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| Aiming to build a key organization and create a gatewayfunction for research and prototype development open to the world |
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The project aims to form a market for creating various new enterprises and new industries with high model quality through a key organization for research and prototype development open to the world in the Keihin region (Tokyo's Shinagawa and Ota Wards, and the cities of Kawasaki and Yokohama). The project also intends to create a gateway function for distributing market information about the Tokyo region and related information about leading-edge technologies to other regions. |
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Region centering on Tokyo's Shinagawa and Ota Wards, along with the cities of Kawasaki and Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture |
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Keihin Region Cluster Forum
NPO Monodukuri Shinagawajyuku
TEL: +81-3-3777-7788 FAX: +81-3-3777-7788
Ota City Industrial Promotion Organization
TEL: +81-3-3733-6144 FAX: +81-3-3733-6496
Institute of Industrial Promotion Kawasaki
TEL: +81-44-548-4113 FAX: +81-44-548-4110
Yokohama Federation of Industrial Associations
TEL: +81-45-671-7051 FAX: +81-45-671-7321 |
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NPO Industrial Technology Utilization Center |
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A supporting network will be formed of existing inter-corporate networks having local governments and industrial support organizations at the core, along with universities, public and private research institutes, financial institutions, and related organizations.
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This project works to step up collaboration by maximizing use of the geographical proximity of the accumulated companies oriented toward product development that can plan and design new products, companies oriented toward infrastructural technology that possess advanced expertise, universities with scientific or engineering faculties, major company research institutes, and major company head offices in urban centers. The project also promotes the creation of a gateway function for distributing market-oriented information to other regions.
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| This project will provide information and create matching opportunities by stepping up the collaboration between local governments and industry support organizations, and implement a coordinating system through such means as conducting joint studies and commercialization based on industry-university collaboration. In so doing, the project will attempt to address various technical and managerial challenges facing small and mid-size companies, and promote support for exploring sales channels through collaboration with major companies. |
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SMEs specializing in core and advanced technologies are concentrated in the Keihin Region, where they work on product R&D and prototypes as well as creating some of the most advanced technology in the world. Many major corporations also have their headquarters and R&D divisions located here. With its large population base, the area also serves as a base for information and transportation exchanges as well as providing an outlet for goods with its enormous market. These special characteristics make the Keihin Region unique in Japan.
We are working to create a framework for promoting innovation in the Keihin Region with an emphasis on the workplace. By doing this, we hope to use the advantages of the region to improve product and technology development in industry and academia collaborations. This will also assist in furthering technological collaborations with the research divisions of major corporations and supporting overseas development. These steps will enable the Keihin Region to fully play its role as a gateway that leads Japan's industry. |
| Yasuyuki Matsuda |
| Senior Director, Federation of Yokohama city Industrial Association |
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| Number of businesses tie-ups and collaborations: |
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| Number of new businesses launched: 3,000 businesses in 5 years |
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Main Participants of the Project
Private companies: Shinko Sellbic Co.,Ltd., Tamachi Industries Co.,Ltd., Tamura Kogyo K.K., CENKEN Corporation, Komatsu Spring Industrial Co.,Ltd., Nihon Rikagaku Industry Co.,Ltd., Isman J Corporation, Kohzu Precision Co.,Ltd., Noge Electric Industries Co.,Ltd., Showa Precision Tools Co.,Ltd., etc.
Related administrative organizations: Shinagawa Ward, Ota Ward, Kawasaki City, Yokohama City
Universities and public examination and research institutes: Yokohama National University,
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Keio University, Kanagawa Industrial Technology Center, etc.
Financial institutions: Resona Bank,Ltd.,
Kawasaki Shinkin Bank, Yokohama Shinkin Bank,
Future Venture Capital Co.,Ltd., etc.
Business Incubators: Kawasaki Business Incubation Center (KBIC), Kanagawa Science Park (KSP), Leading Venture Plaza, etc.
Others: NPO VMCY, Yokohama TLO Co.,Ltd., etc. |
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 1 |
Promoting technology partnerships in open, innovative collaborations - a forum for new business ventures |
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The strengths of the Keihin Region are as a R&D and prototype development base for SMEs as well as an information and transportation base for universities and leading corporations. To use these qualities for creating new products and technologies in the region, it is vital that SMEs having advanced technology are matched with the research divisions of large corporations that are focused on the market.
Within this project, the Institute of Industrial Promotion Kawasaki is the primary promoter for getting cooperation from coordinators in the region and selecting SMEs as well as new ventures having an exceptional capacity to develop technology and products. The coordinators will provide hands-on support for participating companies, private sector companies working on business match-ups and company start-up support will act as a conduit for the major corporations, and forums will be held in which large corporations hold individual meetings SMEs and joint venture companies in the region. After the forums are over, the coordinators will continue with follow-ups to provide effective match-ups.
In FY 2008, three forums were held to form new joint ventures, and 111 companies participated all together, 74 SMEs and 37 major corporations. At the forums, SMEs made technological presentations as well as holding individual meetings with large corporations.
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Attendees listen to a presentation
Companies hold a discussion
Participants freely mingle
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 2 |
Closed-format matches between large corporations and SMEs (presentations at large corporations) |
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As large corporations rarely express their specific partnering needs at the technology development stage, it is difficult for SMEs to directly obtain information on what they need. For a large corporation as well, it is difficult to find an appropriate SME to collaborate with on its own, and so a closed or limited format matching opportunity is important to efficiently obtain a partnership.
As one of the promoting organizations of the Regional Industry Revitalization Project, the Yokohama Federation of Industrial Association is compiling a list of press releases and technical reports from SMEs having advanced and core technologies selected by coordinators. Because of the high concentration of head offices and laboratories of large corporations in and around the Keihin Region, the promoting organizations and coordinators are visiting each corporation to introduce the SME technologies. When a large corporation shows an interest in meeting with an SME, a time is arranged at the corporation for the SME to give a presentation and initial business talk. This is the format used for closed-format business matchups.
Last year, visits were made to 11 large corporations. In accordance with their requests, introductions were provided to SMEs based on their presentations and specific technological proposals.
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| Outline of support for closed-format company matches |
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| ACHIEVEMENT EXAMPLE 3 |
Industry and university collaboration - forums |
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As technology itself advances during the process of new technology and product development, collaborations with academia to utilize their advances in knowledge and techniques become ever more critical for SMEs in order to meet the rising technological demands of society.
Under the Regional Industry Revitalization Project, the needs of companies are identified and specific potential targets are selected from a wide range of universities in and around the Keihin Region. A meeting forum or exhibition is then held to find partner SMEs in the region. For universities with an associated medical center, it is sometimes the case that they require specific niche products that large corporations are not interested in dealing with. Under the project, these needs are also identified and SME matches found from among the companies in the Keihin Region having exceptional product and prototype development capacities.
During the previous fiscal year, two forums were held in conjunction with Kanto Gakuin and Tokyo Polytechnic Universities, the Kanagawa and Shibaura Institutes of Technology, and Nippon Medical School, with 108 companies attending.
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Attendees listen to a presentation
Exhibition floor
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