The 2025 Masao Horiba Awards will be accepting applications on March 6. HORIBA, Ltd. (hereinafter, “HORIBA”) started this annual research promotion award in 2003. 2025’s theme is “Analysis and Measurement Technologies Contributing to Next-Generation Healthcare ”.
Every year, the awards attract numerous researchers who submit applications based on a new theme, and this award especially encourages young researchers and engineers. Through this award, we hope to support future leaders conducting innovative and unique research and to further advance the development of Analytical and measurement technologies. We look forward to receiving applications from proactive researchers and engineers who pursue their work while following our company motto of “Joy and Fun.”
TARGET TECHNICAL FIELDS
The award is focused on the following Analysis and Measurement Technologies Contributing to Next-Generation Healthcare.
Field 1:
New Analytical and Measurement Technologies for Cells and Biomolecules Contributing to Next-Generation Healthcare.
New analysis and measurement technologies required for cell therapy, study of immune function, and/or disease detection.
This field of focus does not include physiological tests but targets In-Vitro Diagnostics.
Field 2:
New Analytical and Measurement Technologies Related to Cells and Biomolecules Contributing to the Development and Production Processes of Biopharmaceuticals.
Quality assessment and evaluation technologies required for biopharmaceutical development, as well as quality control and manufacturing process management technologies needed in the biopharmaceutical production process.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Eligible Applicants: Those belonging to universities or public research institutions in and out of Japan and is an emerging researcher, whose work is yet to be recognized as a major accomplishment in the field.
Eligible Research: Analytical and Measurement Technologies Contributing to Next-Generation Healthcare.
Application Period: March 6 - May 12, 2025
Review Method: The screening committee will decide the 2025 award winners based on actual results and prospects regarding submitted documents.
Results Announcement: End of July (tentative)
Award: Winners will be awarded a certificate and a prize. Each winner receives 2 million yen (1 million yen/year for two years). Conditions of eligibility must be met continuously for two years.
Award Ceremony and Commemorative Seminar: To be held on Friday, October 17, 2025 at Kyoto University. (Winners will conduct discussions and visual presentations that appeal to the general public.)
How to apply: For documents to submit and other application details, please visit www.mh-award.org/en/.
Contact：Masao Horiba Awards Office, HORIBA, Ltd. 2, Miyanohigashi, Kisshoin, Minami-ku, Kyoto, 601-8510 TEL: +81-(0)75-325-5110 / E-mail: info(at)mh-award.org
Award Screening Committee
<Chairperson>
Makoto Suematsu
Director
Central Institute for Experimental Medicine and Life Science (CIEM)
Professor Emeritus
Keio University
<Judges>
Alan Ryder
Professor
School of Natural Sciences, University of Galway
Catherine Alix-Panabières
Professor
Faculty of Medicine, University of Montpellier
Misako Hamamura
General Manager, Japan
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, GK.
Yutaka Yatomi
Professor
Dean, Graduate School
International University of Health and Welfare
Kazunori Yoshioka
Deputy General Manager
Medical Solution Department, Bio & Healthcare Division
HORIBA., Ltd.
Akinori Yokogawa
Department Manager
Life Science Solution Department, Bio & Healthcare Division
HORIBA., Ltd.
<Award Director>
Atsushi Horiba
Chairman & Group CEO
HORIBA, Ltd.
<Chief of the Organizing Committee >
Masayuki Adachi
President & COO
HORIBA, Ltd.
<Vice Chief of the Organizing Committee>
Hiroshi Nakamura
Corporate Officer & CTO
HORIBA, Ltd.
ABOUT THE THEME:
Still fresh in our memories is the breakthrough in infection prevention through the expanded adoption of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines as a global response to the new SARS-COV 19 (COVID-19) virus. Also, the gain in popularity of tests such as PCR testing and antibody testing has allowed for a simplified screening for infection. On the other hand, the inability to sufficiently supply vaccines and the challenges to develop and manufacture therapeutic drugs is apparent, thus the importance of novel testing and measurement solutions has, once again, been recognized.
In the current post-COVID era, countries all over the world have established state-of-the art dual use production facilities enabling production of biomedicines and vaccines. In these facilities during ordinary times, biomedicine products, such as cell and gene therapeutics, and antibody therapeutics that are essential for next-generation treatment, are being produced. But when a pandemic occurs, a system is prepared for rapid vaccine production. Government and commercial investment in research, development, production, and QA/QC solutions to actively advance capability and capacity is happening locally and each country is giving an all-out effort to support vaccine and biomedicine from development to production.
In today’s world, analytical and measurement technologies need to support basic research, such as methods to check the safety and effectiveness of genetically modified cells and ways to confirm immune function to decide if a drug should be used. There is also a need for technologies that allow for easy and simple testing without requiring large equipment or special training, while still enabling fast and accurate diagnosis. Furthermore, applied research and production process development of the next-generation therapeutics are necessary. This includes creating evaluation methods to ensure quality from the early stages of biopharmaceutical development and establishing techniques to monitor products from cultured cells and components of the culture medium. For these efforts, it is essential to develop new methods to analyze and measure cells, biomolecules, and culture environments.
The 2025 Horiba Masao Award, in light of the above background, has chosen the main theme “Analytical and Measurement Technologies Contributing to Next-Generation Medicine” and is looking for new analytical and measurement technologies for cells and biomolecules that contribute to next generation medicine (basic research), and new analytical and measurement technologies for cells and biomolecules that contribute to biomedicine product development and production process (applied research/production process development). The awards committee welcomes applications from domestic and international researchers who willfully strive for the advancement of analytical and measurement technologies that contribute to people’s health, safety, and well-being.
Research outputs that do not focus primarily on analytical and measurement technologies such as those purely on development of treatment methods, or development of new drugs, are not within the scope of the award theme.
ABOUT MASAO HORIBA AWARDS
Background:
HORIBA Group’s history begins with our trail-blazing founder, Masao Horiba, whose initial venture was the first domestic development of the glass electrode pH meter when he was still a university student. Ever since then, we have expanded our business globally to become a manufacturer of a comprehensive line of analytical instruments while also expanding analysis into liquid, gasses, and solids. Collaboration with universities and research institutions has been one of the ways we have supported this development since our company’s founding. The steady efforts of the researchers and engineers who work on our fundamental research have continued to be a driving force in our growth. Having entered into the 21st century, we founded the Masao Horiba Awards in 2003, named after our founder to support the academic research and development which will be the source of new enterprises and commercial endeavors in the fields of analytical and measurement instrument technology, whose social significance only continues to grow.
Purpose:
This award supports emerging researchers and engineers both in Japan and overseas who are engaged in research and development expected to create an innovative analytical and measurement technology that will further enhance scientific value in that technological field. Choosing a different field each year allows us to focus on research and development with results and future development potential on a global scale. We are seeking proactive participants who understand the “Joy and Fun” of research and development in the target area, from fundamental to application, and who will also be key players in the future development of analytical and measurement technology.
Our late founder, Masao Horiba:
Masao Horiba pioneered his own venture, Horiba Radio Laboratory, in October 1945 while still a student at the Faculty of Science at Kyoto Imperial University (now Kyoto University). He majored in nuclear physics, and just like his father and professor, Shinkichi Horiba, he had intended to remain at university and become a researcher after graduation. At this time, however, the end of World War II saw the US military destroying cyclotrons and taking other steps to prevent and prohibit nuclear research and experiments, so Masao was unable to continue his university research. This led to the decision to establish a private laboratory where one might conduct experiments and research freely, which is how our company came to be founded.
In January 1953, the company was reorganized as a share-issuing company, and Masao assumed the role of president. As Horiba Radio Laboratory, the plan had been to develop and commercialize electrolytic capacitors, but this plan was aborted due to inflation caused by the Korean War. Instead, the pH meter developed for capacitor production was sold as a product, and HORIBA, Ltd., known today, was established. The company then continued to develop new pH meters one after another in cooperation with universities. In 1978, at the age of 53, Masao assumed the role of chairman, and our current philosophy of “Joy and Fun” was established as the company motto. After taking office as chairman, Masao also worked to support domestic small-to-medium enterprises and startups in an active way to revitalize Kyoto. He also worked towards the fundamental education reforms needed to usher into the future generations of trailblazers. For his contributions to developments in the field of analytical sciences as an entrepreneur who launched a global measuring instrument business with products that support research and technological breakthroughs globally, Masao was the first non-American to be honored with the Pittcon Heritage Award in March 2006 and was entered into the USA’s Pittcon Hall of Fame (for Analytical Chemistry). At the age of 90, Masao passed away in July 2015.
