Khaldon Azhari
SAPPORO (Hokkaido): Startup Hokkaido is aiming to boost the local ecosystem and facilitate startups on Japan’s northern prefecture.
“We are working on improving the startup ecosystem in the whole of Hokkaido,” FUJIMA Kyohei told Arab News Japan. “Not only for creating new companies, but also from the educational aspect all the way to the innovative part.”
Fujima describes Hokkaido as “the food granary of Japan.” It’s the biggest producer of food and an important target for the Startup Hokkaido program.
Hokkaido is also the second most active region – after Tokyo – in the field of space technology, with some focusing on fuel and others on cleanup methods for space trash. A commercial spaceport is also on the agenda.
Hokkaido is also focusing on the environment, particularly alternative sources of energy, especially wind power.
Fujima says Hokkaido is looking for “big companies and big investments” as well as talent and resources. As such, it is focusing on education and communication on the different opportunities that the GX market is providing to innovators.
It has received positive responses from Korea, Germany, Singapore, and the United States and is hoping for investment and technology transfer cooperation from the Middle East.
“We can see that the efforts of Hokkaido to improve the environment for startups is working because a lot of companies are coming from Tokyo to Hokkaido in order to benefit from its favorable environment,” Fujima pointed out.
AloJapan.com