From the Director

The Seto Inland Sea Carbon-Neutral Research Center (S-CNC) was established in 2023 as a university-wide initiative to accelerate interdisciplinary research and innovation toward carbon neutrality. By integrating three field-based research facilities—Miyajima Natural Botanical Garden, Takehara Fisheries Research Centre, and Mukaishima Marine Biological Laboratory—along with an additional research site, the Osakikamijima Site, the Center leverages the diverse natural environment of the Seto Inland Sea to advance both fundamental and applied climate solutions.
 
  • The Sustainability Division focuses on high-resolution estimation and monitoring of greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets across atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine domains.
  • The Blue Innovation Division advances technologies that enhance CO₂ assimilation and sequestration within ocean ecosystems.
  • The Green Innovation Division develops biotechnological and soil-based innovations to promote carbon capture and utilization in terrestrial systems. 
This Center is the first research hub at a national university in Japan to comprehensively address the dynamics of greenhouse gases (the carbon cycle) not only across land and ocean but also across the atmosphere. In pursuit of a more precise understanding of carbon flows and effective carbon reduction, the Center also conducts research on the social impacts and international strategies necessary to implement innovation in society. We promote integrated research with a shared recognition of the need for highly efficient innovation to respond to the climate crisis.
 
What distinguishes S-CNC is our commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration. Our team includes world-class researchers across biology, ecology, engineering, chemistry, data science, and social systems. We believe that tackling climate change requires bridging disciplinary boundaries—linking atmospheric science with oceanography, plant biology with environmental economics, and field-based research with industrial application.
 
As a comprehensive carbon-neutral research platform grounded in both scientific excellence and social relevance, S-CNC stands at the forefront of integrated carbon cycle research. We invite scholars, innovators, and collaborators from around the world to join us in this mission—to build a scientifically grounded, socially robust pathway toward a carbon-neutral future.

MACHIDA Toshinobu

Director, Seto Inland Sea Carbon-Neutral Research Center