New MOL Award established for the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Business Plan Contest, Aimed at Fostering Next-generation Marine Personnel

December 03, 2025

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto, Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) and MOL PLUS Co., Ltd. (MOL PLUS; CEO: Takuya Sakamoto, Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) have decided to establish a new MOL Award for the Business Plan Contest 2025 to be held by the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) on December 20, 2025. This award is intended to support students taking on the challenge of creating new businesses in the marine sector and to contribute to the development of the next generation of marine entrepreneurs.

Last fiscal year, through TUMSAT's Business Plan Contest (Note), MOL PLUS began exploring the potential for creating new businesses in the marine sector based on student proposals. This year, the MOL Award-equivalent to 1 million yen-will be established to enable the selected students to take their proposal to the next stage. The winning team may use the prize money to cover costs for demonstration tests and trials in order to facilitate initiatives aimed at entrepreneurship and social implementation in the marine sector. The winning team will also receive support that goes beyond the prize money itself, including advice throughout the verification process and guidance in commercializing the results.

MOL PLUS, as the corporate venture capital arm of the MOL Group, works to create new businesses through collaboration with start-ups in the ocean shipping, logistics, and the maritime business sectors, along with a wide range of other fields. Creating new businesses requires personnel capable of driving new initiatives in the ocean shipping and maritime business sectors, and strong emphasis is now being placed on fostering entrepreneurs both inside and outside the company. Through tangible collaboration such as providing entrepreneurship-related courses at TUMSAT and serving as judges for the Business Plan Contest, we will work together to advance the creation of new businesses that will shape the future of the oceans.

The MOL Group remains committed to contributing in a broad range of ways to the development of the next generation of maritime personnel through collaboration with educational institutions.

(Note) MOL PLUS-related press release
January 23, 2025: MOL PLUS Delivers Guest Lecture on Entrepreneurship and Participates in Business Plan Contest at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology