Activity Report
Seminar on How to Promote Effective Reskilling―Aiming for Platinum Career Development (January 12th)
ICF has long advocated the need for platinum career professionals with the following three characteristics: a long-term perspective, the independent desire to learn , and the skills to resolve societal issues. Nowadays, reskilling is said to be necessary for companies to achieve sustainable development. However, it is ultimately the employees who have to do the reskilling, and it is understandably hard to learn new things. In order to overcome these difficulties, companies need to develop people who can and want to learn using a long-term perspective and by considering the current societal situation. In other words, to develop platinum career professionals.
This seminar was held to offer tips on how to increase the effectiveness of reskilling. The seminar started with a lecture on the current status and future direction of human resource development policy by Yoshiteru Uno, a Counselor to the Director-General for Human Resources Development of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Muneaki Goto, the Representative Director of the Japan Reskilling Initiative, then gave a lecture on the necessity for reskilling and the seven actions needed to promote it. Following this, the Platinum Career Award secretariat presented the analysis of the current status of reskilling from the perspective of companies and employees and mentioned the need for platinum careers. About 100 people attended the seminar in person and online. The secretariat thanks all those who participated.
Applications for the Fifth Platinum Career Award are now open. The secretariat is looking forward to applications from many companies.
Release of Entrepreneurial Stories of Impactful ICF Members (#25)
In order to tackle societal issues through business, entrepreneurs must have excellent interpersonal skills and strong organizational capabilities. What do they think and how are they trying to achieve the world they want? The ICF has published a series of articles that sheds light on the personalities of entrepreneurs who are striving to resolve societal issues. The goal of these articles is to share with readers the philosophies of and the issues being tackled by these business founders, which in turn should lead to accelerated social breakthroughs in the future. The list of Japanese articles is here. 25 articles have been released, including the new article on Be-conn Inc., “Protect the Richness of the Sea from Climate Change.”
English versions of the articles have also been released. The list of English articles is here. Please take a look!
Release of Overseas Startup Trends
Interesting overseas startups are being showcased on the ICF website. This series will cover various overseas startups working to resolve societal issues, focusing mainly on societal issues in the six areas (Wellness, Water & Food, Energy & Environment, Mobility, Disaster Prevention & Infrastructure, and Education & Human Resource Development). Four articles have been released on the topics of alternative meat, blockchain, addiction treatment, and art promotion. Please take a look!
=> The list of articles is here.
Future Co-Creation Projects (FCPs) on Priority Themes Have Begun
The ICF has started its Future Co-creation Projects (FCPs), focusing on its three priority themes: Wellness, Dietary Innovation, and Climate Change Measures.
Note: An FCP is a project to clarify and establish themes for societal issues that need to be resolved and to create a societal impact through regular workshop activities.
（https://icf.mri.co.jp/activities/activities-360/)
１．Wellness
The fourth round was held on January 19. Participants discussed the following two themes, continuing from the previous round: (1) offering health programs that naturally encourage behavior change and (2) business ideas utilizing social health, which is an indicator consisting of criteria such as the status of health behaviors and contribution activities, the willingness to engage in these behaviors and activities, and the maintenance of mental health.
The fifth round will be held on Wednesday, February 22 to summarize this fiscal year’s discussions. Details will be announced later.
２．Dietary Innovation
The fourth round was held on January 18. Masayoshi Nemoto of ESCARE, Inc. gave a talk titled “Creating a Society Where Everyone Can Stay Healthy Even Without Being Health-Conscious”. He presented on a wide range of topics, from basic knowledge on salt to the Environment, Society, and Governance (ESG) and the future of standard diets. This was followed by a Q&A session. Participants were then divided into the following three thematic groups for discussion:
1. Food & drink personalization and recommendation system (apps/3D food printing/cutlery/bathrooms/smart mirrors)
2. Realization of Shared Dining (apartments/supermarkets/preschools/community centers/remote dining)
3. Dining table chatbot (food education/communication/menu proposal/salt reduction) The fifth (final) round will be held on Thursday, February 16. Details will be announced later
３．Climate Change Measures
The fourth round was held on December 19. Participants were divided into groups and discussed the viability of the business hypotheses identified in the third round, from the perspectives of importance of issues, availability of solutions, and monetization. After the end of the fourth round, the ICF Secretariat led a consumer survey as part of test marketing using the Market Intelligence & Forecast system (mif) to verify and refine the business hypotheses based on the results.
The fifth round was held on Wednesday, January 25, where the agenda included the presentation of the previously discussed business hypotheses and a discussion on them among all participants, followed by a brief social gathering. The findings based on the results of the five rounds will be shared later in the form of an Insight Report.
Upcoming Activities (February – March)
DEMODAY to Held (March 10th)
ICF has worked to create a collective impact by co-creating and implementing solutions to societal issues in society through multi-stakeholder open innovation. As part of this effort, MRI DEMODAY 2023 will be held to showcase the achievements ICF has built up to-date to all members of the start-up ecosystem. These achievements include co-creation projects with the finalists of the BAP, which has been held eight times now, and startup collaboration and co-creation efforts involving MRI. Your participation would be highly appreciated.
■Date: 2 pm – 6:30 pm on Friday, March 10, 2023 (including a networking session)
■ Venue: Otemachi Mitsui Hall (hybrid format with online webinar)
■ Organizers: Mitsubishi Research Institute and Initiative for Co-creating the Future (ICF)
■ Attendance fee: Free (First 200 in-person participants can be accommodated)
■ Intended participants include:
– People involved in businesses to resolve societal issues
– Startups
– Business companies involved in open innovation
– Local governments, public offices, universities, etc. involved in activities such as new businesses, open innovation, and industry-government-academia collaboration
– People involved in startup support activities
■ Details
– Keynote speech: Trends in innovation ecosystems in Japan and overseas (tentative title)
Shigeo Kagami; Professor, Department of Technology Management for Innovation,
School of Engineering, University of Tokyo; Chairperson, Japan Academic Society for Ventures and Entrepreneurs; and ICF Advisor
– Introduction of MRI’s collaboration and co-creation activities with startups
– Introduction of ICF/BAP co-creation activities with startups
Scheduled speakers: BAP 2022 finalists
Anzaikantetsu Co., Ltd., New Ordinary K.K., ninpath Inc., Study Valley Inc., Tailor Works Inc.,
UNTRACKED LLC, and UPWARD, Inc. (listed in alphabetical order)
– Panel discussion: Resolving societal issues in an innovation ecosystem (tentative title)
Yoshiaki Ishii, Director, Startup and New Business Promotion Office, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Masaru Nagura, General Manager, CIC Japan G.K.
Shigeo Kagami (Job titles are as noted above)
Other startup stakeholders are being organized
– In-person networking session
Renewal of Membership
ICF’s FY 2023 activities will begin in April 2023.
Membership is automatically renewed (see note below), so no additional procedures are required.
If you wish to change your membership category (e.g., from General Member to Co-Creating Member), or if you do not wish to continue your membership due to various reasons, please contact the ICF Secretariat (icf-inq@ml.mri.co.jp) by Tuesday, February 28.
If there is no contact from you by the deadline, the Secretariat will assume that you desire to continue participating in ICF in your current membership category.
Note: Article 16, Membership Period, of the Rules for Participation in the Initiative for Co-creating the Future
https://incf.smktg.jp/static/upload/incf.smktg.jp/seminar/379/shared/pdf/icf_kaisoku.pdf