Yokohama City, alongside and as part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Consortium, has been selected as one of four “Global Startup Cities” by the Japanese Government.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Consortium is comprised of Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Yokohama City, Kawasaki City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Tsukuba City, Wako City, private sectors and universities in the area, and now, thanks to the selection, the collective area will be offered extended subsidies, eased regulations, and other support by the national government towards developing and enriching their startup ecosystems.
The national government has been closely focused on spurring the creation and development of Japanese startup ecosystems all across the country by capitalizing on Japan’s strengths, including skilled talent, R&D capability, innovative companies, and funds. To that end, the government certified proposals by city applicants making efforts to develop a strong startup ecosystem in cooperation with their local universities and private sectors. The Japanese government has chosen the following four urban areas as Global Startup Cities: Tokyo Metropolitan Consortium, Central Japan Startup Ecosystem Consortium, Osaka-Kyoto-Hyogo-Kobe Consortium, and Fukuoka Startup Consortium.
Mayor of Yokohama, HAYASHI Fumiko, commented, “I feel very honored that Yokohama has been selected as part of the Global Startup City program by the national government. Alongside the city’s designation as an SDGs FutureCity, we will focus on solving new social issues and creating next-generation industries within the city. Since the “Innovation City Yokohama” declaration made in January 2019, I have been committed to open innovation and support for startups. The Minato Mirai 21 district, Yokohama’s innovation-powered bay area, has been attracting the R&D centers of global companies such as Shiseido and Kyocera. In addition, the City opened a center dedicated to the growth of startup companies called “YOXO BOX,” through which we are actively promoting innovation in collaboration with private companies, universities, and research institutions. I believe that the selection was greatly influenced by these Yokohama-specific initiatives.
“We are taking this opportunity to deepen our collaboration with the national government, and will be accelerating our goal of introducing new and innovative Yokohama-based startups to the domestic and international stages, to continue our efforts towards becoming a true ‘Innovation City.’”
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