KASTEC (Art, Science and Technology Center for Cooperative Research, Kyushu University) was established in October 2003 with the amalgamation of Kyushu University and Kyushu Institute of Design.
　Collaboration with society including industry is recognized as the forth mission of universities as well as education, research activities and medical services. After the incorporation of national universities in 2004, Kyushu University strengthened its system for collaboration and cooperation between industry and academia. KASTEC was assigned to a central institute of the industry-academia collaboration and has played an important role for implementing dependable collaborations with international, domestic and local industries. As a center of excellence, it is very important responsibility of Kyushu University to make various efforts and activities collaborated with industries and societies for resolving diverse problems in the world through education, research and design.
　KASTEC consists of 4 divisions. Liaison Division is the core team to support the Intellectual Property Management Center (IMAQ), which is a practical business section of Kyushu University, and is providing matching services between industrial requirements and technical seeds from researches. The division is also challenging a new type of relationship with societies including social science area. Design Division has uniquely promoted activities on design area cooperated with Faculty of Design, which is addressing integration of science and art. Project Division has promoted joint research with industrial partners to commercialize the results of fundamental or applied researches, and made practical continuous challenges to construct a system for industry-academia joint researches. Collaborative Research Division provides industrial partners with environments to make research and development using resources in Kyushu University. KASTEC also invites many visiting professors and researchers in each division for introducing advanced information of various technologies to members of local society and in the campus. International collaborations are also increasing as well as domestic ones.
　Kyushu University celebrated a centennial anniversary in 2011and has enterd the second century. Kyushu University is now moving and integrated to a new campus, Ito campus located in the western part of Fukuoka city. We are promoting to integrate Research and Development institutes of industries and research organizations to the research park areas surrounding Ito Campus. Kyushu University is appointed the new campus and its surrounding area as experimental fields of practical application of advanced technologies and promoting various projects for creation of the future society. KASTEC is a gateway between industry and Kyushu University, and will implement dependable collaborations.