IM Lab Holds Open Day; Industry, Academia, and Government Discuss Building Innovation Education Based on ISO 56000

The "IM Lab"*, a consortium jointly operated by the Japan Innovation Network (JIN) and Tokyo University of Science to promote the practice of ecosystem strategy, held a public event "IM Lab Open Day" in Tokyo on July 1, 2026 (Wednesday), with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Approximately 120 participants from companies, universities, and government agencies attended. The event focused on "Disseminating educational programs utilizing Innovation Management Systems (IMS) based on the ISO 56000 series," sharing domestic and international expertise and holding panel discussions.

From "Chance" to a "Designable Management System"

The IM Lab Open Day was held with the theme of shifting innovation from its current reliance on individual experience and chance occurrences to a management system that can systematically realize value. With the international spread of IMS gaining momentum following the publication of ISO 56001/56002, discussions were held on the importance of companies, universities, policy-making bodies, research institutions, and startups using IMS as a common language to enhance the organizational capacity and individual abilities that enable reproducible innovation.

Keynote Speech by Professor Mats Magnusson of the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Professor Mats Magnusson of the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, who has 30 years of experience in innovation management education and research, delivered the keynote speech. He introduced innovation management education at European universities, pointing out that "the development of practical skills, not just knowledge, is important," and emphasized the importance of innovation management not only for startups but also for existing companies.

Keynote Speech by Professor Mats Magnusson of the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and International Experts Share Perspectives

In the subsequent policy session, Mr. Shingo Kikukawa, Director of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Innovation and Environmental Bureau, explained the "New Technology-Based Nation" concept advocated by the Kishida Cabinet and the policy of creating new markets through international standardization. Mr. Shuichi Sakamoto, Director of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Research and Development Bureau (and Visiting Professor of Industry-Academia Collaboration at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), spoke about the necessity of cross-disciplinary "Transversal Competency" education.

Furthermore, Mr. Magnus Karlsson, an IMS expert from Sweden, sent a proposal via video message titled "How to Enhance Japan's Innovation Performance," stating that "Japan has R&D and technological capabilities, but it needs to strengthen the mechanisms for converting these into social and economic value," and emphasized the importance of human resource development utilizing ISO 56001 and ISO 56011 (Competence Requirements Framework).

Ms. Annie Renders from the Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency of the Flemish Region Government in Belgium also presented online, emphasizing the importance of "innovation ecosystems" where companies, universities, and governments collaborate. She also explained that the Flanders region is improving its competitiveness through cluster policies and performance management using KPIs.

Video Message by Magnus Karlsson

Panel Discussion by Domestic University Faculty Members

The panel discussion featured Mr. Shumpeta Tamada (Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Management, Kwansei Gakuin University), Mr. Tsutomu Nakano (Professor, Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University), Mr. Ryuta Kono (Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Information Systems, Tama University), and Mr. Hiroyuki Ozaki (JIN Director). Under the moderation of Mr. Noboru Konno (JIN Chairperson, Director), they discussed the feasibility of implementing IMS education in domestic graduate schools. It was also announced that Tama University Graduate School will offer "Theory and Practice of Innovation Management Systems" starting in the fall semester of 2026.

Panel Discussion with Professor Mats Magnusson and Domestic University Faculty Members

Open Sourcing of ISO Education Content and Future Developments

Mr. Hiroyuki Ozaki of JIN introduced the structure of the ISO 56000 series and JIN's proprietary practical framework "IMS Compass," and announced that JIN would open-source part of the content it developed for educational purposes and provide it to participants. A participant survey showed that 77% of respondents wished to utilize this content, indicating a high level of expectation for continuous learning and practice of IMS.

Launch of the "IMS Global Learning Initiative"

This event also served as the launch of the "IMS Global Learning Initiative," an international educational program jointly promoted by JIN, Tokyo University of Science, the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, and Amplify (Sweden). Using the ISO 56000 series as a common language, the initiative plans to provide learning opportunities that transcend management, technology, and society through lectures, dialogue, co-creation, field research, and practical projects, fostering co-creation learning opportunities between Europe and Japan.

*About IM Lab:

A consortium established in August 2025 by the Japan Innovation Network (JIN) and Tokyo University of Science, promoting industry-academia-government collaboration and working on the practice of ecosystem strategy with IMS as a common language. The "IM Lab 2026-2027" program, running for 10 months from May 2026, is underway, and this event was held as a public event within that program. The next public event, themed "Regional Ecosystems," is scheduled to be held in Shibuya.