#Japan #Digital Transformation #SCIEN #Onomichi #Tsunagu-Wa

SCIEN and Tsunagu-Wa Collaborate for AI-Enhanced Local Economy in Onomichi

In a groundbreaking initiative, SCIEN, a Tokyo University startup, and Tsunagu-Wa, an LLC based in Onomichi, have established a comprehensive partnership aimed at driving digital transformation (DX) and AI implementation in local businesses facing challenges like labor shortages and productivity enhancement. This collaboration signals a significant shift in how regional industries, such as maritime, wholesale, manufacturing, and agriculture, will leverage technology to unlock new value and bolster competitiveness.

Key Points of the Partnership

The partnership focuses on merging diverse networking capabilities from both the private sector and academia to deploy cutting-edge AI solutions across Onomichi's main industries. By combining data utilization and AI, they aim to generate innovative outcomes that resonate at the grassroots level.

1. Establishment of Comprehensive Governance: A joint steering committee will oversee strategy development, priority setting, and KPI monitoring to ensure effective project execution.
2. Ground-Up Implementation Approach: Starting with demonstrations and user interfaces from the initial stages, the partnership will expedite consensus building and learning, with specific use cases to be revealed later.
3. Human Resource and Knowledge Integration: The combination of Tsunagu-Wa's local engagement and SCIEN's project design expertise will serve as a nexus for developing next-generation systems.
4. Shared Data Governance Framework: The two entities will collaboratively establish common standards for data handling, including NDAs, access controls, and audit logs.
5. Reproducible Regional Models: They will consolidate insights from Onomichi's implementations to facilitate broad dissemination and replication nationwide.

Background and Objectives

The partnership emerges from pressing realities, including the digital divide between Tokyo and rural areas, labor shortages resulting from population decline, and the need for local enterprises to enhance their competitive edge. The goals are to improve the quality of life for citizens in Onomichi City, which has a population of approximately 128,500, and to create tangible examples of AI technology being effectively integrated into society.

Partnership Highlights

• - Joint Governance Framework: A hybrid committee will manage strategic direction and performance metrics to drive accountability and transparency.
• - On-Site Implementation Process: The deployment will follow a phased approach: by presenting demos/interface designs, conducting necessary validations, and ensuring operational improvements are built into the final stages.
• - Talent Development and Retention: Efforts will include briefings for leadership, hands-on sessions for operations teams, and the establishment of cross-regional learning communities.
• - Collaboration and Outreach: Collaborative channels will be created to connect with local authorities and educational institutions for shared resources, event hosting, and annual reporting.

Forward Movement and Communication

To foster swift decision-making and execution, dedicated channels such as Slack will be utilized for real-time collaboration. Sensitive information will be gradually disseminated under NDA agreements, and project frameworks will be flexibly designed based on specific project traits, ensuring all agreements regarding intellectual property and deliverables are clearly defined.

Expected Outcomes

This partnership aims to broaden the scope of digital utilization among local businesses and enhance their competitive positioning. Furthermore, advancing citizen services will lead to improved quality of life in the community. By establishing a replicable DX/AI model emerging from local successes, it paves the way for national dissemination of these innovative practices.

Comments from the Leaders

Kameda Toshiyasu, the representative of Tsunagu-Wa, emphasized that the pressing issue of labor shortages, stemming from population decline, necessitates immediate action. He noted that as businesses adapt to this new reality, implementing DX and AI becomes crucial in compensating for workforce reductions. He envisions a partnership that is attuned to the local context, driven by collaboration with relevant stakeholders to methodically progress.

SCIEN's CEO, Tabata Sora, articulated their commitment to leveraging Tokyo University’s research prowess alongside practical implementation in the field. This partnership is framed as a step towards providing local businesses with targeted solutions addressing their unique staffing and productivity challenges.

About SCIEN

Founded on February 2, 2024, SCIEN aims to enhance lives through science by delivering not merely technologies but socially valuable insights and solutions. Their focus on the manufacturing sector involves creating innovative inspection systems and automation solutions, emphasizing a phased implementation strategy to drive meaningful change.

For more information, visit SCIEN's website or reach out via their contact page.