A partnership among industry, government and academia to build a microbial inspection platform for the control of infectious disease in the covid-19 endemic/post-pandemic era

On August 6, 2020, worried that the rapid spread of COVID-19 might cause a breakdown of medical services, Kyoto University Hospital announced a recommendation to limit the admission of new patients. In view of the earlier cooperation on COVID-19 between the City of Kyoto’s Department of Health and the Department of Clinical Testing of Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, on November 1, 2020 the Hospital and the City entered into a comprehensive cooperation agreement to confront COVID-19. Collaborative efforts include expansion of the region’s testing framework, analysis of the COVID-19 genome in partnership with the City’s Regional Hygiene Testing Center and contribution to anti-pandemic measures focusing on facilities for the elderly. The results of these research and other efforts are provided to the public through academia as they become available. From 2023 onward, in the spirit of “Think globally, act locally,” the partners are contributing not only to the fight against COVID-19 but also to a broader range of measures to tackle infectious diseases.
Also, as specialists in clinical testing and infection control measures, we work with private enterprise to develop reagents and devices for use against COVID-19 and contribute to agile development for the digitalization of healthcare-center functions. Through these efforts, we are building a solid foundation for anti-infection measures based on collaboration among industry, government and academia, determined to defend the public against future and emerging infectious diseases.