HOUSTON (July 21, 2026) โ Together, JERA and Rice University aim to help address today’s energy challenges and support the development of next-generation energy solutions. To support this collaboration, JERA and Rice University have signed an MOU to establish a strategic framework for business and research collaboration.
The partnership brings together JERAโs global energy expertise, Rice University’s research strengths, and Houstonโs world-class innovation ecosystem. The collaboration aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of new technologies, create new business opportunities and cultivate the next generation of energy leaders.
The partnership will explore opportunities across four key areas:
- ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ to address the energy affordability crisis of today and the energy demand needs of tomorrow
- ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ by integrating diverse technologies and knowledge, including strengths in energy, materials engineering, data science and artificial intelligence
- ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ through stronger collaboration between academia and the energy industry
- ๐๐๐น๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป through student exchange, internship and career development opportunities
JERAโs activities will be led by JERAโs corporate venture capital arm, JERA Ventures, in coordination with teams across JERA Group, while Rice Universityโs efforts will be led by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the universityโs Venture Advantage Platform, which connects and orchestrates researchers, founders, industry partners, investors, and the broader Ion District community. The Ion District serves as Houstonโs innovation district, providing a collaborative environment for venture creation, technology commercialization, and real-world deployment.
As Takeshi Kodama, Head of JERA Ventures and Managing Partner, shared:
โWe are living through a period of profound change in the global energy landscape, and addressing this challenge requires partners who share both an innovative mindset and a strong sense of social responsibility. Rice University is such a partner. Located at the heart of Houston, where diverse energy industries converge to shape the future of energy, JERA Ventures looks forward to connecting JERA’s global expertise with the next generation of researchers, entrepreneurs and energy leaders. Together, we aim to pursue solutions that go beyond existing paradigms.โ
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About JERA
JERA is a global energy leader and Japanโs largest power generation company focused on
providing cutting-edge solutions to the worldโs energy issues. Established in 2015, the company produces one-third of Japanโs 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. Through its U.S. subsidiary JERA Americas, the company owns thermal power plants, develops lower-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, and
advances energy infrastructure that delivers reliable and cleaner power to American businesses and communities. In support of a responsible energy transition, JERA aims to achieve net-zero COโ emissions from its domestic and overseas businesses by 2050.
