#Japan #AI Education #Sapporo #Hokkaido University #TripleEyes

TripleEyes Partners with Hokkaido University

In an exciting development for educational innovation, TripleEyes, a leading AI technology firm based in Minato, Tokyo, has officially entered a partnership with Hokkaido University as of October 2025. This collaboration aims to combat pressing issues in the education sector such as educational disparities and teacher shortages in Hokkaido through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) technologies.

Understanding the Challenges

Hokkaido faces significant educational challenges, driven by factors such as population decline and a decrease in birth rates, leading to school closures and class consolidations. These circumstances have effectively created classrooms with fewer students and a shortage of qualified teachers. This has resulted in a situation where children are increasingly receiving an inadequate education due to reliance on non-specialist instructors and the requirement for teachers to cover multiple roles across several schools.

The partnership between TripleEyes and Hokkaido University leverages the university's expertise in educational engineering and combines it with TripleEyes' cutting-edge technologies in AI, GPU cloud computing, and image recognition. By blending these resources, the objective is to establish a system that guarantees equal educational standards regardless of location.

Key Initiatives

The collaboration has outlined several strategic points aimed at transforming the educational landscape in Hokkaido:

1. Contribution to Hokkaido's Educational DX

• - Implementing virtual classrooms and AI tutors to reduce regional educational disparities
• - Utilizing automated grading and learning support features to alleviate teachers' workloads
• - Establishing a synergy between AI, education, and community, thereby enhancing both educational quality and regional vitality.

2. Building a Sustainable Education DX Model Through Industry-Academia Collaboration

• - Hokkaido will serve as a model case where educational engineering expertise meets corporate AI technologies
• - Developing a subscription-based educational DX platform designed for long-term use in educational settings
• - TripleEyes is focused on solidifying its knowledge in AI deployment within the education sector, expanding into new business areas addressing social challenges.

3. Education Development at the University

• - Conducting workshops like the “AI Integration Practical Course” and intensive lectures at Hokkaido University
• - Cultivating AI literacy and creative problem-solving skills through exploration-focused programming education using generative AI
• - Enhancing educational outcomes through collaboration with the Hokkaido Remote Learning Broadcasting Center (T-Base).

4. Cultivating DX Talent from the Region

• - Fostering locally rooted DX talent through educational practices that utilize AI and VR technologies
• - Creating a model that empowers next-generation talents from depopulated areas and remote islands, not just urban centers.

Future Perspectives

TripleEyes aims to expand this academic consulting partnership to include local governments and education boards across Hokkaido starting in FY2026. In the next three years, the objective is to implement this initiative in ten municipalities.

• - Equalization of Educational Opportunities: Ensuring that students from remote areas and islands receive equal quality education as their urban counterparts.
• - Reducing Teacher Workloads: Utilizing AI to streamline administrative responsibilities, thereby allowing teachers to focus on interactive and exploratory education.
• - Cultivating Local Talent: Developing DX talent grounded in regional needs, contributing to community development.

With this innovative approach, TripleEyes aspires to establish a sustainable educational DX model from Hokkaido that can potentially be replicated across various regions facing similar challenges.

Comments from the Partners

Professor Katsusuke Shigeta from Hokkaido University's Information Infrastructure Center stated, “To overcome Hokkaido’s educational challenges, the fusion of technology and educational engineering is essential. Through this initiative, we aim to create a learning environment that leaves no one behind, including those in remote areas and islands. We will also deepen our partnerships with local government and education institutions to cater to real-world needs.”

Yuuichirou Yamada, President of TripleEyes, remarked, “The issues facing Hokkaido are representative of cutting-edge educational challenges both in Japan and internationally. I’ve perceived an array of commendable initiatives already occurring in the field. Our goal is to utilize AI as a 'support technology for people' and evolve the very nature of learning through its implementation in educational settings. Moving forward, we will form an educational ecosystem involving municipalities, schools, and businesses, which can be replicated in other educational environments facing similar issues.”