Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in co-operation with Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has compiled a prospectus addressing to the Japanese Government to enable multiple local governments to run as one joint candidate for the selection of “Startup Ecosystem Base Cities,” a national scheme that will focus on helping a few chosen cities in Japan attract entrepreneurs and investors. The three neighboring cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe, as one metropolis known as the Keihanshin area, aim at creating one startup base city.

Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe are major cities within the Kansai Economic Zone and have common strengths in the manufacturing and life sciences sectors; all are easily accessible from the central point of Osaka Umeda Station. As a merchant city, Osaka has produced a number of famous industrialists and includes the headquarters and branches of many major corporations. Kyoto, as a city of universities with a wealth of Japanese cultural heritage, attracts a number of very talented people from within and outside Japan, and enjoys innovation via collaboration between its industries and academia. Kobe has a rich natural environment and a sophisticated townscape and has demonstrated a proactive attitude in supporting startups via its town hall, the Kobe City Office. These three distinctive cities have collaborated to create a world-class ecosystem for startups.

Details remain in the planning stage, and the current concept requires each local authority to form its own base for startups. The proposal outlined above points out that Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, collectively known as the Keihanshin metropolis, have each commenced mutual collaboration aiming at the International Exposition Expo 2025 (Osaka Kansai Expo). The Keihanshin area appealed for selection as one startup ecosystem base for the success of the Expo.

「スタートアップ拠点都市」へ要望

大阪商工会議所は15日、京都商工会議所と神戸商工会議所と連携し、国の施策で起業家や投資家を集中的に呼び込む「スタートアップ・エコシステム拠点都市」に、複数の自治体が共同で立候補できるよう求める要望書をまとめた。京阪神一体で拠点都市の形成をめざす。

大阪・京都・神戸は関西経済圏の主要都市として、ものづくりやライフサイエンス分野に共通した強みを持ち、大阪・梅田駅を中心に大変アクセスしやすい位置関係にある。商人の町として有名企業家を数多く輩出し、現在も多くの大企業やスタートアップが本社・支社を構える大阪。日本の伝統が息づく大学都市として国内外から優秀な人材を惹きつけ、産学連携によるイノベーションも活発な京都。自然豊かで洗練された町並みと、近年の神戸市役所を中心としたスタートアップ支援の先進性で知られる神戸。個性豊かな３都市が、世界トップクラスのスタートアップエコシステム形成をめざして連携した形だ。

同施策は制度設計中で、現状では自治体単位で拠点都市を形成する想定だ。要望書は「2025年の国際博覧会（大阪・関西万博）に向け、京阪神が様々な連携の強化を始めている」などと指摘。万博成功のためにも京阪神がエリアとして拠点に選定されるよう訴えた。