Hamamatsu University Medical School President Hiroyuki Konno Highlights Opportunities in Healthcare and Industry Integration Before Stepping Down

As he prepares to step down on March 31, President Hiroyuki Konno of Hamamatsu University Medical School sat down for an interview with the Nikkei and other media outlets, emphasizing the critical role of integrating healthcare and industry for sustainable regional development. He also stressed the necessity of moving forward with the initial plan of merging Hamamatsu University Medical School with Shizuoka University. Konno will assume the role of chairman of the “Regional Healthcare Promotion Corporation,” a joint initiative by the university and Hamamatsu City, starting in April.

Key Points from the Interview

Konno discussed various ways the healthcare sector and industry could collaborate, beyond medical equipment development and drug discovery. He highlighted the emerging opportunities in fields like medical information, systems, and digital transformation (DX). Additionally, Konno pointed out the potential of combining tourism and healthcare to create “medical tourism” in Shizuoka, offering another avenue for economic and healthcare growth.

One of Konno’s significant achievements during his tenure was establishing a new entity for industry-university-government collaboration and transferring the university’s intellectual property. Furthermore, he helped form a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Japan, promoting the use of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare sector. Another key initiative was the of entrepreneurship education at the university.

Looking ahead, Konno strongly believes that the integration of Shizuoka University and Hamamatsu University will accelerate the pace of value creation in collaboration with industry, especially with a new university housing faculties of medicine, engineering, and information technology. He is confident that such an integrated institution will be capable of competing globally.

However, the merger has hit a roadblock. Shizuoka University President Kazuyuki Nishizume, in October 2024, expressed that the planned integration and reorganization with Hamamatsu University should be reconsidered, indicating a reset of the entire project. Since then, discussions between the two universities have come to a standstill.

What Undercode Says:

The interview and statements made by Konno underscore the importance of healthcare’s intersection with technology, entrepreneurship, and regional development. Hamamatsu Medical School’s initiatives illustrate how universities can drive innovation by fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government, pushing forward transformative ideas in healthcare.

The integration of industry with healthcare—focusing on the development of medical technologies, AI, and data-driven healthcare systems—seems not only vital but inevitable in the context of modern-day medicine. The potential for medical tourism in Shizuoka is also an exciting prospect, showing how the region could leverage its medical resources to attract international visitors, combining both healthcare and tourism for mutual benefit.

However, the integration of Hamamatsu University Medical School with Shizuoka University has faced serious challenges. While the initial collaboration plans were ambitious, the recent pause in negotiations shows that merging institutions, especially in such critical fields, is not without its complications. The differences in institutional priorities, or potential governance challenges, could delay or even derail the planned collaboration, creating uncertainty about its future success.

On the other hand, the relationship between Hamamatsu University and AWS Japan represents a successful example of how industry partnerships can directly benefit the university ecosystem. The incorporation of cloud computing and AI into healthcare at the university is a progressive move, positioning it at the forefront of medical technology.

Despite the hurdles in university integration,

Fact Checker Results:

Innovation in Healthcare: Accurate, as Konno’s tenure indeed focused on integrating medical technology, AI, and healthcare through partnerships, such as with AWS.
Medical Tourism Potential: Plausible, as there is growing global interest in combining healthcare and tourism.
Shizuoka University Merger: Correct, as Shizuoka University has paused the merger discussions with Hamamatsu Medical School.