A mecca of Japanese R&D : “Keihanna Science City”
For firms that are examining penetration into Japan, it is important that the local government takes proactive initiatives to establish a favorable environment for businesses.
The Kansai Cultural and Academic Research City (“Keihanna Science City”) was opened in 1994 as one of the largest and important centers for open innovation in Japan, aiming at establishing a new hub for cultural and academic research.
It was continuously developed under a national project based on industry-government-academia cooperation and collaboration. As of January 2016, 30 university-related facilities, 39 research facilities, and 60 R&D-oriented industrial facilities are located here.
National Projects: “National Strategic Special Zone” and
“Kansai Innovation International Strategic Comprehensive Special Zone”
The Kyoto prefectural government has been extremely proactive in establishing a favorable environment for businesses. In particular, it has focused on the development of Keihanna Science City, which spreads across Kyoto, Osaka and Nara prefectures, and has been designated as a “Kansai Innovation International Strategic Comprehensive Special Zone” and as a “National Strategic Special Zone”.
Owing to the designation as a special zone, special regulatory treatment based on the Act on Comprehensive Special Zones is available to businesses that operate in this area, as well as varied special treatment on taxation and finance.
Smart City of a global standard
The Keihanna Open Innovation Center @ Kyoto (KICK) started operation in full scale in 2015, and functions as the core facility for industry-government-academia collaboration in the Kyoto Innovation Belt. KICK promotes research and development under the themes “Life Sciences”, “Energy & ICT”, “Agriculture”, and “Culture & Education”, and initiatives toward the realization of a next-generation smart city are in progress. Starting in 2014, the Kyoto Smart City Expo has been held every year. Activities are also under way toward partnership with the Smart City Expo World Congress, which is promoted worldwide by Barcelona City Council, Spain.
Keihanna Science City
Keihanna Science City is a Kansai Cultural and Academic Research City established as a national project on the Keihanna Hills that spread across Kyoto, Osaka and Nara prefectures.
- ● Scale of the city
- Area: approx. 15,000 ha; – Planned population: approx. 410,000
- ● Key facilities
- Kansai-kan of the National Diet Library
- Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE)
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)
- International Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS)
- University Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto Prefectural University
Keihanna Open Innovation Center @KYOTO
A core facility of Keihanna Science City is that it functions as a hub for international open innovations, where advanced research and development activities are promoted for creating next-generation lifestyles in health and medicine, energy and ICT, agriculture and food, culture and education, and other areas
Tradition|Wisdom|[Innovation]
Photos provided / with the cooperation of:Keihanna Open Innovation Center @ KYOTO（KICK）,Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International
