Politecnico di Torino Takes Center Stage in Japan

Official photo at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo

On September 29, the new headquarters of the PoliTo Japan Hub was inaugurated in Tokyo, hosted at the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

The PoliTo Japan Hub is the first academic office of an Italian university in the country, aiming to create new synergies and networks for research and collaboration activities with companies and organizations, involving public and private stakeholders across Japan.

The Hub is designed to coordinate, promote, and enhance the University’s activities in education, research, innovation, and knowledge dissemination in Japan—a country entering a promising phase for industrial collaborations involving industries, institutions, and universities.

The official inauguration took place at the prestigious venue of the Italian Embassy in Tokyo, thanks to the hospitality of Ambassador Gianluigi Benedetti (download the Ambassador’s speech here), who spoke alongside Rector Stefano Corgnati during the ceremony. Greetings were also delivered by Elena Chiorino, Vice President of the Piedmont Region, Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of the City of Turin, and Takaaki Komatani, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Tokyo.

“With the PoliTo Japan Hub, we are opening a valuable gateway for our entire region—from businesses to higher education and research—into Japan. The synergy involving institutions strengthens and completes a high-profile international offering, allowing us to be competitive and attractive on a global scale,” commented Stefano Corgnati, Rector of the Politecnico di Torino. “Through partnerships with Japanese universities and centers of excellence, we will enhance opportunities for joint research and consulting activities for companies in both countries, in key technological fields such as aerospace, energy, environmental sustainability, architecture, and design. The Japan Hub also aims to be a meeting point for students wishing to pursue a dual degree program at the Politecnico and partner Japanese universities,” concluded Corgnati.

The University will also be featured from October 2 to 4 at Expo Osaka 2025, with a multimedia exhibition dedicated to the theme of flight and space, as part of the project “AIRONE – Aircraft and Drones for Sustainable Civil Mobility,” selected by the Ministry of Universities and Research and hosted in the Italy Pavilion.

The exhibition, titled “Flying: Where Dreams Meet Technology,” will guide visitors through a journey of prototypes, videos, and stories, exploring the frontiers of aerospace research at the Politecnico—from urban drones to stratospheric aircraft, satellites, and their terrestrial applications.

In addition to the multimedia exhibition, the Politecnico will host three events with Italian and Japanese guests to foster dialogue on innovation, sustainable mobility, and scientific cooperation.