Besides, the Umekita area phase 2 development (appx.17ha) is scheduled to be completed in 2024, which will lead to an urban greenery and a -citizen-participating innovation.
Turn Osaka into an innovative city offering chances
and attracting people and ideas.
―“The declaration of Osaka innovation” February 2013, Mayor of Osaka―
Osaka city is an energetic and attractive city boasting of a huge potential for an innovation.
We are totally open to those who wants to start a new business and join us to innovate the city.
Osaka has a potential for innovation.
Innovation comes from an interaction of passion between people, as well as between companies.
Together with private companies, Osaka city established “hubs”, such as Osaka Innovation Hub (OIH), to provide an opportunity to connect these players one another. By this, we are paving the way to build a place and a network where people can enjoy “co-creation” without any boundaries.
OSAKA-KANSAI-JAPAN EXPO will be held in 2025 under the theme of “Designing Future Society For Our Lives” at Yumeshima. This expo will solve common problems for the human-race by gathering and exchanging wisdom globally , which leads to co-creation and dissemination of innovation to the world.
We are waiting you at "Innovation City Osaka", where you meet opportunities.
A potential for innovation
Osaka, the center of the Kansai area which has the second largest economy in Japan, has excellent domestic/international access and serves as a gateway for the Kansai area. Nowadays, it has gained popularity as a world-class-tourism spot to foreign tourists. Well organized MICE facilities and a battery of big international events held herein has provided many chances for multicultural interaction, in daily basis.
An industrial cluster covering manufacturing, service and other wide range of sectors resides in the central business district, where many MNEs locate their offices and numerous SMEs bolstering Osaka’s manufacturing exist. It also has unique companies that have occupied a lion’s share of the niche markets with one and only technologies, or companies with 100+ year history flexibly and successfully have survived a dazzling transition of the society.
Moreover, Kansai has globally renowned universities and research institutions in Life science, energy, AI, VR, robotics, and other fields, which attain a significant progress in research and a collaboration between the academics and the industries.
In this way, Osaka has optimized its potential and pursued a global innovation interconnecting people, technology, capital, and innovation.
Osaka Innovation Hub
Hub to connect people around the world and create innovation
Osaka Innovation Hub (OIH) is in Grand Front Osaka, a complex facility in Umekita area. It is located adjacent to Osaka/Umeda station, the biggest terminal station in Western Japan.
As a ‘hub’ utilizes its geographical advantage, OIH has held various events including hackathons, pitch events, accelerating programs, and international conventions, aiming for establishing a network to create innovation.
OIH accumulates innovation resources, connects them, and accelerates their reactions, just like ‘an exchange.’ It has been engaged in providing perfect meeting places where people full of energy gather from all over the world, click each other, and challenge new businesses.
As of June 2020, it has 813 player members who are mainly entrepreneurs and 341partner members who are to start new projects with OIH, such as companies and government offices. These OIH members can organize their own events at OIH as ‘community residents.’
Under the motto ‘Open, Flat, Friendly,’ not only Osaka residents but also various kinds of people can utilize the facility.
Click here for more information
Gateway to the world – Osaka Innovation to the world-
Osaka City has strived to build relationships with innovation-developed countries around the world to help Japanese companies gain a foothold in those countries.
OIH concluded a memorandum on economic exchange with Silicon Valley in the US, where OIH’s satellite office is located, and Shenzhen, China, which has been attracting worldwide attention recently. In 2017, OIH collaborated with ‘JETRO Innovation Program (JIP) Shenzhen Program’ of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) for the first time in Japan and has supported Japanese SMEs and venture companies that have patents develop new businesses.
Moreover, the global innovation fund jointly established with private sectors has supported the financing of venture companies that challenge the world.
Demonstration Experiment Site for Co-creating Innovation
Osaka, the City of Demonstration Project – The entire city is the experimental field to create innovation-
In cooperation with the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City support demonstration projects and social implementation utilizing cutting-edge technologies related to city development, IoT, robot technology, drones, AI, healthcare, big data, etc. by providing public spaces and public facilities.
In addition, at the commercial complex ATC in the bay area, the entire facility including outdoor spaces, stores, aisles, offices, and backyards is used as a demonstration field as well as sports facilities in Maishima (arena, stadium, etc.).