LEEP SUMMIT is one of Japan’s largest environment and energy innovation related festival, and the E&E community’s annual year-end culminating event. In 2021 and 2022, we hosted a session with more than 1,100 participants where we spent time reflecting on the excitement and initiatives that took place, and covered the community’s collaboration examples to give direction and inspire the comminuty for the following year. LEEP SUMMIT 2022 focused on the startups that are at the heart of this community, and on how to “Go Global,” which is necessary for the future of environment and energy to take off.

The Practical Innovation Program is a community-based program that creates opportunities for collaboration between startups and large companies to solve specific social issues, and also accelerates cooperation with local governments, central ministries and agencies, investors, research institutions, and other stakeholders. Specifically, Core Members (operating companies) participating in the E&E community present the issues they wish to address and the technological areas they seek to solve, and recruit startups, companies, and researchers who are expected to contribute to solving these issues. Selected participants will be able to explore the possibility of collaboration with Core Members, utilize the business fields and assets provided by them, and work with local governments and central ministries and agencies to gain practical opportunities for social implementation. Three programs have been held so far, and application is open now for the fourth program.