Members

Masatoshi Funabashi

In 2010 at Sony CSL, I started a Synecoculture project. Synecoculture is a new field of open systems science which integrates domains including ecology, physiology, information science, complex systems science, food science, environmental science and agriculture, and I have undertaken a host of measures to scientifically formalize and verify it. My main initiative has been a pilot project for the proof of concept both in Japan and Sub-Saharan Africa. Since a prime cause of environmental destruction has been small-scale farmers trading away biodiversity for productivity, we have shown that Synecoculture has the potential to fundamentally solve that issue. It potentially allows for biodiversity on a scale never before possible in the history of agriculture, while also allowing for food production that restores the healthy functioning of ecosystems and promote human well-being.
Based on my experience in the field, I am designing a “megadiversity management system” which will offer support to primary industries that impact our natural environment and also to the systems of our societies. It aims to support a new agricultural revolution, one that makes use of information and communications technology (ICT) coupled with the diversity of living nature and our society. Through it, we intend to solve global issues related to the food we produce, the environments we live in, and our own health.

[Keywords]
Synecoculture / Augmented Ecosystem / Open Complex Systems / Ecology / Agriculture / Hunting-gathering / Citizen Science / Ecosystems Management / Interface / Long-tail / Self-organization / Ecological Optimum / Emergence / Niche
Formation / Symbiotic Earth / Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) / Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence / Augmented Reality / Megadiversity Management Systems (MMS)

Activities

2021/2/22
Sony Stories
For us to continue to live on the earth Challenges that seek to positively impact the global environment
2021/1/29
Publication in Agriculture journal (MDPI)
Secondary Metabolite Differences between Naturally Grown and Conventional Coarse Green Tea
2020/12/28
Proceedings of the Symposium of Colloque de Cerisy:
Presentation by M. Funabashi included
2020/12/16
2020/11/28
New version of Synecoculture Principles Learning Kit Handbook now available
2020/10/19
2020/9/18
2020 Sony ESG/Technology Briefing :
"SOL" and "Synecocuture" introduced
2020/9/11
2020/8/21
2020/7/17
2020/6/25
2020/6/10
Sony CSL to join SPACE FOODSPHERE
2020/4/22
New Publication
2020/3/14
Sony CSL to join Space Food X Initiative
2020/2/14
[Press Release]
Sony CSL to Begin Synecoculture Proof of Concept Trial in Roppongi Hills
2019/10/29
ICF2019
M.Funabashi to give a talk
2019/10/24
New Publication
A new book contributed by Masatoshi Funabashi
2019/10/18
Synecoculture:
Hosted on ISC-PIF
2019/10/6
2019/9/3
Sustainability Report 2019
2019/9/2
MIRAI SUMMER CAMP 2019
2019/7/5
2019/5/27
2019/4/23
Publication
New Breeze features an article by K. Ohta and M. Funabashi
2019/4/16
Nature's 150th Anniversary Symposium
Poster presentation of Synecoculture Project
2019/4/9
Sony Stories
"Renewing agriculture to rebuild a broken environment" with Chinese title
2019/4/3
New Publication
Book commemorates 30th anniversary of Sony CSL
2019/2/25
2019/2/21
2019/1/15
2018/12/29
2018/12/27
Sweden Foodtech Community Meetup
Report on M.Funabashi's event
2018/12/27
Sony CSL 30th Anniversary Open House Report
October 23 -24, 2018
2018/11/22
Sony Stories :
Wild Ideas for a Better World
2018/11/1
npj Science of Food
Article by M.Funabashi has been published
2018/9/25
Sony Environment Section of Sustainability Report 2018
Introducting Sony CSL's "Synecoculture" and "Open Energy Systems"
2018/9/1
Synecoculture Manual 2016
Available now in Chinese
2018/8/23
「月間致知」9月号に記事掲載
2018/8/1
Synecoculture Introduced on Keidanren's SDG Site
2018/7/11
MIRAI SUMMER CAMP 2018
2018/7/9
Synecoculture Project :
published on the PANORAMA platform
2018/7/1
3/22 COI-Sシンポジウムで舩橋研究員が登壇します
2018/3/19
朝日新聞DIGITALに紹介記事掲載：協生農法
2018/2/28
11/3-4 The New Context Conference 2017
Dr. J.Rekimoto and Dr. M.Funabashi will give talks
2017/11/2
Sony Stories:
Renewing agriculture to rebuild a broken environment
2017/9/27
Creating Thriving Ecosystems Through Cultivating Diverse Flora
"Synecoculture" is a New Approach to Sustainable Agriculture from Sony CSL
2017/9/25
2017 Sony CSR Reporting:
Introducting Sony CSL's "Synecoculture" and "Open Energy Systems"
2017/9/7
Sony CSL to Co-host
ICF2017 (10/12-10/14)
2017/8/31
[Sony Official]Movies introducing Sony CSL
Part 1 - Part 3
2017/4/28
First international Synecoculture symposium in Africa
2017/2/24
Synecoculture Manual 2016 Ver.
Now available in both English and French
2016/12/22
JEITA冊子『ITソリューションによる温暖化対策貢献』において
2016/12/14
CSL Paris 20th Anniversary Event Report
Held on October 27, 2016@Paris
2016/12/7
Plant Biotechnology Vol. 33 (2016) No. 4
3 articles from M.Funabashi published
2016/11/22
5/11海洋地球インフォマティクス2016-
2016/4/26
日経エレ2月号
2016/2/22
2/25 COI-S シンポジウム
2016/2/19
農業ビジネスマガジンvol.12
2016/1/22
ソニーコンピュータサイエンス研究所
2015/11/4
New Article
2015/10/23
Masa Funabashi
Year 10,000 of Agriculture (Japanese)
2015/10/14
New Article
2014/10/12
Masatoshi Funabashi
"Synecoculture - Human Augmentation of Ecosystems"
2014/9/22
New Article
You can read a story featuring Sony CSL in DIGITAL TRENDS.
2014/8/1
TedxKids@Chiyoda 2013
2014/3/4
２５周年シンポジウム動画
2013/10/7
2013/5/20
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Projects

Synecoculture™ Principles Learning Kit

2019/10/29

Global Agenda

Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals
2019/2/9

Synecoculture™

Agriculture that overcomes the trade-off between productivity and environmental damage
2019/2/8
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Selected Publications

M.Funabashi "Human augmentation of ecosystems: objectives for food production and science by 2045", npj Science of Food (2018) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-018-0026-4

M.Funabashi “Citizen Science and Topology of Mind: Complexity, Computation and Criticality in Data-Driven Exploration of Open Complex Systems”, Entropy, ISSN:1099-4300, DOI:10.3390/e19040181, Vol. 19, No. 4 (2017)

M.Funabashi " Synecological farming: Theoretical foundation on biodiversity responses of plant communities", Plant Biotechnology, Volume 33 Issue 4 Pages 213-234 (2016) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/plantbiotechnology/33/4/33_16.0219a/_article/

M.Funabashi “Synthetic Modeling of Autonomous Learning with a Chaotic Neural Network” International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos, Vol. 25, No. 04, 1550054 (2015)

M.Funabashi, "Invariance in Vowel Systems” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 137, 2892 (2015)

M.Funabashi “Food Components as Markers Linking Health and Environment: Statistical Invariance Analysis of in natura Diet” American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Vol. 3, No. 6, 2015, pp. 183-196. doi: 10.11648/j.bio.20150306.17

M.Funabashi, P. Hanappe, T. Isozaki, A.M. Maes, T. Sasaki, L. Steels, and K. Yoshida “Foundation of CS-DC e-laboratory: Open Systems Exploration for Ecosystems Leveraging”, Proceedings of CS-DC 2015, Springer.

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Profile

PhD in Physics, École Polytechnique in France.
Accredited veterinarian in Japan.
Biological life has many facets. Focusing on the differences between life in the wild and human-led breeding/cultivation, Masatoshi Funabashi aims to establish a new kind of life science that moves beyond laboratory experiments (in vitro/vivo) and towards Mother Nature (in natura). He has created a scientific food production system known as synecoculture, which is founded on the multi-functionality of ecosystems. His primary focus is agriculture - a field that sits at the intersection of sustainability, health and the natural world. His ambition is to revive and grow the diversity of both natural ecosystems and human societies in a symbiotic way.

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