Prof. Hirofumi Sawa, Director of IVReD, has been nominated for the 8th Japan Open Innovation Prize for his participation in the project “Academia-Industry Collaboration for Anti-COVID-19 Drug Development: Research and Social Implementation.”
 For more information, please check here.

This prize recognizes pioneering initiatives that translate research and development achievements into social implementation, with the aim of supporting value creation through cross-organizational collaboration. Outstanding initiatives are awarded prizes such as Minister’s and Commissioner’s Awards, with the highest honor being the Prime Minister’s Award.

◆Project Overview

This project was built on an academia–industry partnership between Hokkaido University and Shionogi & Co., Ltd., advancing seamlessly from the discovery of COVID-19 therapeutic candidates to evaluation in animal models, clinical development, and ultimately social implementation.

Through knowledge-sharing among researchers and rapid decision-making processes, the project demonstrated a new model of open innovation for responding to infectious disease crises.

◆Project Participants (Affiliation / Position)

(1) Hirofumi Sawa
Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (IVReD), Hokkaido University
Distinguished Professor / Director

(2)Yasuko Ohba
International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University
Professor

(3) Michihito Sasaki
International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University
Associate Professor

(4)Akihiko Sato
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. , Senior Research Fellow/ Hokkaido University, Visiting Professor University

(5)Takao Sanagi
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Research Fellow, /  Hokkaido UniversityVisiting Researcher,

◆About the Japan Open Innovation Prize

The Japan Open Innovation Prize, organized by the Cabinet Office of Japan, honors initiatives that have created innovative social value through collaboration among industry, academia, government, local communities, and international partners.
Evaluations consider technological innovation, collaboration models, market potential, social contributions, and other multifaceted perspectives.

Official Website: https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/open-innovation/index.html

◆Next Steps

Award results will be announced at a later date.
IVReD will continue to advance the research, development, and social implementation of infectious disease therapeutics, contributing to global preparedness and response to public health emergencies.