Supporting Industry-Academia Collaboration with Kyoto Seika University for Another Year

Icom has been supporting the "Applied Product Design Practicum," an industry-academia collaborative course with Kyoto Seika University, for the fourth consecutive year. On April 10, 2026, the first day of the practicum, students were invited to the company's headquarters, where they were given a tour of the showroom featuring a variety of radio communication devices, as well as the floor where design work is carried out.

The practicum runs for approximately four months from April through late July, with 14 third-year students from the Department of Product Design in the Faculty of Design participating.

By lecturing students on the design approach and philosophy developed through Icom's experience as a dedicated manufacturer of radio communication devices — one grounded in usability — the company supports students in deepening their knowledge and enhancing their design skills.

In this curriculum, students conduct research and analysis on how radio devices are used, then develop concept designs and rough sketches with end users in mind, create 3D models, and give presentations at each stage of the process. At Icom, employees responsible for product design share practical design thinking, and provide feedback and evaluations on the students' work.

During the lecture on the first day of the practicum, the company conveyed its approach to design and usability — based on actual development cases — with the message that "solving the inconveniences and challenges felt by customers is one of the roles of design." In the showroom, students picked up radio devices developed by us, tried pressing buttons and attaching batteries, and asked employees a wide range of questions.

Regarding this course, the supervising faculty members commented: "Companies that collaborate with this extensively and with such care over such a long period are rare. We are extremely grateful." The initiative is planned to continue going forward.