November 2024
Seminar ‘Expanding the Mobility Potential of Ageing and Inclusive Society’ with Prof. Yukio Honda (University of Tokyo / Osaka University), Dr Toshiaki Segawa and Mr Toshihiko Tsuda (JATCO Ltd.) was held at O’Connor Theatre, O’Brien Science Building, UCD
Assoc. Prof. Naonori Kodate (co-Director, Public Policy Programme in UCD / Dir., UCD Centre for Japanese Studies (JaSt)) organised Seminar ‘Expanding the Mobility Potential of Ageing and Inclusive Society’ on the Belfield Campus, UCD on the 11th of November 2024. It was co-hosted by the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, the Geary Institute for Public Policy, the UCD Institute for Discovery, and the Embassy of Japan in Ireland. The UCD Alumni Office also supported this event by reaching out to the UCD community.
Three guests from Japan included Prof. Yukio Honda (roboticist/engineer, and has been serving as an advisor on Care Robots for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan), Dr Toshiaki Segawa (General Manager, New Business Development Department) and Mr Toshihiko Tsuda (Well-being Equipment Business Office) from JATCO Ltd. (Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan).
JATCO Ltd. (Japan Automatic Transmission Co., Ltd.) is a world leading producer famous for its automatic transmissions (AT) & continuously variable transmissions (CVT). The firm has shipped over 125 million AT/CVT units, globally. Automobile companies such as Nissan, Mitsubishi, Renault and Suzuki use their products. In recent years, JATCO has been expanding its business and developing welfare technology to support the mobility of older people and people with disabilities. This seminar in UCD highlighted the features of their latest product, which is robotic transfer device/wheelchair to the audience.
Prof. Honda spoke about rapid demographic changes, which have been a strong driver for policy change in many advanced industrial economies, while emphasising the ultimate goal of extending healthy life expectancy and realising independent living with the support of advanced technology.
Before and after the seminar, the delegates had several meetings, and also visited the National Rehabilitation Hospital (thanks to Assoc. Prof. Sarah Donnelly (Social Work / JaSt) and Anne O’Loughlin - Principal Social Worker at the NRH / UCD Alumna). In the evening, Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, His Excellency Mr Maruyama Norio welcomed the three guests and Dr Kodate at his Residence (Japan House in Ireland).
(Left to Right: Prof. Honda, Dr Segawa, Ambassador Maruyama, Mr Tsuda, Dr Kodate)