Solving social issues with cutting-edge technology.
What New Innovations Are Needed in Smart Cities as Seen in the Survey?
As corporate efforts to solve social issues, such as decarbonization and the SDGs, are becoming more and more popular, we often hear keywords such as "ethical" and "sustainable" that encourage socially meaningful actions in our daily lives. With the progress of globalization and digitalization, social issues and the needs of residents have become more complex and diverse, and solving social issues is no longer just a matter for the public or large corporations. The creation of innovation through co-creation that transcends the boundaries of organizations such as startups, universities, and local organizations, and the formation of an ecosystem for sustainable growth are becoming increasingly important.
At Fukuoka Smart East, we have been conducting demonstrative experiments in which the public and private sectors work together to create a new city that can solve a variety of social issues with cutting-edge technology, and we have been verifying these experiments in order to realize the development of a model smart city. One of the most important things we need to focus on is the voice of the citizens. This time, we would like to introduce the results of a survey conducted at the pop-up store "b8ta" exhibited by the FUKUOKA Smart EAST Promotion Consortium to find out in which areas citizens in Fukuoka are interested in problem solving and innovation.
(Photo) Exhibition at IMS
What social issues do you want to solve with cutting-edge technology?
The survey was conducted at the "b8ta" pop-up stores held at three locations in Fukuoka City (Hakata Hankyu, MARK IS Fukuoka Momochi, and IMS) for visitors to the booths.
We asked them about their impressions of Fukuoka Smart East's efforts and the social issues they would like to solve with cutting-edge technology, and found out which social issues they were most interested in.
Citizens' expectations for "Mobility" and “Wellness"
The results of the survey show that people are most interested in solving social issues related to "Mobility," and Fukuoka Smart East has been involved in demonstrative experiments related to "Mobility" in the past, including automated buses and electric kickboards. As automated driving is implemented in society, it is expected that it will be used to solve the shortage of drivers for local public transportation businesses and as a means of transportation for elderly people who have surrendered their driver's licenses. The world's leading IT companies are investing in the development of self-driving vehicles, and a new market is about to emerge where "Mobility" is not just an activity to get to a destination, but also an effective use of travel time. The results of the questionnaire may also be influenced by the growing expectations for social implementation due to the attention being paid to the electric kickboard demonstration being conducted in Fukuoka City.
Following "Mobility," the field of "Wellness" was the next most popular area of interest. It seems that people are looking for advanced technologies to help them live an independent life for as long as possible in view of the growing health consciousness and the era where people live into their 100's.
(Photo) Test-ride of an automated bus with Gunma University
(Photo) Test-ride of an automated minibus with BOLDLY
"Smart East PoC Program" to allow many residents to experience advanced approaches to solving social issues
The Smart East PoC Program, organized by the FUKUOKA Smart EAST Promotion Consortium, provides local residents with the opportunity to experience cutting-edge technologies through a variety of demonstrative experiments in an effort to alleviate their sense of anxiety and promote their understanding of how innovation can be used to solve social issues.
The Smart East PoC Program, organized by the FUKUOKA Smart EAST Promotion Consortium, provides local residents with the opportunity to experience cutting-edge technologies through a variety of demonstrative experiments in an effort to alleviate their sense of anxiety and promote their understanding of how innovation can be used to solve social issues. We hope that as many people as possible will be able to experience the innovations that will create comfortable, high-quality lifestyles and urban spaces, and that will lead to the creation of FUKUOKA Smart EAST, a model city that we can be proud of in the future.
We will be accepting applications for demonstration experiments until the end of December 2021. We look forward to meeting players with strong aspirations, including those who want to take on the challenge of solving social issues. If you are interested, please apply for the "Smart East PoC program"!
Smart East PoC Program Application Guidelines (PDF)
FUKUOKA Smart EAST Promotion Consortium Office
info@fukuoka-dc.jpn.com