[Okayama University] Okayama Digital Innovation Creation Platform (OI-Start) Selected for METI's 'Regional DX Promotion Lab' - Accelerating DX in the Okayama Region through Industry-Academia-Government-Finance Collaboration

The 'Okayama Digital Innovation Creation Platform (OI-Start),' for which Okayama University (President: Tomonari Nasu) serves as the secretariat, has been selected as a 'Regional DX Promotion Lab' by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). The 'Regional DX Promotion Lab' is a program that supports initiatives aimed at solving regional issues and developing local economies by utilizing advanced technologies such as IoT and AI. Initiatives where diverse organizations, including local public institutions, universities, and companies, collaborate to improve regional economic development and well-being are selected as 'Labs.' In this selection, OI-Start was highly evaluated for being a robust industry-academia-government-finance platform with approximately 180 participating organizations. Its ability to provide integrated support from DX vision formulation to verification and commercialization, in collaboration with 'DX Sunrise Okayama,' was a key factor. The participation of numerous educational and research institutions and local governments is also a major strength of OI-Start, raising high expectations for regional innovation through its network. Selected labs will be granted the right to use the 'Regional DX Promotion Lab' mark and will receive multifaceted support, including promotional assistance on the portal site, dispatch of mentors, and opportunities for exchange with other regions. OI-Start will continue to leverage its strong network to engage in practical DX promotion, aiming to solve regional issues through digital technology and achieve sustainable regional economic development.