Keio Photonics Research Institute

The Keio Photonics Research Institute (KPRI) was founded in April 2010 within the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Graduate School of Science and Technology of Keio University for the purpose to carry out Prof. Yasuhiro Koike's proposed research entitled "Creation of Face-to-Face Communication Industry by Ultra High-Speed Plastic Optical Fiber and Photonics Polymers for High-Resolution and Large-Size Display" which was adopted as a research project of the FIRST Program of the Cabinet Office of Japan. On March 19th, 2010, an article on the start of the FIRST Program has been widely reported on the front page of Nikkei Newspaper.

During 4 years of FIRST Program period, we achieved many results that could return to society. After the completion of this program, we have vigorously conducted further research and developments of the earned results in order to return to society in industry-government-academia collaborations, and we are working as one to commercialize photonics polymer technologies born at Keio University such as High-Speed Graded Index Plastic Optical Fiber (GI POF) and Ultra-High-Definition display, etc.

In 2022, our proposal of research and development on Error-Free Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) which was born out of many years of GI POF research, was adopted as one of the commissioned research projects of "Beyond 5G R&D Promotion Project" of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). In recent years, due to drastic increase of data traffic by the spread of generative AI and other technologies, issues such as latency of data communication and enormous electric power consumption at datacenters are of concerns. We are conducting the research and development for the commercialization and industrialization of Error-Free POF that could solve these issues at data centers.

As of April 2025, KPRI has started research activities under a new structure, as one of the research centers at Keio Frontier Research & Education Collaborative Square at Shin-Kawasaki.

KPRI will continuously focus on the research of innovative photonics polymers and will vigorously pursue research and development to return the results to society.