OMU News

A 10-member delegation led by Daniela Schmitt, Minister of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture, and Viniculture of Rhineland-Palatinate, home to the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), visited the Nakamozu Campus on April 17, 2025. 

President Hiroyuki Sakuragi and Vice President Masahide Takahashi welcomed them at the newly opened Smart Energy Building with Professor Koichi Kise from the Graduate School of Informatics and Advisor to the President Shingo Ata.

During the meeting, President Sakuragi delivered a welcome address, followed by Vice President Takahashi, who provided an overview of OMU. Professor Kise, who has been engaged in international joint research and exchanges with DFKI, introduced the history between the institutions, as well as current research activities. Advisor to the President Shingo Ata then presented the concept of the Smart Energy Building, concluding with a live demonstration of a robot operating within the building.

Afterwards, the delegation toured the Smart Energy Building and DFKI Lab Japan, where Professor Shoya Ishimaru and Specially Appointed Associate Professor Andrew Vargo introduced their research on artificial intelligence in collaboration with DFKI. The delegation then visited the R&D Center for the Plant Factory (PFC), where Director Yoshiaki Kitaya explained lettuce cultivation techniques using artificial light.
Next month, OMU and DFKI’s collaborative activities will continue with a special lecture by Professor Andreas Dengel. Moving forward, the ongoing collaboration with DFKI and other German institutions is expected to further strengthen.

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Global Strategy Division
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