving our young people the opportunity to grow, engage with the world, and bring new skills and perspectives back to our region. The collaboration between Piedmont and Japan represents an extraordinary opportunity for mutual growth, strengthening not only academic and scientific ties, but also the ambition to build a future in which talent and knowledge are the true drivers of our nation's development. PoliTO is, by definition, a center of excellence in the region, as well as one of the beating hearts of education throughout Italy, and I am convinced that the new Tokyo campus represents a further step in consolidating an already high and internationally recognized reputation," said Elena Chiorino, vice president and councilor for the Right to University Education of the Piedmont Region.
"Opening the first hub of an Italian university in Japan is a source of pride for Turin and confirms its increasingly international role. This new milestone represents a point of reference not only for the academic community, but also for the business world. Thanks to teamwork, Politecnico, the City, and the entire region are able to make the most of their skills and ingenuity, putting them at the service of the community to create new opportunities for growth and development," continued Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of the City of Turin.
“The PoliTo Japan Hub in Tokyo will contribute significantly to the promotion of relations between Italy and Japan. On the one hand, it will give a strong boost to all our activities in the field of science and technology. On the other hand, it will play an active role as a solid and excellent partner for any Japanese institution or company interested in hi-tech cooperation with Italy,” concluded the Italian Ambassador to Japan, Gianluigi Benedetti.
The decision to move the Hub's headquarters to Tokyo is driven by PoliTO's desire to further strengthen its presence and academic and institutional dialogue between the two countries throughout Japan, following the first two years of activity that intensified relations with the Asian region, which is strategic for PoliTO's internationalization policies. As the world's third largest economy, Japan is one of the most modern and advanced economic systems in the world, thanks to its geographical position in the Asia-Pacific region - one of the most economically dynamic areas on a global scale - and its traditional international outlook. The Politecnico boasts a solid relationship with Japan in the fields of research and education, with over 20 collaborations with Japanese universities: over the last five years, joint projects and initiatives have generated numerous scientific results involving over 50 professors, researchers, and technical-administrative staff.
Polito Japan Hub is the first academic office of an Italian university in the country, with the aim of creating new synergies and networks for its research and collaboration activities with companies and organizations, involving public and private actors throughout Japan.
In recent years, Japan has been focusing on various scientific and technological challenges that are common to Italy, such as environmental risk management, the aging of society, the enhancement and protection of cultural heritage, and the development of technologies for the benefit of humankind.
The Hub aims to coordinate, promote, and enhance PoliTO activities in education, research, innovation, and knowledge dissemination in Japan, a country that is entering a favorable period for industrial collaborations involving industry, institutions, and universities: “At this historic moment, the Japan Hub initiative underscores the importance of meeting and collaborating, which are fundamental tools for the growth of our young people, the development of innovative technologies, and the creation of an interconnected, sustainable, and peaceful world,” comments Giuseppe Quaglia, the Japan Hub Director.
The inauguration was also an opportunity to present the Politecnico's participation in Expo Osaka 2025, where the University will be a key player from October 2 to 4 with a multimedia exhibition dedicated to the theme of flight and space, as part of the "AIRONE - Aircraft and drones for sustainable civil mobility” project, selected by the Ministry of University and Research and hosted in the Italian Pavilion.
The exhibition, named “Flying: Where Dreams Meet Technology”, will take visitors on a journey through prototypes, videos, and narratives, exploring the frontiers of aerospace research at the Politecnico: from urban drones to stratospheric aircraft, to satellites and their terrestrial applications.
In addition to the multimedia exhibition, the Politecnico will organize three sessions with Italian and Japanese guests to promote dialogue on innovation, sustainable mobility, and scientific cooperation. The inauguration on October 2 will be attended by Rector Stefano Corgnati and Vice Rector for Communication and Promotion Silvia Barbero, as well as the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo Osaka 2025, Ambassador Mario Vattani, the President of the Piedmont Region Alberto Cirio, and the Mayor of the City of Turin Stefano Lo Russo. The directors of the two PNRR projects that the Politecnico is presenting at Expo will also give a welcome address: MOST - National Center for Sustainable Mobility with Gianmarco Montanari and NODES - Digital and Sustainable Northwest with Chiara Ferroni.
The session scheduled on October 3 will focus on collaboration between the PoliTO and Japan, with the talk “Scientific Pathways from Turin to Osaka: A Cross-Cultural Collaboration Series”, coordinated by Professor Giuseppe Quaglia: a dialogue between Italian and Japanese speakers on research topics common to both countries, from robotics at the service of mankind to innovative materials, energy, and Artificial Intelligence.
On October 4, the PoliTO Expo experience will conclude with a meeting dedicated to the University's research in the fields of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and the New Space Economy. The talk is coordinated by Professors Giorgio Guglieri and Giuseppe Scellato, representatives of the Spokes dedicated to aerospace in the MOST and NODES projects, respectively.
“With this double initiative - the opening of the Japan Hub in Tokyo and participation in the Expo - Politecnico di Torino confirms its commitment to building bridges between Italy and Japan, promoting education and innovation in one of the most dynamic areas in the world,” concludes Vice Rector for International Affairs Alberto Sapora.
