SA国际传媒

Interview and text: Megumi Maruyama (URA, Planning and Project Development Division, Academic Research & Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration)

When people hear the word “quantum,” quantum computers often come to mind—especially when discussions turn to their practical use. While many estimate this to be “more than a decade away,” a different approach is taking shape in a research hub in central Japan:?the at Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS).

Rather than focusing on distant futures, Q-BReD sets its sights on quantum technologies that could be implemented within just a few years. At the heart of the hub lies a key question: how can advanced fundamental research be translated into real societal impact?

This article draws on interviews with Shigeki Kiyonaka, professor and director of Q-BReD, and Yusuke Shibata, lead research administrator, to explore how researchers and university research administrators (URAs) work together to tackle this challenge.

── How did you two first meet?

Kiyonaka: I first became aware of Shibata during his secondment to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

Shibata: That’s right — late 2022, shortly after I started there.

Kiyonaka: At first, I thought of him simply as someone from MEXT. As we exchanged emails, I learned that he had experience as a URA working at the interface between universities and national policy — and that really broadened my sense of the scope of the URA role.

Shibata: At MEXT, I was involved in promoting policies around quantum computing and quantum communication. In 2024, I returned to SA国际传媒 and began supporting Q-BReD, which had been launched under the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System (THERS).

── How would you describe Q-BReD’s position among Japan’s quantum research landscape?

Shibata: In simple terms, Q-BReD is one of Japan’s Quantum Technology Innovation Hubs — a group of research hubs officially designated by the government to lead the country’s quantum research. There are currently twelve such hubs, each with its own strengths.

Kiyonaka: Most other hubs focus on areas like quantum computing, quantum sensing, or quantum communication — topics that are more physics-oriented. Q-BReD proposed a unique approach that set us apart, and as a result, we were recognized as the eleventh hub in 2023.

── On your website, chemistry seems to play an important role. Could you explain that?

Kiyonaka: Quantum science has both physical and chemical dimensions. When we were preparing our proposal, we noticed that chemistry was largely absent from national strategies. Quantum chemistry allows us to treat molecules, materials, and biological systems under the same principles. Starting from chemistry opens the door all at once — to electronic materials, devices, and even medicine. That became our key selling point.

Shibata: At the same time, the government had begun seriously discussing the industrialization of quantum technologies. While practical quantum computers are still expected to take at least a decade, chemistry- and medicine-related applications — Q-BReD’s strengths — are much closer to realization. Our proposal filled a gap in national strategy.

── That sounds like a perfect match, but research and policy do not always align so neatly. How did you connect the two?

Kiyonaka: That’s where Shibata’s support was invaluable. We worked together to identify where our research and policy goals overlapped.

Shibata: This highlights the difference between our roles. Researchers create knowledge, while my role is to connect that knowledge to government strategy. Together, we consider how research fits into policy — and when there is a gap, I suggest ways to reframe it.

── So, like packing a lunchbox? One prepares the dishes, and the other arranges them neatly?

Shibata: Exactly. And sometimes I have to say, “Sure, fried chicken is delicious! — but maybe it doesn’t fit today.” (laughs)

Kiyonaka: Simply stating what researchers want to do isn’t enough for a national project. I’ve learned a lot through this process. Honestly, I think my way of thinking has changed significantly over the past three years.

── To achieve faster industrial application, what is Q-BReD focusing on now?

Kiyonaka:?Our strength lies in combining chemistry with a structure that actively involves medicine. Among the twelve quantum hubs nationwide, Q-BReD is the only one where a medical school and university hospital are formally involved. This structure allows engineering and medical students to work side by side in shared research spaces. It is not a class, but hands-on collaboration in active research — and that is quite rare.

Shibata: To make the most of this strength, we are also designing mechanisms that naturally encourage dialogue across fields. Joint projects for students and early-career researchers, networking events, and pathways that make people think, “Since we are here together, why not collaborate?”

Q-BReD is described by both interviewees as a “small city” where researchers from a wide range of disciplines gather, with chemistry and medicine at its core. Kiyonaka’s panoramic perspective and Shibata’s ability to capture movement function as complementary forces that give this city its momentum.

As this article illustrates, URAs at SA国际传媒 work alongside large-scale research projects to create the environments and systems that allow research to move forward. URA support continues to evolve, adapting to the needs of each project.