A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | A P R I L 2 0 2 3 2 8 Modern industrial systems that seamlessly integrate virtual and real environments are becoming more widespread around the globe. Many of these systems stem from the digital transformation of automation in the manufacturing industry, first introduced as Industry 4.0 in Germany and later Society 5.0 in Japan, which was proposed in the country’s 5th Science and Technology Basic Plan. In parallel development, additive manufacturing (AM) has advanced significantly since its early days and is now becoming one of the core pillars of industrial technology. In late 2014, Osaka University in Japan established the Center for Dissimilar Custom Design and AM Research & Development (commonly known as the Osaka University Metal AM Center) to connect research-based AM with industrial implementation. It recently established another specialized AM research group at its new Anisotropic Design & Additive Manufacturing Research Center, which will further develop AM technology via an industry- academia collaboration. In the following interview, Hideyuki Kanematsu, FASM, talks with Takayoshi Nakano, director of Osaka University’s newest research hub, about the center’s goals as well as the latest prospects for AM technology in Japan’s academic and industrial circles (Figs. 1 and 2). Hideyuki Kanematsu (HK): I was thoroughly impressed by the tour of the center, including the prominent display of participating companies. This is very different from the image of a traditional research center at a leading Japanese academic institution like Osaka University. It is a research center with a difference. Takayoshi Nakano (TN): The city of Osaka has always been known as a merchant town. Osaka University represents the land and has cultivated a tradition of emphasizing practical learning. In that sense, other centers within the university place the same emphasis on industry-academia collaboration, but even so, our center in PROFILES IN MATERIALS SCIENCE OSAKA UNIVERSITY’S ANISOTROPIC DESIGN& ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CENTER Learn about a unique research hub in this fascinating interview with center director Nakano Takayoshi and Hideyuki Kanematsu, FASM.* *Member of ASM International Fig. 1 — From left, Prof. Takayoshi Nakano, Osaka University, and Prof. Hideyuki Kanematsu, National Institute of Technology, Suzuka College. Fig. 2 — Anisotropic Design & Additive Manufacturing Research Center at Osaka University.
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