SmartCityX Achievements
2021-2022
Program Overview
While recruiting and selecting global startups and holding several distinctive workshops, we have promoted business co-creation with a group of leading Japanese companies and global startups, along with local governments and mentors.
Program Achievement
As a result of the program, nine business co-creation projects were announced in Silicon Valley on July 20, 2022, in a wide range of fields including digital and smart infrastructure, tourism, and mobility, as described below.
Japan Post is working with Innoviz Technologies (Nasdaq: INVZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state LiDAR sensors, to create digital maps by installing Innoviz'shigh-precision LiDAR sensors on Japan Post delivery vehicles for solving regional issues and creating new businesses.
Japan Post is working with Sol Chip to build a smart postbox concept. Sol Chip's IoT solar battery, which is self-powered by sunlight, will be installed in postboxes, enabling the installation of sensors to better understand the weather and environmental data.
East Japan Railway is working with Oyla, a provider of 3D LiDAR and camera sensor fusion solutions, to improve safety at railroad station platforms. Utilizing Oyla's sensor technology, the companies can detect people and objects in 3D and in the dark to alert the railway attendants of unauthorized entry.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and Hakuhodo Inc. are working together to launch an experiential NFT marketplace that converts goods and services unique to each region of Japan into NFTs for visitors of Japan. The initiative aims to create "digital residents" giving visitors new ways of experiencing Japan's regional attractions while revitalizing local communities.
Idemitsu Kosan is working with Smart Scan to create a new service to digitize business services for preventive medicine. After announcing a capital and business alliance in February 2022, the companies are launching "Smart Brain Doc," a mobile clinic from a trailer that facilitates everything from making appointments to conducting interviews to medical checkup services and receiving results online.
Idemitsu Kosan is collaborating with startups to develop road maintenance solutions for local governments. Launched through Idemitsu Kosan's "Business Design School" in cooperation with Kashima City, Idemitsu is planning a demonstration experiment at the end of 2022.
JCB Corporation is working with Replace Inc. to introduce cashless payment terminals in Replace's movable food stalls. The companies are also aiming to improve the efficiency of business operations related to food stall operations to attract more customers.
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance is launching a real-time damage control forecasting site "CMAP" that utilizes AI and IoT from VACAN Corp. to understand crowds at its evacuation shelters. Consumers can then locate the centers using BeBridge's AR Navi function. INFORICH energy company is also delivering mobile batteries to the centers.
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, Japan Post, and Mie Prefecture are working together on an IoT system to prevent traffic accidents using IoT devices to identify the location of vehicles and pedestrians, then alerting both parties when they enter an area where dangerous driving behavior has frequently occurred.
Program Launch & Startup Call for Applications
Japan Post Co., Ltd., Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., JAPAN TOBACCO INC., Kaga City in Ishikawa Prefecture, and City of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture have newly joined the program, making a total of 13 large companies and 7 municipalities participating in the second phase of the "SmartCityX" program. By welcoming large companies from the first phase that provide services in an even broader range of areas such as logistics, air mobility, and wellbeing, the value of the program as a business platform for creating new services for consumers has been further enhanced.
As a result, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co.,Ltd., Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd, Woven Planet Holdings, Inc. (Community Partner), Japan Post Co., Ltd., NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE WEST CORPORATION, BIPROGY, Ltd., East Japan Railway Company have joined as partner companies for the second term. JCB Co., Ltd., SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., JAPAN TOBACCO INC., Hakuhodo Incorporated, Lion Corporation have participated in the program as supporter companies.
In addition, Fukui Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, Shibuya City, Kaga City, Kashima City, City of Yokohama, The Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated as observer municipalities.
At the same time as the program was launched, we began accepting applications for startups related to the six main areas of smart cities. Compared to the first year, "Sustainability" has been added as a new call category due to the need to address global climate change and increasingly severe disasters.
Workshop #1
Over 50 participants from 23 different organizations discussed medium- and long-term themes that should be addressed by the "SmartCityX" community as a whole, starting with "After Corona's social challenges.
As a result, the following five medium- to long-term themes were identified and have been used as guidelines for subsequent programs.
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People are empowered to choose how they want to live "Untethered Lifestyle"
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People can define and experience the benefits that cities have to offer "City as a Service"
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People can support a community that transcends generations "Sustainable Infrastructure"
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People can create community and ensure access for all "Linking Communities"
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People feel connected as technology brings us closer together "Convergence of Virtual & Physical"
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Startup Application Closed
In addition to the startups that continued to participate in the first term of the program, we also invited applications for the second term based on the areas of interest of the participating companies. As a result, we received applications from 204 startups from 40 countries and regions around the world in a wide variety of fields.
Startup Selection
In addition to the 32 companies that have continued to participate in the program since the first round, 64 new startups have been selected for the program. We have selected 96 startups from 18 countries and regions around the world.
Learning Camp
Participants learned the know-how of new business creation using design thinking over an 8-week period across the companies participating in the program.
Startup Matching Week
A matching week was held between selected startups and participating large companies. About half of the meetings led to ongoing discussions, and the event was effectively used as a place for initial meetings.
Workshop #2
Local governments participating in the program provided input on regional issues, and we discussed as a whole what actions each organization should take.
Discussion topics of the day were
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Safe and secure regional mobility (Fukui Prefecture)
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Community vitality (Fukui Prefecture)
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Sustainable infrastructure (Mie Prefecture)
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Next-generation mobility (Mie Prefecture)
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Digital Residents (Kaga City)
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Next-generation healthcare (Kaga City)
Workshop #3
A matching week was held between selected startups and participating large companies. About half of the meetings led to ongoing discussions, and the event was effectively used as a place for initial meetings.
SmartCityX Conference 2022
As the culmination of the program, the "SmartCityX Conference 2022" was held at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The first part of the event consisted of keynotes and panel discussions by global experts on the state of smart cities, the second part consisted of presentations of nine business co-creation proposals that were born from the program, and the third part consisted of networking where visitors could experience the products of global startups. In the third part, a networking session was held for visitors to experience the products of global startups.
Innovative collaboration projects generated in the second term program
As a result of business development based on the definition of values and "medium- and long-term themes" that are important to the program as a whole, many co-creation projects were created in line with each theme, and the following nine projects were announced earlier this year.
