We report on recent results obtained by the above collaboration on the collision processes involving three nucleons, where we pay particular attention on the dynamical role of the pion. After discussing the case at intermediate energies, where real pions can be produced and detected, we have considered the case at lower energies, where the pions being exchanged are virtual. The study has revealed the presence of some new pion-exchange mechanisms, which leads to a new three-nucleon force of tensor structure. Recently, the effect of this tensor three-nucleon force to the spin observables for neutron-deuteron scattering at low energy has been analyzed, and will be briefly reviewed.