I served as a judge for the SoftBank Industry-Academia Collaboration Project Award.

This is an award that recognizes the annual achievements of SoftBank’s “Industry-Academia Collaboration Project,” in which the company partners with universities nationwide to address regional challenges and cultivate the next generation of talent through the use of ICT, generative AI, and other technologies.

It is reported that while there were 16 universities participating when the project began in March 2024, the number has since expanded to include 67 universities nationwide.

Another distinctive feature is that SoftBank employees provide hands-on support, offering guidance on the effective use of ICT, coordinating with local governments, and lending communication equipment; this practical support is delivered through a nationwide network.

I found it highly significant that these achievements and expertise are being shared with other universities and communities, and that through collaboration between companies and universities, learning environments are being created where students can tackle social issues head-on.

At this year's awards ceremony, particularly outstanding initiatives were recognized from among the diverse range of projects addressing social issues carried out nationwide.

I strongly felt that when forward-thinking companies like SoftBank are combined with the expertise of universities and the spirit of challenge among students, the result goes beyond simply solving problems—it has the potential to become a driving force for creating the society of the future.

Congratulations to all the award winners. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone at SoftBank for creating this wonderful space for co-creation and for supporting our efforts to take on the challenges of the future.

I hope that these kinds of industry-academia collaboration initiatives will continue to spread throughout the country.

Below are the overall evaluation comments.

Thank you all for your wonderful presentations.
At this year’s AWARDS, we were greatly inspired by the many sharp insights into social issues and creative solutions utilizing technology that we encountered. In particular, we could sense the flexible perspective and passion unique to students in the process of bringing their concepts to life—by visiting the field and carefully listening to the voices of actual users.
Furthermore, the proposals from each team conveyed the attitude of the younger generation—who will shape the future—as they seriously consider “using technology for the benefit of people” and engage sincerely with society. When the expertise of
SoftBank, a cutting-edge technology company, is combined with the knowledge of universities and the creativity of students, it goes beyond merely solving problems to become a driving force for building the society of the next generation.I believe this project truly embodied that spirit. I sincerely hope that such industry-academia collaboration will deepen further
in the future, and that by combining the universities’ expertise and the students’ spirit of challenge with the companies’ ability to execute, Japan’s overall innovation ecosystem will become even richer. I also sincerely hope that this kind of industry-academia collaboration will continue to expand, and that the energy of young people will drive society forward.Thank you very much for your time
today.