Press Release

ZEISS and RIKEN Innovation establish partnership

Synergizing RIKEN's excellence in basic research in bioengineering with ZEISS's expertise in imaging and sensing

31 January 2020

Oberkochen/Germany, Tokyo/Japan | 31 January 2020 | ZEISS Group

ZEISS and RIKEN Innovation Co., Ltd. today entered into a strategic collaboration agreement to jointly explore opportunities in aiming to identify projects where the combination of RIKEN’s expertise in bioengineering and image data manipulation and ZEISS’ leadership in optical solutions can accelerate bioengineering innovations and bring about a paradigm change in health care.

“We are proud to complement RIKEN’s broad-spectrum and extensive basic research through our expertise in biomedical imaging, which we see as a fundamental ingredient for turning bioengineering into viable healthcare solutions. The success of leading-edge research requires not only groundbreaking ideas but also access and management of advanced scientific equipment. Highest level of instrument availability and advanced image data management are key to efficient R&D”, said Dr. Stefan Sacré, Head of ZEISS in Japan.

RIKEN’s extensive R&D infrastructure and imaging resources provide an excellent base for collaboration between RIKEN and ZEISS. Hiroshi Matsumoto, President of RIKEN, commented, “Today’s Agreement with ZEISS, a corporation which has earned a high level of trust world-wide as a manufacturer of high-precision microscopes and optical instruments, represents a new kind of partnership that does not merely focus on separate research topics. I look forward to an environment in which our partners at ZEISS and researchers at RIKEN engage in free and open discussions, and for RIKEN Innovation to support both organizations in their strategic planning. I expect that this will lead to collaborative research activity of the highest level and the pioneering of new fields.”

RIKEN Innovation President Yoshihiro Aburatani added, “RIKEN Innovation was founded on September 5, 2019 as fully-owned subsidiary of RIKEN. Our purpose is to serve as an external entity to support RIKEN in promoting and facilitating industry-academia collaboration and to actively perform the work necessary for collaborative projects with industrial partners, which will put RIKEN’s research achievements to work for society. I am very happy for this opportunity to work with ZEISS, a highly respected corporation in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. We will work diligently so that this large-scale collaborative effort is successful, which will also serve to benefit society.”

Signing of the strategic collaboration agreement: Dr. Stefan Sacré, Head of ZEISS in Japan, Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Matsumoto, President of RIKEN, and Dr. Yoshihiro Aburatani, President RIKEN Innovation (from left).

About RIKEN

RIKEN is Japan’s largest and most comprehensive research organization that covers a vast array of science and technology including physics, engineering, chemistry, mathematics and information science, computational science, bioscience and medicine. It conducts cutting-edge research in these areas, as well as R&D that contributes to Japan’s industrial development. It has 10 research locations in Japan including Wako, Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo, Harima and Yokohama. For more information go to https://www.riken.jp/

About RIKEN Innovation Co., Ltd.

RIKEN Innovation was established on September 5, 2019 as a company wholly owned by RIKEN, according to the new Japanese Law of Active Creation of Scientific Technology and Innovation. It is in charge of work related to collaborations between RIKEN and its industrial partners, with the mission of returning to society the fruits of research and innovation. For more information go to www.innovation-riken.jp

Press contact Jörg Nitschke

Head of Corporate Brand, Communications and Public Affairs
ZEISS Group

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling more than 6.4 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2019).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership.

With over 31,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 60 sales and service companies, 30 production sites and 25 development sites. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com