The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims to make use of the flexible ideas and technical skills of technical colleges in solving social issues in developing countries, and also to use the field of international cooperation as a place for Japanese youth education. , "JICA-Technical Innovation Platform" will be established.
As a first step, on October 5th, in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, a collaboration was established between Nagaoka National College of Technology (Nagaoka National College of Technology) and NPO Nagaoka Industrial Revitalization Association NAZE. An agreement was signed (* 1). Nagaoka National College of Technology is the first school participating in the platform.
A variety of industry, government, and academia actors such as technical colleges, Japanese companies, start-up companies in developing countries, government agencies, and NPOs collaborate on the platform, and try to solve the social development issues in developing countries. Promote open innovation.
Specifically, Japanese technical colleges, etc. respond to development issues in developing countries by proposing solutions and producing prototypes (prototypes), working with local companies to improve prototypes, etc. It is planned to go.
In the future, it is expected that a technical memorandum, business corporations, administrative corporations, etc. that agree with this purpose will conclude a memorandum with JICA, and industry, government and academia will cooperate to accelerate the development of developing countries with new ideas.
* 1 As part of the initiative ahead of this matter, JICA will conduct an open innovation information collection / confirmation survey on disruptive digital technologies in Africa (February 2019 to November 2019). Held KOSEN Open Innovation Challenge until July. Prototypes (eg, water meters) for students from 6 technical colleges in Nagaoka, Kitakyushu, Sasebo, Ube, Miyakonojo, and Ariake to solve problems in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Rwanda Manufactured devices that can be used at low cost and apps that measure the sugar content of coffee beans, etc.) and conducted field trials.
Source: Japan International Cooperation Agency
