Kubota Construction Co., Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Kubota Corporation; Head Office: Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan; President and Representative Director: Mutsuo Uchida; hereinafter referred to as "the Company"), received its first order of architecture business outside Japan for “The Project for the Improvement of Facilities and Laboratory Equipment at the Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos" (Construction Works) in Lao People's Democratic Republic (hereinafter Laos).

This project is part of the ODA Grants^* signed by the governments of Japan and Laos in March 2022.

The Company has been engaged in a wide range of construction projects in Japan, including shops, condominiums, and factories, in addition to its extensive track record of Japan and overseas construction of water supply and sewerage facilities, including those in Laos. The Company will fully leverage the construction technology and know-how that it has cultivated through these efforts and will apply them to the construction of facilities for the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Laos (hereinafter NUOL). Through the improvement of the educational and research environment, the Company will contribute to the development of high-quality engineering human resources, who will lead to economic growth in Laos.

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  Signing ceremony
  Prof. Dr. Houngphet Chanthavong, Vice-President, National University of Laos (center) and
  Naoki Ihara, Managing Executive Officer, General Manager of the Overseas Business Division, Kubota Construction (second from left)

1. Background and Objectives

• To achieve sustainable growth, Laos aims to use new technologies, diversify its economic foundations, improve productivity, and rebuild its regional and international supply chains. In the face of the current shortage of engineers with expertise and technical skills, it is essential to develop high-quality engineering personnel who can realize these aims.
• The government of Laos has set out a policy of improving facilities and educational materials in the field of natural sciences and engineering at universities, and it will focus on improving the facilities and materials at NUOL’s engineering faculty, which produces the largest number of engineering graduates of the four national universities in the country. Currently, due to a shortage of facilities and equipment, classes are primarily classroom based, so students cannot conduct necessary experiments or receive sufficient practical training for education and research. For these reasons, improvements are required.
• This project aims to improve the educational and research environment for staff and students by enhancing the facilities and equipment of the Faculty of Engineering of NUOL. This project is indispensable for developing the engineering-related human resources that the government of Laos envisions achieving.

2. Project Outline

Project Name	Project for the Improvement of Facilities and Laboratory Equipment at the Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos (Construction Works)
Client	National University of Laos
Consultant	Consultant joint venture by MOHRI ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES, INC. and INTEM Consulting, Inc.
Project term	15 months (scheduled from September 2023 through November 2024)
Overview of work	Construction of the following engineering department facilities Facilities common to the Faculty of Engineering (measurement rooms, analysis laboratories, laboratories, etc.): 1 building Laboratory (laboratories, practical training rooms, preparatory rooms, etc.): 2 buildings
Contract Value	Approx. 1.03 billion yen

• ODA Grants
  Financial assistance in the form of granting funds to developing countries to assist them in the development of necessary facilities for economic and social development

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