On July 10, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual collaboration with Tohoku University and Sendai City regarding the implementation of the Social Innovator Hub (SIH) Program. The signing took place in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, between Tohoku University Vice President Masahiro Yamaguchi, Sendai City Economic Affairs Bureau Director Kenjiro Kimura, and JICA Executive Director Naoki Ando. SIH is a project that provides a place for talented young people from Japan, where the environment is very different, and from developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to think together about various social issues and co-create new solutions. Signing ceremony
With this MOU, JICA, Tohoku University, and Sendai City aim to provide an incubation program for the creation of new social businesses, and to establish a hub function to connect human resources, technology, and information from Japan and developing countries to promote mutual learning among members and co-creation of solutions to social issues.
The world is currently facing a complex crisis involving climate change, disasters, infectious diseases, and conflicts. In order to overcome this crisis, it is necessary to move beyond the traditional relationship of “teaching” Japan’s development experience to developing countries, and to seek innovative solutions together, transcending national borders, through the sharing of wisdom among diverse “industry, government, and academia”. The concept of SIH as a place for co-creation was born.
Currently, SIH is in the trial stage for implementation. In order to conduct the pilot project, Tohoku University, which has produced outstanding research results and human resources that contribute to the sound development of society, and Sendai City, which is energetically engaged in supporting social entrepreneurs who can both solve problems and achieve economic growth, have each given their support to the concept, leading to the partnership. By combining the strengths of Tohoku University and Sendai City with JICA’s trust, network, and business experience in developing countries, we believe that we can establish a new mechanism to promote social innovation by connecting talented human resources in Japan and overseas.
The collaboration includes the following
(1) Provide incubation programs to produce social innovators in Japan and developing countries
(2) Create a hub for human resources, information, and technology that will lead to solutions to social issues
(3) Co-creation of solutions to social issues using Japanese local resources and human resources from developing countries through the above
Through this project, we expect to contribute to SDG Goal 9 (Create a foundation for industrial and technological innovation), Goal 13 (Take concrete measures against climate change), and Goal 17 (Achieve the goals through partnership).
As a specific initiative, the first incubation program will be held in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, for approximately seven weeks from August 5 to September 20. Approximately 20 participants from Japan and overseas will participate in the program, where each team will create a new social business idea. The program will include lectures and workshops on methodologies for structural understanding of social issues, advanced technologies and advanced issues in Japan. Participants will use the information and methodologies obtained in the lectures to co-create ideas that contribute to solving social issues from a business perspective, and work on prototyping and business modeling. During the program, networking and technology matching with companies and social entrepreneurs in and around Sendai City will also be conducted. For details, please refer to the following link.
© Source JICA
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