The Tongali Business Plan Contest 2019 was held at Nagoya International Legend Hall (Aichi Prefecture) on June 1, 2019. Its target participants are undergraduate, graduate students of universities in the Tokai Region (Aichi, Gifu and Mie prefectures), who compete with one another for their start-up business strategies based on technology of the future and ideals.

Mr. Shunya Chosokabe (4th year student, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Engineering, Professor Akiyoshi Takeno's laboratory) made his presentation titled, "Infection Barrier." He spoke about the development and commercialization of infection free (insect repellent) cloths using Gifu University's patented technology of inserting functionalized molecule into fiber.

Mr. Chosokabe's team ranked third in 10 teams which passed a preliminary contest competed by 18 teams. His team was also presented with a number of awards from co-organizers of the contest. They are: "Daiwa Securities Award" from Daiwa Securities Co., Ltd., "UTEC Award" from the University of Tokyo Edge Capital, "Nagono Campus Award" from Towa Real Estate Co., Ltd., "Mitsui Bussan Award" from Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and "Overseas Challenge Award" from Aichi Prefecture. With all these awards, Mr. Chosokabe's team won the largest number of prizes in 10 teams.

What is Tongali Project?

Tongali: Tokai Network for Global Leading Innovators (comprises Nagoya University, Toyohashi University of Technology, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gifu University and Mie University) is providing entrepreneur education to produce future leaders who are capable of staring new businesses from the Tokai Region. The participants can learn from the basics of creating a new idea to actual operations of start-ups in stages. They are also given an opportunity to receive mentoring/coaching lessons directly from successful entrepreneurs. The project aims to contribute to business revitalization, job creation in the Tokai Region, and building up global innovation ecosystem in the future.