Gifu University is going to receive the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award of the 29th Grand Prize for the Global Environment Award presented by Fujisankei Communications Group.

The Global Environment Award recognizes companies and organizations that undertake initiatives to preserve the environment or prevent global warming, with the goal of promoting harmony with industrial development and the global environment. The award goes to enterprises, local municipalities, schools and citizen organizations which are contributing to the development of eco-friendly technologies/goods, environmental conservation activities, etc.

Under the declaration of "Environmental University," Gifu University concluded the "Industry-Government-Academia Agreement on Realization of Hydrogen Energy Based Society" with Gifu Prefecture and three private enterprises in 2016. The conclusion of this agreement led to an establishment of Gifu Renewable Energy System Research Center (Gifu University) in 2018. The center introduced Japan's first "Local Production for Local Consumption Energy System in Hilly and Mountainous Areas ("Regional Revitalization Gifu Model")" for practical applications in society at large in a collaboration effort involving industries, government and academia. The center continues to promote this innovative Gifu Model, and has been striving to create the best energy management systems consisting of power generation by renewable energies, artificial intelligence, hydrogen technologies and electronic cars, etc. The center's strenuous efforts to protect environmental well-being have resulted in Gifu University's wining of the award.

We expect that the 29th global environment award will propel Gifu University to pursue further development of new energy management systems in the near future.