Tohoku University and Toyota to promote green initiatives

Tohoku University and Toyota Motor Corporation have signed a cooperative agreement to promote green initiatives such as using hydrogen as a clean energy source and disaster-resistant urban development in Fukushima Prefecture.

Under the agreement, Tohoku University and Toyota will engage in joint research on hydrogen fuel cells and develop green technologies to eventually realize carbon neutrality.

Tohoku University and Toyota have long been involved in reconstruction efforts in Fukushima following the nuclear power plant accident in 2011.

Other goals include the creation of disaster-resistant urban development, the building of new communities using structures that promote history and culture, and technological innovation to help raise the value of local agricultural products such as peaches and pears.

Hideo Ohno, Tohoku University President, said, “We want to deliver a message about how communities can be positively changed, what we can do about carbon neutrality, and how we can create a resilient society.”