RRA LUR accelerates economic collaboration with Japan
In June 2023, RRA LUR hosted a delegation of representatives from the Kyoto and Oita prefectures of Japan in Ljubljana. The visit took place within the framework of the IURC program (International Urban Regional Cooperation), whose main purpose is to establish bilateral collaborations between European countries and other global powers, especially for the transfer of knowledge and best practices in the field of innovation. The delegation was accompanied by a representative from the Japanese technologically oriented company Denken. After getting acquainted with the advanced knowledge of the local technological company Ubiquity Robotics, Denken expressed interest in negotiating a technology licensing agreement.
After intensive familiarization with various challenges and opportunities in the Ljubljana urban region, the delegation members enthusiastically explored the research work of various departments at the ‘Jožef Stefan’ Institute and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana. The study visit concluded at the Technology Park Ljubljana. Presentations by successful domestic technology companies such as XLAB, Ubiquity Robotics, Multiversum, and Tovarna.Tech were followed by B2B meetings aimed at opening up space for concrete discussions on collaboration possibilities.
The first fruits of the conducted meetings are already ripening. In 2019, Ubiquity Robotics introduced a robot to the market with a developed operational platform featuring mobility, navigation, power supply, and computer processing functionalities. This platform can be upgraded for various purposes, such as storage, serving, or personal assistance. They have also developed the “follow me” technology, which the Japanese giant Denken from the Oita prefecture finds especially interesting. While Ubiquity Robotics primarily offers its semi-finished product to business partners worldwide (allowing customers to upgrade the robot according to their own needs), Denken is interested in acquiring knowledge from the Slovenian company. As explained by the director of Ubiquity Robotics, David Crawley, Slovenia not only possesses excellent technology but also personnel with competencies for reliable processing, which is a rare find. Therefore, the assembly of robots for the European market takes place in Slovenia. Negotiations between Ubiquity Robotics and the Japanese company Denken are already underway for the conclusion of a technology licensing agreement.
Every collaboration, carried out among regions is an important encouragement and evidence of the successful operation of programmes of bilateral collaborations. Surely IURC holds a special place among them.