Canon is strengthening its R&D capabilities by deepening ties with universities. In 2007, the company jointly established the Center for Optical Research & Education (CORE) in Japan with Utsunomiya University to support optical engineer training and research on state-of-the-art optical technologies.
Canon had advanced joint research with Kyoto University and Keio University into photoacoustic diagnostic systems. The Company had been working to verify the clinical value of the technology since 2015 and played a role in the planning of ImPACT (the Impulsing PAradigm Change through disruptive Technologies program), was implemented by the Cabinet Office in Japan.
Canon will continue promoting joint research with universities and research organizations in Japan and abroad across a wide spectrum of domains aimed at advancing and commercializing science and technology.

Since 1984, Canon has offered its engineers a study-abroad program as part of it global R&D efforts, aiming to nurture international engineers and acquire technologies that will play a central role in Canon’s future.
Engineers who participate in this program study cutting-edge or specialized technologies for two years at a university overseas. To date, more than 90 Canon engineers have studied abroad at more than 40 universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (U.S.A.), Carnegie Mellon University (U.S.A.) and the University of Cambridge (U.K.).

The coming age of AI and IoT will yield a dramatic surge in software needs. To strengthen our software development capabilities, we established the Canon Institute of Software Technology in 2018 as a centralized location for training our technical personnel. The institute was founded on the concept of continuous upskilling towards cultivating human resources that can meet the company’s needs and face the challenges of this digital age. The training covers skill levels from beginner—such as new graduates and employees looking to change their vocation—to training aimed at the high-level engineers that drive the development of our businesses.
What’s more, plans have also been put in place to collaborate with universities and research facilities from both Japan and abroad.