Closer, an AI Robot Developer, Awarded Approximately 180 Million Yen Grant, Selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation Promotion Fund Project
— Aiming for Innovation and Social Implementation of Food Handling Technology in the Food Industry —
On December 28, 2023, Closer Inc. (President: Shota Higuchi, Headquarters: Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, hereinafter "Closer") was selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation Promotion Fund Project (Phase 3 Fund Project: Technology Demonstration, etc.).
The theme of this project is "Innovation and Social Implementation of Food Handling Technology in the Food Industry." Closer formed a consortium with Connected Robotics Inc. and FingerVision Inc., jointly submitted a proposal for the first public offering, and was awarded a grant with a maximum amount of approximately 180 million yen over a four-year period.
Background and Purpose of the Project
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation Promotion Fund Project (Phase 3 Fund Project) aims to promote the social implementation of advanced technologies held by startups in Japan. The ministry has established this fund to support large-scale technology demonstrations (Phase 3) that lead to social implementation.
For more information about the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' Small and Medium Enterprise Innovation Promotion Fund Project (Phase 3 Fund Project), visithttps://www.affrc.maff.go.jp/docs/phase3kikin/index.htm#koubo1kekka .
In the three-product industries (food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics), including the food industry, it is challenging to directly apply robotic technologies from the automotive and electrical/electronic industries. As a result, these industries rely heavily on human labor, which is becoming a significant issue due to labor shortages.
Closer has been developing innovative robotic systems that can be applied to the food industry. In this project, Closer will focus on research and development in areas such as AI image processing and motion planning, aiming to "maintain compactness while improving production speed and success rate."
