Symposium on "Regional Startup Creation under the Startup Ecosystem Co-Creation Program "
Held at the 24th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Intellectual Production in Kanazawa

On June 18, 2026, at the symposium held during the 24th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for Intellectual Production in Kanazawa, representatives from six regional startup ecosystem platforms—Hokkaido, Tohoku, Koshin–Northern Kanto, Hokuriku, Chugoku-Shikoku, and Kyushu-Okinawa—gathered for a panel discussion entitled "Initiatives to Address Regional and Societal Challenges, Including Disaster Recovery, and Foster Global Startups."
Before an audience of more than 300 participants, the representatives introduced their regional initiatives and exchanged views on the development of the startup ecosystem. The discussion reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration across regions and disciplines and to nurturing globally competitive startups that address regional and societal challenges.

The JST Startup Ecosystem Co-Creation Program supports the development of ecosystems that continuously generate university-based startups by identifying promising research seeds from universities and other academic institutions across Japan. The program enhances both the quality and quantity of startup creation and supports expansion into global markets. It also fosters a sustainable ecosystem in which talent, knowledge, and capital circulate among an expanding network of participating institutions.

The program consists of nine platforms nationwide, seven base city platforms, and two regional platforms. These platforms are steadily generating results by creating and nurturing startups that address regional and societal challenges while pursuing global market opportunities.

At this symposium, representatives from six regional platforms—Hokkaido (HSFC), Tohoku (MASP), Koshin–Northern Kanto (IJIE), Hokuriku (TeSH), Chugoku–Shikoku (PSI), and Kyushu–Okinawa (PARKS)—came together to share successful initiatives and discuss challenges in creating startups that address regional and societal issues. They also exchanged views on strategies for international expansion and explored ways to foster globally competitive, academia-based startups originating from regional innovation ecosystems.

The panel also highlighted distinctive initiatives from each regional platform. HSFC (Hokkaido) emphasized that addressing regional challenges is the foundation of its startup activities. MASP (Tohoku) introduced its separate funding calls for deep-tech and social innovation projects. IJIE (Koshin–Northern Kanto) presented a startup scheduled to launch in August, supported under its Impact Business Track. PSI (Chugoku–Shikoku) showcased its regional industry–academia consortium, comprising 112 participating companies. PARKS (Kyushu–Okinawa) shared the success story of a space-related unicorn that grew through early-stage prototyping with local companies and has remained rooted in the region. TeSH (Hokuriku) presented the development of a drone capable of carrying a 50 kg payload over 50 km to address the challenge of delivering supplies to isolated communities following the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

In closing the panel discussion, the facilitator highlighted that all nine startup ecosystem platforms have gap-fund-supported projects related to drone technologies. This demonstrated the shared potential for innovation across platforms and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration beyond regional and disciplinary boundaries to jointly foster globally competitive startups.

Panelists (Honorifics omitted)

Hiroyuki Ono

Director, Startup Creation Department, Institute for the Promotion of Business–Regional Collaboration, Hokkaido University (Program Head of Directors, HSFC)

Masaki Asano

Special Advisor to the Director, Head Office of Enterprise Partnerships, Tohoku University (Deputy Program Director, MASP)

Maki Shoji

Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Startup Incubation Center, Tohoku University (MASP)

Yasuko Nakata

Associate Professor / Director of Regional Innovation Promotion Center Industrial Collaboration Promotion Center, Headquarters for Promotion of Future Innovation, JAIST (Program Co-Director, TeSH)

Akihiro Tsunoda

Specially Appointed Professor, Innovative Research and Liaison Organization, Shinshu University (Program Co-Director, IJIE )

Kikunori Takigami

Director, Startup Promotion Division, Hiroshima University (Program Co-Director, PSI)

Shinji Ohnishi

Assistant Director, Academic Research and Industrial Collaboration Management Office, Kyushu University (Program Head of Directors, PARKS)

Facilitator

Fumihiko Uchida

Director, Startup Promotion Office, Headquarters for Promotion of Future Innovation, JAIST (Program Head of Directors, TeSH)

Commentators

Gaku Mizota

Director, Industry–Academia Collaboration Promotion Office, Science and Technology Policy Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Naoto Imanishi

Director, Business-Academia Cooperation Office, Research Promotion Division, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries