TOKYO (Aug. 8, 2021) – CIC Tokyo and U3 Innovations have announced that they will together create a “Innovation Community for Energy and Environmental” to promote innovations in the industry. They will provide startups with access to wide-ranging support and services through this community, including assistance for identifying business opportunities and launching and growing companies. The Community will also be home to hands-on innovation programs in which industry leaders and startups will work together to develop solutions for select social problems.
Formed in response to the growing public interest in sustainability, carbon neutrality, as well as in solving social problems through innovations, the Community is designed to bring together stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem through year-around activities, including symposium and business matching events. The Community seeks to be an “innovation cluster” to support startups in the sustainable energy and environmental industry, as well as to foster innovations through hands-on programs that promotes collaborations among large corporations, startups, research institutions, municipal governments and central government agencies. CIC’s global network should also be advantageous for the Community in connecting with innovation clusters elsewhere in the world to gain useful insights into creating competitive global businesses.
Core Members
The Community is currently working with the following “core members,” all of which have identified social problems of their interest and are actively pursuing partnerships with startups. Additional core member companies will be selected in the future.
- INPEX Corporation
- ENEOS Holdings
- The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
- Sekisui Chemical, Co., Ltd.
- Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board has been established to provide advice on the Community’s operation. The board members are as follows:
- Mr. Noboru Araki (Manager, Management Technology Strategy Research Institute, Tokyo Electric Power Holdings, Inc.)
- Mr. Hiroaki Izuma (Advisor, Business Creation Division, Tohoku Electric Power, Co., Inc.)
- Mr. Yoshinori Ueda (General Manager, Innovation Lab, Corporate Planning Office, The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.)
- Mr. Shuichi Kawamura (President, Energy & Environment Investment, Inc.)
The kickoff event for the Community will take place on Aug. 24 at CIC Tokyo, during which the organizers will share details about programs and activities, including social issues that have been selected for projects. A similar event is scheduled for Aug. 27 in Nagoya and sometime in September in Kyoto in order to get key players in the local innovation ecosystems involved in the Community’s activities. We are currently seeking additional core members who are interested leading the Community, including startups, large corporations, municipal governments, research institutions and governmental organizations, among others. For additional information about the Aug. 24 kickoff event, please visit: https://energy-environment-launch-event.peatix.com/
Community Partners
The following organizations are our “community partners,” who will help us promote the Community’s activities. Working with these partners will enable us to jointly organize events and expand the Community’s network to further promote innovations in the sustainable energy and environmental industry.
- Venture Café Tokyo
- Energy Tech Study Group
- EnergyTech Meetup
- GreenTech Labs
Community Management
About CIC Tokyo
CIC Tokyo is one of the largest innovation centers in Japan. It opened its doors on Oct. 1, 2020, in Toranomon Hills Business Tower, providing a total of 6,000 square meters of coworking and shared office space on the tower’s 15th and 16th floors, which can accommodate more than 250 companies and organizations. CIC Tokyo offers comfortable office spaces and common areas with an open and free atmosphere, as well as all the support that companies need to grow their businesses and accelerate their global expansion. Being located at CIC makes it easier for startups to participate in the innovation community and build meaningful relationships with its key players. CIC Tokyo also can function as a global gateway through which companies can access CIC’s global locations. As of July 31, 2021, CIC Tokyo has hosted more than 130 events on a variety of topics since its inception in October 2020, has become recognized by many as the primary gathering place for those involved in innovation activities. For more information, please visit: https://jp.cic.com/
About U3 Innovations
U3 Innovations is a group of innovators working to create and grow new businesses that cater to the needs of “Utility 3.0,” the social system that would change the way we think about energy. In order to make Utility 3.0 a reality, we work side by side with promising startups to ensure their success, providing them with all kinds of support from funding to finding the right talents who could serve as their CxOs. We aren’t just targeting the energy industry; we aim to create new businesses across industries, including mobility, agriculture and housing. Some of our staff are already working as members of the management teams at multiple startups, while exploring any opportunities to establish joint ventures with them for investment and collaboration. Utility 3.0 goes beyond filling the needs of energy demand and supply; it’s a social system for a sustainable future that accepts diverse values. The concept of Utility 3.0 was first proposed in the book, “The Energy Industry in 2050: Game Change for Utility 3.0,” published in 2017. U3 Innovations’ co-founders, Junko Takeuchi and Tsuyoshi Ito, wrote the book. For more information about U3 Innovations, please visit: https://u3i.jp
Contacts: Masaru Nagura・Lisa Fujise (env-startups@cic.com)