Amidst a severe shortage of primary industry workers, Shibetsu Town, Hokkaido launches a public recruitment program for engineers using robot technology to solve challenges

Shibetsu Town, Hokkaido (Mayor: Shogo Yamaguchi) will begin accepting applications for participating teams in the engineer recruitment program "Hokkaido Field Robotics Challenge" from early July 2026.

This program seeks engineers from across the country to tackle challenges using robot technology in response to the worsening shortage of workers in the primary industry. The town will provide development costs, travel expenses, accommodation, and demonstration fields to participating teams, allowing them to work on development while staying in Shibetsu Town.

Background: Structural Challenges Facing Primary Industry Sites

The number of forestry workers in Japan has been in long-term decline, shrinking to approximately 44,000 (2020)※1, with an aging rate of about 25%, significantly exceeding the average across all industries※2. In agriculture as well, the average age of core agricultural workers has reached about 68 years※3, making the shortage of workers and the need for labor-saving and automation in primary industries an urgent issue.

There are high expectations for labor-saving through robot technology and automation at primary industry sites. However, the locations where robots can be developed and tested in actual forests and farmlands are limited, and securing "fields where trials can be conducted on-site" is a major challenge for the social implementation of technology.

To confront this challenge, Shibetsu Town launched the "Tameseru Daichi Shibetsu Town" project in 2024, developing forest demonstration fields and a development building in the Sakimui district. They have been providing an environment where robot developers nationwide can test in the primary industry sites of Hokkaido.

This program, "Hokkaido Field Robotics Challenge," further promotes these efforts and is a new initiative to pursue the sustainability of the primary industry through robot technology while attracting engineer talent from outside the town. The challenge theme for the inaugural year will focus on issues in primary industry sites, primarily forestry, and anticipates the participation of engineers from a wide range of technical fields.

Name

Hokkaido Field Robotics Challenge

Organizer

Shibetsu Town

Support

Shibetsu Town Forest Association, Nakashibetsu Town Forest Association (in Japanese syllabic order)

Eligible Applicants

Software/Hardware Engineers (students from technical high schools, universities, and working professionals are all welcome)

Application Unit

Teams of 1 to 3 members (up to 5 teams, totaling a maximum of 10 people)

Challenge Theme

Related to issues at primary industry sites, primarily forestry (self-defined)

Implementation Period

September 1, 2026 - November 30, 2026 (on-site stay according to each team's preferred dates)

Application Deadline

July 26, 2026

Online Information Session

July 13, 2026, 7:00 PM - (Please register via the official webpage)

Official Webpage

https://tameseru-shibetsu.com/hfrc

Goals of This Program

Through this program, we aim to attract engineers to the town, promote the social implementation of robot technology in primary industry sites starting from Shibetsu Town, and build a sustainable primary industry.

We await applications from engineers nationwide who wish to take on the challenge together towards the vision of "Creating a primary industry that will last for 100 years with robots." For program details and application forms, please visit the official webpage below.

https://tameseru-shibetsu.com/hfrc

About Tameseru Daichi Shibetsu Town

Shibetsu Town launched "Tameseru Daichi Shibetsu Town" in 2024 with the mission to "connect the town to the future" by building a sustainable industrial model while confronting challenges such as population decline and aging. Through the operation of the outdoor robotics development base "Shibetsu Frontier 100" and the acceptance of demonstration tests from private companies and research institutions, we aim to "create a primary industry that will last for 100 years with robots."

Operation: Shibetsu Town Planning and Policy Division / Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division Tameseru Daichi Shibetsu Town Management Secretariat

Address: 1-1-3 Kita 2-jo Nishi, Shibetsu-cho, Shibetsu-gun, Hokkaido 086-1632

Official Website: https://tameseru-shibetsu.com/

About Shibetsu Town

Shibetsu Town is located at the base of the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido, surrounded by majestic seas and mountains. It is a town that has developed centered around dairy farming and fishing, and is a member of the "Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Japan." It possesses a rich natural environment with vast forests and pastures.

Address: 1-1-3 Kita 2-jo Nishi, Shibetsu-cho, Shibetsu-gun, Hokkaido 086-1632 Mayor: Shogo Yamaguchi Population: Approximately 4,650 (as of June 2026) Official Website: https://www.shibetsutown.jp/

Sources

※1, 2 Forestry Agency "White Paper on Forests and Forestry FY2025" Chapter II, Appendix II-13

https://www.rinya.maff.go.jp/j/kikaku/hakusyo/r7hakusyo/index.html

※3 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "2025 Census of Agriculture and Forestry" Preliminary figures (final report) Volume 1, p.9 Table 8

https://www.maff.go.jp/j/tokei/census/afc/2025/index.html

Inquiries regarding this matter

Shibetsu Town Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division / Planning and Policy Division Tameseru Daichi Shibetsu Town Management Secretariat

Email: [email protected]