BAP Final Pitch Contest
The final Pitch Contest of BAP 2021 was held in a hybrid format on December 10th. The seven finalists’ presentations were filmed on stage and broadcast live online to ICF members. The winners were selected through rigorous review and discussion by five ICF advisors and MRI judges.
MRI will continue to support the winners, finalists, and applicants in various ways, aiming to ultimately resolve societal issues through business.
MRI press release issued on December 14th, 2021 (in Japanese)
◆ Grand Award ◆
Risk Measurement Technologies Co., Ltd.
■ Summary: Detecting mental health risk through creation of high frequency data using audio information and a platform
■ Rationale for Award: The company developed a method to detect employees’ mental health problems under the COVID-19 pandemic. The method can be applied to all types of workers, including essential workers.
◆ MRI Award for Future Partners ◆
TRUNK Inc.
■ Summary: Online upskilling program for students who work part-time.
■ Rationale for Award: The program which focuses on students who work part-time, can possibly be developed into a range of recurrent-education opportunities. MRI is in the process of developing solutions in the human resources field, and co-creation with this business offers a promising step forward.
◆ MRI Award for Future Design ◆
Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd.
■ Summary: Accelerating industrial electrification and carbon neutrality with advanced use of microwaves
■ Rationale for Award: Substantial impacts are expected for energy-saving in industrial processes. Special note was given to the medium and long-term potential towards achieving a sustainable future world.
◆ Audience Award ◆
Smart119 Inc.
■ Summary: Smart119, an advanced emergency medical information sharing system, helps ensure agile transportation in ambulance services.
■ Rationale for Award: The Audience Award is selected by popular vote from the online audience.
Updates on Societal Issues Research 2021
In reviewing and identifying societal issues, the ICF Secretariat runs several parallel programs over the year.
１．Fourth Seminar on Listings of Societal Issues: November 26th
The Seminar on the Listings of Social Issues started in June 2021 and offers commentary on the issues from each of the six ICF focus areas. It covers both the FY 2020 edition and new issues to appear in the FY 2021 edition. The theme of the fourth seminar was Education & Human Resource Development. The event offered communication channels through both the chat function during the presentations and the networking session afterward. Some main points of discussion among participants included:
-The need for a graphical representation of individual filter bubbles to raise awareness of how people tend to be trapped in them
-The possibility that diversity and psychological safety cannot co-exist.
Link to the report of the seminar (in Japanese)
The fifth seminar on Mobility is scheduled on December 22nd.
■Details
・3:00 pm – 4:15 pm, Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 (online)
・Limited to 80 ICF members
■Agenda
3:00 pm Opening
< Issues in the Mobility focus area >
・Increasing number of vulnerable transportation users
・Growing need for fulfilling the purpose of travel without actually traveling
・New issues to be addressed in the FY2021 edition
3:50 pm Q & A
4:15 pm Closing followed by networking
２．Release of the Second Installment of The Societal Issues Report:
Water & Food and Energy & Environment
The content of the complete Listings of Societal Issues will be released to ICF members in three installments over the course of the year as The Societal Issues Report. The most recent installment covers the Water & Food and Energy & Environment issue areas. The Listings have been revised by adding the latest information, including technological and regulatory trends, on previously listed societal issues as well as entirely new issues.
New issues in the Water & Food focus area:
-The tendency for affluent societies to forego a healthy diet,
-Growing call for respect of differences in culinary cultures,
-A lack of communication at the dinner table, growing vegetables, cooking food, etc.
Revised issues in the Energy & Environment area:
-A desperate need for accelerating decarbonization in the energy supply side,