Here is an overview of “Polypro,” the real-world project I’m leading at KMD. We are active in three areas: Incubation, PoPTech, and Social.

　

[Incubation]

■Learning of Tomorrow

We have established the “Learning of Tomorrow Association,” an organization dedicated to advancing the integration of education and technology. It is a “dream team” comprising over 30 industry associations in the digital sector, including IT, software, and content. The association has 8,000 member companies under its umbrella.Keidanren, the New Economic Federation, the Japan IT Federation, the Cabinet Office’s Intellectual Property Headquarters, and the Cabinet Secretariat’s IT Strategy Office are also participating as observers.

http://lot.or.jp/

・Esports Meta School

We have established “eSports Meta School,” a community and coordinating organization aimed at providing educational opportunities through esports, in collaboration with the Japan Esports Union (JeSU).We have formed a working group as a community of universities, vocational schools, technical colleges, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools interested in incorporating esports into education. This group is working to develop, provide, and certify joint curricula; conduct research and gather evidence on the educational benefits of esports; and implement initiatives to revitalize club activities.

・Meta University

We are launching “Meta University,” where Japan’s leading instructors will impart the knowledge essential for next-generation management—including AI, IoT, big data, security, design thinking, and innovation management.

・Inter-academic Entrepreneur School

・Various Working Group Activities

Initiatives are underway to promote the integration of cutting-edge technologies—such as AI, VR, IoT, blockchain, cloud computing, 5G, and copyright—into education, and various working groups have been established.

　　　　　

■Digital Kids/CANVAS

・Workshop Collection

It hosts the world's largest creative event for children, attracting a record 100,000 participants over two days. The event has expanded to various locations, including Fukuoka, Sendai, Kyoto, and Osaka.

http://wsc.or.jp/

・Online Workshop Collection

A collection of online workshops. We launched this initiative this year. Our goal is to promote and develop online creative workshops that stimulate children’s creativity and expressive abilities.

http://wsc.or.jp/online/

・Kids Creative Institute

　We offer programs designed in collaboration with artists and experts that allow children to explore a variety of themes and nurture their creativity and expressive abilities.

https://www.canvas.ws/kenkyujo/

・CS for ALL

We have established a platform involving industry, government, and academia aimed at promoting programming education, and we organize events such as the National Programming Competition for Elementary and Middle School Students.

http://csforall.jp/

・STEAM KIDS

STEAM Education = Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics This project brings together hands-on experiences focused on these fields and aims to introduce new forms of learning to as many children as possible through a variety of formats—including not only workshops but also hands-on exhibits, events, and shows.

http://steamkids.jp/

　　　

■Digital Ehon

・International Digital Ehon Fair

This is the world’s first digital book fair aimed at collecting “Digital Ehon”—including children’s picture books, other books, and various forms of digital content—from around the globe for new devices such as tablets, e-readers, interactive whiteboards, digital signage, and smartphones, with the goal of promoting their widespread adoption. The event will feature over 700 works from 52 countries.

http://d-childrensbookfair.net/

・Digital Ehon Awards

　The "Digital Ehon Award," which has been held since 2011.

While exploring new possibilities for “Digital Ehon” and aiming to pioneer and develop new forms of digital expression, we received a record number of entries last year from 34 countries.

http://www.digitalehonaward.net/

　

■CiP Fund

We launched the CiP Fund and began providing startup support. We have established a platform to connect investors with entrepreneurs. We are already moving forward with several investment projects. We are also collaborating with the government and the Cool Japan Organization.

https://cipfund.jp/

　

[PoPTech]

■CiP

　"CiP" is a project to create a Special Zone for the Digital Content Industry in Takeshiba, Minato Ward. It is a project aimed at developing a "Pop & Tech" community. Pop & Tech Special Zone CiP. The "CiP Council," a general incorporated association, has been established, and preparations are underway for the zone's opening in fiscal year 2020.

　Sixty companies and organizations—including those in telecommunications, broadcasting, IT, music, anime, video games, comedy, advertising, trading companies, venture capital firms, and educational institutions—are participating, and the initiative is collaborating with government agencies such as the Cabinet Secretariat, the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

　It has been designated as a National Strategic Special Zone by the Prime Minister, and we are establishing a test bed. Projects such as Artist Commons, the Digital Signage Experiment, and the World Otaku Research Institute are already underway.

https://takeshiba.org/

　

■City&Tech

We have also launched the “City Tech Committee” (CT Committee) to implement cutting-edge technologies in Takeshiba. Robotics, AI, IoT, 5G, and 8K.Participants include the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, telecommunications carriers, telecommunications equipment manufacturers, automakers, software companies, real estate firms, construction companies, Keio University, the University of Tokyo, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), the Advanced Video Streaming Organization, and the IPDC Forum; the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and RIKEN are also expected to join.

https://citytech.jp/

　　

■ Station AI

We are collaborating with Aichi Prefecture, which plans to establish an incubation hub designed to drive innovation by fusing manufacturing technology with startup ideas. As part of this effort, we are conducting research on the hardware and software needed for the hub and organizing events to build momentum by engaging local companies, universities, business organizations, and startups within the prefecture.

　

■World Otaku Research Institute

The International Otaku Event Association (IOEA) and CiP have joined forces to establish the World Otaku Research Institute. They are creating a central hub staffed by researchers from various countries who will serve as the driving force behind the institute. This initiative is being carried out with support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

https://w-o-i.org/

　　　

■Super Sports

"Superhuman Sports" aims to develop new sports that fuse the human body with technology, creating a harmonious union between human and machine. We are working to develop and popularize these new sports in preparation for the 2020 Superhuman Sports World Championships.

http://superhuman-sports.org/

　　　　

■Artist Commons

In August 2019, eight music and entertainment organizations and two companies established the Artist Commons General Incorporated Association. The association assigns a unique ID (AC-ID) to each artist and promotes the integration of information regarding content, merchandise, live performances, and more.Using this system, the organization is currently conducting a pilot service that provides concert ticket information in conjunction with broadcasts on the internet radio service “radiko.” It plans to begin a trial offering of artists’ official photos and profiles starting in August 2020. The organization operates based in the CiP Special Zone.

http://acoms.jp/

　　　　

■Sync Music

　As an "agent"—a role that has become the global standard, as exemplified by companies like LIVE NATION and WME—this organization uses "music" as a medium to expand the Japanese market both domestically and internationally. By promoting the digitization of content and incorporating all types of Japanese content, it maximizes the transition from outbound to inbound expansion.

https://syncnet.work/

　　　　

■ Digital Signage Consortium

　The “Digital Signage Consortium” has been in existence for 11 years. Looking ahead to 2020, multilingual signage and disaster-preparedness hospitality signage have been identified as national priorities, and efforts to develop strategies are ongoing within the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ 2020 ICT Roundtable. We will continue to drive this initiative forward.

http://www.digital-signage.jp/

■IPDC

IPDC (IP Data Casting) technology enables the delivery of information and content to IoT devices and other devices via broadcast waves by superimposing IP—which is used in communications technology—onto broadcast signals.
Currently, the IPDC Forum has obtained a broadcast license for the V-High experimental test station, and we are planning to conduct media convergence experiments in the CiP Special Zone before the end of the year.
http://www.ipdcforum.org/

　

■ Anime and Manga Business

　The Japan Animation Association’s “Anime Business Partners Forum.” We support efforts to develop partnership businesses in the anime and other content sectors. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Anime and Manga Human Resources Development Program, we are also involved in developing training curricula together with creators, educational institutions, and related industries.

http://abpf.jp/

　

[Social]

■Social Creation

This project aims to generate and implement ideas for creatively solving various societal challenges.

https://socialcreation.jp/

　

■Chomoro

Music, otaku culture, business, extreme sports, esports, kids, and technology. Our goal is to eventually grow this event into something that surpasses SXSW and Ars Electronica.

■Healthcare Data Exchange

We aim to build a platform that returns electronic health record (EHR) and order data accumulated by hospitals to individuals, links this data to personal health records (PHR), and facilitates its circulation, with the goal of promoting health and creating new business opportunities through this platform.

Specifically, in the Hata region of Kochi Prefecture—an area with a rapidly aging population—we are working in collaboration with the Hata Medical Association to develop the EHR system “Hatamaru Net.” In coordination with the Regional Next-Generation Medical Infrastructure Research Council (comprising the Hata Medical Association, Sukumo City,the CiP Council, etc.) to add PHR functionality to the “Hata Maru Net” EHR—which we developed in partnership with the Hata Medical Association—and are working to transform it into a platform.