On September 16, Kokuyo Supply Logistics launched its "Logistics x Industry-Academia Collaboration Project" for fiscal year 2025, in collaboration with Kurume University (Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture) and Kinki University (Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture).
For the first time in the Kyushu area, Kurume University is collaborating with Kurume Transport. Seventeen students from Professor Takaharu Omi's seminar and Professor Kazuya Kinoshita's seminar from the Faculty of Commerce are participating. The aim is for students to identify problems and propose improvements in the logistics field, thereby balancing student learning with the growth of the company.
At the kickoff event on the 16th, the students visited Kurume Transport Mirai Kyushu Branch and Kaunet Fukuoka Logistics Center. Through on-site interviews, picking experience, and other activities, they gained a concrete understanding of the current state and future of the logistics industry by observing the logistics sites.
Through the project, students will brainstorm ideas on various themes, including challenges such as "labor shortages and working conditions," "coexistence with local communities" specifically focused on the Kyushu area, and "image strategy proposals" that showcase the appeal of logistics from a student's perspective. These ideas will be presented at the final presentation in December.
Fourteen students from Kinki University's Faculty of Business Administration's logistics seminar, led by Professor Ainosuke Takahashi, participated. Prior to the kickoff, they visited Kokuyo Supply Logistics Kinki IDC, where they experienced the logistics field firsthand, including trying on air-conditioned work clothes, and confronted the challenges involved.
Furthermore, Kokuyo Supply Logistics will take the lead, continuing from last year, to set research themes that combine sustainability, the challenges of 2030, community contribution, and other business issues faced by Kokuyo Supply Logistics. Students will work on improvement proposals such as developing branding strategies and career management methods, and will present their findings at the final presentation in December.
Furthermore, this project will expand from the existing Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai region to include the Chubu and Kyushu regions in fiscal year 2025. It will now involve four universities nationwide: Chiba University of Commerce, Kinki University, Nagoya Gakuin University, and Kurume University.
