The Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS)— the University's first eve research institute— was launched on 1stOctober 2010. The last three years have been spent developing and enhancing the institute as an interdisciplinary integrated research center. We are endeavoring to realize a unique fusion between our main strength in electronics technology (sensors, LSI, photonics devices) and state-of-the-art applied research on the life sciences, medical care, agricultural science, environment, telecommunications, and robotics, to name but a few.
The organization of EIIRIS consists of three innovative research departments: advanced medical technology, brain technology, and green technology. The research support and human resources development department also conducts research activities in collaboration with the university faculty. The full-time members of staff at EIIRIS consist of eleven researchers, two technical assistants, two administration staff and ten tenure track researchers (since 2009). The EIIRIS staff share a large open plan office on the third floor of EIIRIS-1 and are in daily contact with each other as they collaborate on integrated research activities.
The infrastructure for research activities includes the advanced materials development cleanroom on the first floor of EIIRIS-1— a dedicated 1,500 m2 building completed in 2010, and designed as an advanced integration block for housing sophisticated instruments in the optical measurement room, physical measurement room, and bioscience laboratory on the second floor. Staff and administration offices are on the third floor.
EIIRIS-2— referred as the LSI factory— measures 2,300 m2 and is connected to EIIRIS-1 via a bridge on the third floor. EIIRIS-2 consists of" facilities unique even from the international viewpoint," according to the 21st Century COE interim evaluation. EIIRIS-2 allows staff to handle many integrated activities from the design of LSI, sensors and micro-electro-mechanical systems to semiconductors and sensor processes and measurements.
Finally, EIIRIS-3 was completed in 2012 as a life sciences experimental facility conducting full-scale experiments using animals— an unusual research facility for an engineering university.
