Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko on Monday launched TIB Tokyo Innovation Base, a start-up conference that is part of the Sushi Tech movement aimed at making Tokyo a smart city. Koike is trying to move the digital economy forward to make the city more attractive.

At the Sushi Tech Space in the Yurakucho district near Ginza, the conference attracted players in the digital economy from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Technology and Education and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. 

Students and young entrepreneurs were also present, including Marc Penzel, the founder and president of Startup Genome, and Matthieu Demolin from the company Deal Room. They took part in forums and friendly discussions on the net economy. Penzel praised the community spirit in Tokyo, and when trust is established, he said, profits increase.

Amidi Saeed, the CEO of Plug and Play, who is an actor and investor in the Indian digital economy from his base in Silicon Valley, was praised by the Governor of Tokyo for the success of his 30 “unicorns,” including well-known ones such as PayPal and Dropbox.

The Tokyo Innovation Base is centered around three concepts: collaboration, innovation, and connection. This takes the form of collaboration with different partners, investors, and entrepreneurs; innovation with students and the world of the net economy; and connection for the city hall, which strives to make 5G connections easier, as well as the use of artificial intelligence.

True to its reputation as a technology-focused megalopolis, Tokyo plans to become one of the leaders in the net economy.

Younger entrepreneurs have also been encouraged by Tokyo City Hall for their efforts. One example was a young manufacturer of interactive digital business cards that directly connect people with their social networks. Part of the funding for this came from the Tokyo government.

NOGUCHI Tomonori, whose company specializes in hardware and the design of prototype products through to mass production, said he had made connections with Saudi and Middle Eastern companies via start-up tours and is developing its business in domestic robots, electric wheelchair systems and electrical wind turbine systems.