TOKYO, April 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JERA Co., Inc. today announced that its U.S. subsidiary, JERA Americas Inc., has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of California, Berkeley, the top-ranked public research university in the United States, to establish a framework for collaboration in the fields of education, culture, and science.
The agreement marks a significant step in strengthening international collaboration and accelerating open innovation in the energy sector across the JERA Group. By combining JERA’s global energy value chain expertise, including technology, knowledge and international network, with UC Berkeley’s world-leading research capabilities and strong talent base on the U.S. West Coast, the partnership aims to co-create next-generation technologies, talent, and business initiatives that will shape the future of energy systems.
The collaboration will be advanced by JERA Ventures, JERA’s corporate venture capital arm, working closely with relevant JERA Group functions. Serving as a strategic implementation hub, JERA Ventures will connect internal and external innovation ecosystems to translate research excellence into tangible societal value.
For UC Berkeley, the collaboration will be led by the Institute for Business Innovation (IBI) at the UC Berkeley Haas School for Business. IBI’s mission focuses on research, teaching, and programs exploring aspects of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology commercialization.
Under the MOU, JERA and the Institute for Business Innovation will explore collaboration in key areas including:
- Commercialization and real-world implementation of startups and technologies developed by UC Berkeley.
- Joint research in areas such as decarbonization, digital technologies, robotics and physical AI.
- Support for UC Berkeley’s education and research programs incorporating JERA Group’s initiatives and green transformation (GX) challenges.
- Exploration of internship and career development opportunities to cultivate future leaders in energy and GX fields.
“The energy world is undergoing a profound transformation as technology, talent and industry evolve simultaneously,” said Takeshi Kodama, Head of JERA Ventures and Managing Partner. “Through this collaboration with UC Berkeley, we aim not only to participate in this transformation, but to help drive it. As an implementation hub connecting knowledge, talent and capital within and beyond JERA Group, JERA Ventures will work closely with UC Berkeley to build platforms that translate research and innovation into real-world impact that creates societal value.”
“Innovation in the energy industry is rapidly advancing, driven by both an increased need for power and the challenge of transforming to cleaner, more sustainable generation,” said Chris Bush, executive director of the Institute for Business Innovation at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. “JERA’s commitment to helping lead the energy transition and investing in research and technology makes it a great partner for campus. We’re looking forward to engaging with JERA Ventures to put research and concept into practice and commercialize technologies ranging from new battery approaches to novel computing applications for the energy sector.”
“JERA’s assets, reach and long-term vision make it a compelling partner for UC Berkeley researchers, students and innovators who are looking to make a difference at scale,” added Jon Metzler, Continuing Lecturer at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and Director at Haas IBI. “We look forward to collaborating with JERA across the field of physical AI, digital technologies, and decarbonization.”
JERA’s mission is to provide cutting-edge solutions to the world’s energy issues. By addressing challenges such as climate change, resource constraints, and energy security, JERA aims to deliver cleaner energy solutions that are stable and affordable. Through JERA Ventures, the company will continue collaborating with partners who share a strong sense of social responsibility and an innovative mindset, challenging conventional thinking to identify transformative solutions that go beyond existing paradigms.
About JERA
JERA is a global energy leader and Japan’s largest power generation company focused on providing cutting-edge solutions to the world’s energy issues. Established in 2015, the company produces one-third of Japan’s electricity and is one of the largest LNG buyers in the world. JERA has global reach and strength throughout the energy supply chain, including participation in upstream gas exploration and production, LNG projects, fuel procurement and transportation, and power generation globally. In support of a responsible energy transition, JERA aims to achieve net-zero COâ‚‚ emissions from its domestic and overseas businesses by 2050.
About JERA Ventures
JERA Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of the JERA Group, with a strategic investment capacity of USD 300 million. In addition to investing in startups with cutting-edge technologies and innovative business concepts, JERA Ventures actively collaborates with a broad range of stakeholders across industry, government, and academia that form the startup ecosystem. Through these activities, JERA Ventures aims to drive open innovation in the energy sector.
About UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley was founded in 1868 and is the oldest member of the University of California educational system. With 74 Nobel laureates, it is consistently ranked as the number one public university in the world. The UC Berkeley Haas School of Business was founded in 1898 and is the oldest business school at a public university in the United States. The Institute for Business Innovation at Berkeley Haas disseminates pioneering research on innovation, trains students to be entrepreneurial leaders, and facilitates innovation in the startup and corporate domains.
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SOURCE JERA Americas, Inc
