ABLIC (President: Seiji Tanaka, Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter “ABLIC”), a group company of MinebeaMitsumi Inc., today announced that it conducted an outreach lecture on semiconductors at Yamagata University on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
The lecture was held as part of “Yamagata, Tohoku and Semiconductors,” a course offered in collaboration between Yamagata University and the Tohoku Semiconductor Electronics Design Consortium (called “T-Seeds”) (1). Amid the growing importance of the semiconductor industry in Yamagata Prefecture and the broader Tohoku region, the initiative aims to deepen students’ understanding of semiconductors to foster the next generation of talent. ABLIC, which operates a manufacturing facility in Akita Prefecture, participated as a member company of T-Seeds to support this important effort. Approximately 200 first-year students from various faculties interested in semiconductors attended the lecture. Drawing on its experience from previous outreach lectures at educational institutions in the Tohoku, Kanto, and Kansai regions, ABLIC covered fundamental topics such as “What are semiconductors?”, the differences between analog and digital semiconductors, and how they are used in daily life, providing concrete examples. Furthermore, the lecture offered a practical learning experience using ABLIC’s proprietary energy harvesting technology “CLEAN-Boost (2) technology”. Employing a Design Thinking (*3) approach, students worked together to “define real-world problems and map a path to their solution,” exploring ways to contribute to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). A post-lecture survey showed high levels of engagement, with approximately 98% of students indicating they understood the content and 92% expressing satisfaction with the lecture.
Feedback from Attending Students (Examples):
• “I learned that analog semiconductors process signals from natural phenomena like light, sound, and temperature, which made me realize how close they are to our daily lives.”
• “I was impressed by ABLIC’s forward-looking development, such as the challenge of visualizing environmental energy and the effort to create battery-less solutions. It showed me the importance of responding to society’s needs.”
• “I thought that ABLIC’s problem-solving-oriented new employee training, which uses CLEAN-Boost technology, must also be very effective for human resource development.”
• “The products using the technologies from the lecture were practical and solved many inconveniences in daily life. It made me realize how much technology is advancing. I feel I was able to visually understand the meaning behind ABLIC’s name: ‘Achieving the impossible.'”
• “Some parts of the lecture were explained so simply that even an elementary school student could understand. I was moved by how clear it was.”
Professor Narita of Yamagata University with ABLIC employee who provided the lecture
Comment from Professor Yuzuru Narita, Department of Informatics and Electronics, Faculty of Engineering, Yamagata University:
“Thank you very much for giving the students a lecture as a leading semiconductor company from Akita Prefecture for our first-year course, ‘Yamagata, Tohoku and Semiconductors.’ ABLIC’s advanced technological development, particularly in analog semiconductors, and its initiatives in human resource development provided an invaluable learning experience for our students. For students who are primarily familiar with ‘digital,’ realizing the importance of ‘analog’ semiconductors offered a new perspective and great stimulation. We hope to continue our collaboration to foster talent in the semiconductor field and contribute to the development of the Tohoku region. Thank you again for your significant contribution.”
ABLIC will continue to contribute to the development of local communities and the semiconductor industry as a whole through its commitment to nurturing the next generation of talent.
*1 Tohoku Semiconductor Electronics Design Consortium (T-Seeds):
An organization established with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of the semiconductor and electronic device industries in the Tohoku region, this organization leverages the region’s unique characteristics to foster specialized talent and enhance the resilience of the supply chain. Through these initiatives, it seeks to drive the growth of semiconductor-related industries in Tohoku and, ultimately, across Japan.
T-Seeds Website（Only Japanese available）: https://t-seeds.jp/
*2 CLEAN-Boost Technology:
CLEAN-Boost is ABLIC’s unique technology, that accumulates and boosts the energy generated by small amounts of moisture and power-generating bacteria, which until now could not be utilized as electric power, and converts it into electric power for use with wireless transmission and other applications.
As society becomes increasingly IoT-based, there are unlimited possibilities in fields such as infrastructure, agriculture, and health care, and this technology is expected to contribute greatly toward the SDGs.
CLEAN-Boost Website：https://www.ablic.com/en/semicon/corp/sdgs/cleanboost/
*3 Design Thinking:
An approach to creative problem-solving that focuses on the “user’s” perspective to identify hidden needs and fundamental issues, leading to innovative solutions.
Related links
• Information of Outreach Lecture (Only Japanese available)
