Koji Homma
Born in Tokyo. Mr. Homma left Kogakuin University, where he majored in chemical engineering, without graduating. He entered Central Research Laboratory of Hitachi Ltd. in 1965. He was then engaged in research and development on semiconductor devices for 16 years in the Central Research Laboratory. In 1981, Mr. Homma left Hitachi and established Chemitronics Co., Ltd. to offer services such as development by commissioning and technical consultation. He then established eight companies including Technofront Co., Inc. and formed the Chemitronics Group whose main business is semiconductor process engineering. Now, he is engaged in development by commissioning as a core member of the MEMS Park Consortium established in Sendai City.
MEMS CORE is carrying out development of trial products and production of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) products in small quantities. The company was established through joint contributions by over ten investors including Professor Masayoshi Esashi at the New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, and Mr. Koji Homma, the representative of ten affiliated companies in the Chemitronics Group. Mr. Homma, who has been engaged in venture businesses such as development of a range of manufacturing equipment and measuring instruments for the last 20 years, is trying to achieve high-quality products at a lower cost by utilizing as many general-purpose products as possible. His assessment is that it may be difficult to form businesses with a high possibility of success due to the keen competition. From this he has been engaged in high-yield and high-risk businesses for which the chance of success is 50% or below.
Believing that MEMS would be next to the semiconductor business in supporting Japanese industry, Mr. Homma spent more than ten years examining the possibilities of industrializing the field. In 2001, Mr. Homma established MEMS CORE Co., Ltd. in technical cooperation with Professor Esashi, who had accumulated intellectual property related to MEMS as the results of application research and development at Tohoku University.
At present, MEMS CORE functions as an R&D venture company to support the development, mass production, and merchandising of MEMS products. In October 2004, the MEMS Park Consortium, industry-academia-government collaboration, was established to support the merchandising of MEMS technology in cooperation with Tohoku University, Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City and the Tohoku Economic Federation. The Consortium promotes the inflow of research results obtained at Tohoku University to industry, and is financed by membership fees paid by member companies (50,000 yen or approximately 455 dollars per member). The Consortium holds open symposiums as well as research and human resource development seminars for member companies. It also promotes joint projects with enterprises by supporting communication and affiliation between member companies in various fields such as the environment and medical services in which the application of MEMS technology is sought after.
One of MEMS CORE's products
High-sensitivity acceleration sensor for earthquake detection. Measurement with a vibration sensor. Detectors are also developed and put into practical use. (Prof. Niizuma’s Laboratory)
MEMS technology has been used for acceleration sensors for automobiles, pressure sensors, ink jet printer heads, and similar devices. An increase in demand is expected in fields such as communications, medical services, and biotechnology, and electrical manufacturing companies and machine manufacturing companies are also interested in the technology. MEMS products are based on semiconductor processing technology and the production process is too complicated to be standardized. Also, the costs at the experimental production level are large. Originally, diversified MEMS products are manufactured in small quantities and the market for each product is rather small. Because of this, some experimental products could not be merchandised. The MEMS Park Consortium was established as an industry-academia-government collaboration organization in order to solve these problems and create a full-scale industry. The Consortium aims at promoting the efficiency of research and development through "open collaboration," which means the sharing of accumulated technical information by Prof. Esashi, Mr. Homma, and other leading members. Some special MEMS equipment belonging to Tohoku University has been put in the MEMS Park in Izumi Ward, Sendai City for shared use. The Consortium commissions MEMS CORE with the manufacturing of trial products and selects proper partners based on the market principle to promote healthy and creative competition.
Prefectural and municipal administrative agencies give it support in various forms, such as mediating between the Consortium and outside enterprises. Cooperation between industry, universities, and the government is highly effective for MEMS because basic and applied research that is the forte of universities often becomes the basis of MEMS-product development by companies. Based on a policy that puts merchandising higher than invention in the MEMS industry, unlike the semiconductor industry, it is hoped that the Consortium will function as the basis for creating an industrial base with the participation of many companies.
An example of an application of MEMS technology. Electrostatic floating rotary gyroscopes are used for motion controllers, navigation controllers, and self-moving robots. (Prof. Esashi’s Laboratory)
I have been engaged in the R&D venture business in which diversified products are manufactured in small quantities. It is clear to me that the range of use of MEMS is increasing in various industries. Unique technical development of MEMS promotes the provision of research seeds to society from universities and companies to the world. MEMS CORE has good possibilities to expand through R&D venture businesses with leading researchers such as Professors Esashi and Niizuma at Tohoku University.
The number of top-class businessmen and researchers returning to the academic city of Sendai from Tokyo area is reported to be on the increase. The intellectual property coming into the city will not only be the property of Miyagi Prefecture, it will belong to the whole of the Tohoku region.
In Sendai City, the MEMS Valley Plan to integrate companies related to MEMS was formulated with the object of contributing to the invigoration of local communities and the development of Japanese industry. MEMS will be a great business model for the Tohoku region arising out of a range of hopeful topics such as establishment of an industry-academia-government collaboration facility, local economic organizations, advanced technology companies, and venture funds.
Izumi Techno Park opened in the spring of 2005 as the basis of the MEMS Park Consortium. Branch laboratory of Prof. Esashi of Tohoku University and MEMS CORE’s factory.
Covered, Nov 2004
URL of Chemitronics Co., Ltd.: "http://www.chemitronics.co.jp/index_e.html"
URL of MEMS Park Consortium: "http://www.memspc.jp/english/index.html"