MATSURI, the cross-industry initiative led by CHITOSE Group (hereinafter, “CHITOSE”) to promote the bioeconomy, has launched a new project called “Metrics MATSURI.” Building on the effort to establish the microalgae industry, this new initiative aims to optimize and advance the entire spectrum of bio-production, including fermentation, microalgae, cultured cells, and agriculture. To achieve this objective, the project will co-create and implement a data-driven bio-production system built upon the CHITOSE’s proprietary AI-based autonomous cultivation control technology^*1. By collaborating across industries with major players in fields such as measurement, device control, and engineering, participating companies aim to build a common infrastructure that supports the bioeconomy.

*1 Developed by CHITOSE in cooperation with NEDO, the AI-based autonomous cultivation control technology has a track record of doubling fungal protein production (see past press release).

Currently, a total of 8 companies have joined Metrics MATSURI^*2: Azbil Corporation, MITSUWA FRONTECH CORP., HORIBA, Ltd., MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CORPORATION, YUMOTO ELECTRIC INC., HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K., Biott Corporation & ABLE Corporation, and Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd. We welcome new partners from all sectors to join us in shaping the future of bio-production.

*2 Listed in order of participation.

Bio-production is a critical process supporting diverse industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, and is expected to develop further as the bioeconomy expands. However, on-site operations still rely largely on the experience and intuition of skilled workers, limiting improvements in reproducibility and productivity. Metrics MATSURI aims to directly address this challenge by facilitating the industry-wide implementation of the AI data-driven bio-production system, thus optimizing and advancing bio-production as a whole.

At the heart of the AI-based autonomous cultivation control is “Metrics,” a proprietary concept defined by CHITOSE that gives the project its name. The uniqueness of the “Metrics” approach lies in a combination of advanced, real-time sensing technologies to monitor key  biological states, and AI algorithms that analyze data with high precision. By directly integrating this approach into control systems, the technology enables real-time understanding of production states and autonomous optimization. This system can be applied to all bio-production platforms, including microorganisms (yeasts, filamentous fungi, bacteria), cultured cells, and algae, enabling high-efficiency, stable production that does not rely on human experience.

Previously, CHITOSE advanced the development and implementation of AI autonomous cultivation control technology through joint research with individual companies. However, this company-by-company approach faced limitations in both scope and speed, making it difficult to fully cover specialized expertise in adjacent fields such as plant design and equipment development.

To address these challenges, Metrics MATSURI was launched to leverage the framework of MATSURI, the cross-industry co-creation initiative led by CHITOSE. This new platform strengthens collaboration with expert companies from diverse fields, including those in measurement, device control, engineering, and others, establishing an open development environment that encourages cross-industry participation.

Metrics MATSURI will aggregate the technologies and knowledge of participating companies to drive cross-functional development, specification formulation, and implementation, accelerating the societal adoption of AI data-driven systems in bio-production, both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, by building this common infrastructure for the bioeconomy, the project aims to establish the de facto standards for bio-production technologies.

Comments from Participating Companies

Azbil Corporation
We believe that the bioeconomy, which preserves and utilizes natural capital, must be firmly established in society as a vital industry paving the way to the future. With measurement and control technologies at our core, Azbil has developed and implemented solutions to realize optimization, advancement, and autonomy at production sites. Leveraging our expertise, we are committed to contributing to the construction of the AI data-driven bio-production system to further the development of bio-manufacturing.

MITSUWA FRONTECH CORP.
We anticipate that AI technology, grounded in advanced measurement techniques and diverse data, will unveil cultivation processes that were invisible to standard practices. Leveraging these insights, we aim to develop next-generation cultivation equipment that drives business value and enables user-friendly, automated optimization.

HORIBA, Ltd.
Focusing on solving social issues, HORIBA has designated “Energy & Environment,” “Bio & Healthcare,” and “Materials & Semiconductor” as three focus fields, providing a wide range of analytical and measurement technologies. We believe that sensing biological states is essential to realizing the AI-driven optimization of bio-production envisioned by Metrics MATSURI. We aim to contribute to bio-production by exploring the potential of our monitoring and rapid analysis technologies and by delivering our specialized measurement solutions.

MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CORPORATION
To drive the commercialization of AI-based autonomous cultivation control technology, we aim to support its implementation by leveraging our strengths as a plant engineering company, including the scale-up of cultivation facilities and overall system construction.

Yumoto Electric Inc.
Joining Metrics MATSURI marks a new chapter for Yumoto Electric. Leveraging the machining technology and creativity we have cultivated over more than 80 years since our founding, we aim to realize harmony between the environment and industry together with MATSURI. We are committed to contributing to next-generation bio-production from a global perspective through the power of manufacturing.

Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
Hamamatsu Photonics’ diverse optical technologies are indispensable foundational technologies for grasping the state of bio-production in real-time. Through our participation in Metrics MATSURI, we will incorporate direct market feedback into our product development. By integrating this with diverse data, we aim to advance the implementation of optical measurement solutions that deliver superior quantitative accuracy and stability.

Biott Corporation & ABLE Corporation
As a manufacturer of bioreactors, we aim to contribute to the expansion of a bio economy society by combining our strengths in transforming new ideas, technologies, and needs into practical solutions with the power of AI technologies to achieve automated culture control.

Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd.
We believe that the utilization of AI is key to shaping the bioeconomy. Mitsubishi Kakoki manufactures and sells biogas production facilities, glass-tube microalgae cultivation equipment, and microbial cultivation systems. By integrating the equipment development expertise we have cultivated over the years with Metrics MATSURI’s AI technology, we are committed to contributing to the expansion of the bioeconomy.

About MATSURI
https://matsuri.chitose-bio.com/en
MATSURI, led by CHITOSE Group, was launched in 2021 to establish an advanced microalgae-based industry in collaboration with partner enterprises, government and academia institutions. By 2025, it had evolved beyond microalgae into a cross-industry initiative driving the global bioeconomy forward. With a vision to realize a society powered by biotechnology, our efforts continue to expand – from AI-driven bio-manufacturing and resource circulation to sustainable agriculture. As what MATSURI means in Japanese, it is a festival that will leave its mark on human history. We invite partners from all industries to join us in shaping the future together. Click here to contact us.

CHITOSE Group Overview
https://chitose-bio.com/
CHITOSE Group is a family of biotechnology companies leading the global bioeconomy. To live in abundance beyond the next millennium using the ability of living things, CHITOSE pursues the possibilities of biotechnology through technological and business development collaborating with its business partners all over the world.

About CHITOSE BIO EVOLUTION PTE. LTD. (head office that oversees CHITOSE Group)
・Established in October, 2011
・Head Office located in Singapore
・CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D.

About CHITOSE Laboratory Corp. (a core company of CHITOSE Group that focuses on business and technological development)
・Established in November, 2002
・Head Office located in Kawasaki-city, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
・CEO: Tomohiro FUJITA, Ph. D.
・COO: Rie KUGIMIYA

Media Contacts
CHITOSE Group – Communication Design Division
Email: pr◎chitose-bio.com
*replace ◎ with @