The National University Corporation University of Tsukuba and Toyota Motor Corporation announce that the R&D Center for Strategic Frontiers in Social Planning had opened at the University of Tsukuba this April for research and development into social infrastructure for communities of the future. The center is planned to operate for five years, and will employ an open laboratory system for genuine collaboration between industry, academia, and government.

Research at the center will include verification into solutions for regional socioeconomic issues, development of future industries, and formation of industrial centers, as well as policy recommendations. Through social measurements made with effective application of the Internet of Things (IoT) and coordination with the University of Tsukuba's Center for Artificial Intelligence Research, the center will contribute to the sustainable cycle of growth in communities. Specifically, the center will conduct studies into the causes and solutions of issues that require improvement from a social engineering and mathematical engineering approach, and will support human resources training and intelligence development.

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