The foundation of the marvelous economic growth in Japan had not been established without the existence of universities which have educated and produced many excellent human resources who have contributed to the world of industrial economy. Reformation of universities is now given great attention as universities are a treasury of intellectual resources such as tangible and intangible intellectual research property, capable researchers who develop into the Nobel Prize winners and institutions with the world's most advanced inventions or patents. All these resources are the results of high education and the creative research environment of universities.

 National universities are rearing the point turning into independent administrative corporations as a part of administrative reform in fiscal 2004, the year of historical "kick off" for university reform. A most important key for the society to vitalize industrial economy and to create new technologies and industries is to carry out the organic utilization of the Intellectual Property in universities. As a country with the national slogan of "Science and Technology-Oriented Nation," one of the most urgent tasks for Japan is the systematic reinforcement of collaborations between the business world and universities, enhancing the function of intellectual circle.

 The mission of universities as the highest educational institutions had been regarded to be "education" and "research" until recently. However, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has given the universities in the 2lcentury the new mission of creating the "collaboration between industrial and academic world," actively promoting it as one of the "three missions of universities." Universities are the intellectual hub for vitalizing the industrial economy. Reinforcement of business-academic-public partnerships utilizing the social function of universities is significant for the wide and effective transfer of the research property (abundant knowledge including high technology and patents) to regional entities and the business world.

　驚異的な日本の高度経済成長の礎は、大変優れた人材を大学が育成し、産菜経済界に数多く輩出してきたからこそ築いて来られました。高度な教育、創造的な研究環境が生み出す、有形、無形の知的研究資産や、ノーベル賞を生み出す有能な研究者をはじめ、世界最先端の発明や特許等の知的資本の宝庫として、大学の見直しが注目されています。2004年度には行政改革の一環で国立大は、独立行政法人化され、大学改革が歴史的なキック・オフをする年です。産業経済の活性化、そして新技術、新産業を創造する鍵は、大学の知的資産を社会が有機的に利活用することが極めて重要です。とくに「科学技術創造立国」を、新たなスローガンに掲げた日本は、産業界と大学の連携強化を組織的に促進し、知的循環機能を整備することが急務とされています。これまでの大学の使命は、「教育」「研究」の最高学府に留まっていましたが、文部科学省では、21世紀の大学に新たな使命、「産学連携」を加え、「大学の三大使命」を積極推進しています。産業経済の活性化の知の拠点は大学です。大学の有する研究資産（高度な技術と特許を含む豊富な知識）を効果的に、地域や、広く産秦界に移転するためには、大学の社会桟能を活かした産学官連携のパートナーシップを強化することが重要です。

Professionals with abundant experience in the business area are now the important human resources which were not part of the universities in the past. They are now playing significant roles in meeting the social needs of collaboration among industrial, academic and public world. Considering the importance of these professionals, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology started a dynamic project of supporting business-academic-public sector cooperation in 2002. This is the context in which Coordinators for Business-Academic-Public Sector Cooperation were born as professional business integrators who have rich experiences and knowledge in the industrial world. As of March 2003, 102 Coordinators for Business-Academic-Public Sector Cooperation were placed in national universities and some public or private universities (80 universities in total). As professional bridge builders between academic Intellectual Property and the whole society, we coordinators are aggressively promoting a business-academic-public collaboration system and creating new industries with international competitiveness by carrying out the following set of projects.

　産学官連携の社会的要請に応えるための重要な役割を担う人材は、今までの大学には存在しないビジネス経験豊富な分野のプロフェッショナルです。文部科学省は、その重要性に鑑みダイナミックな制度・産学官連携支援事業を2002年から施行しています。産業界で豊富な経験と知識に裏付けされたビジネス・インテグレーションのプロフェッショナル、産学官連携コーディネーターはこのような経緯で生まれました。2003年3月現在、全国立大学、一部の公立大学、私立大学、合わせて80の大学に、102名の産学官連携コーディネーターが配置され、大学の知的資産を社会全体へ橋を架けるプロフェッショナルとして、多くの産学官連携に関する制度の整備をはじめ、国際競争力のある新産業創出、大学発ベンチャー創出支援プロジェクトを積極的に推進しています。