Circu Receives Commission for Hokkaido METI's 'Survey and Analysis on Supporting Talent Acquisition for Regional SMEs'

Circu Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yu Fukuda; hereinafter "Circu"), which operates a pro-sharing business that shares the experience and expertise of over 30,000 professionals across multiple companies to solve management challenges, has been commissioned by the Hokkaido Economic Industry Bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to conduct the 'FY2026 Hokkaido METI Regional SME Talent Acquisition Support and Related Survey and Analysis (Category B)' (hereinafter "this project"). Under this project, Circu will provide hands-on support using professional talent to approximately three food manufacturing SMEs in Hokkaido, working to develop productivity improvement action plans and create self-sustaining models, thereby contributing to the sustainable growth of Hokkaido's food manufacturing industry—a key sector of the regional economy.

The 'Practical Barriers' in Food Manufacturing Hindering Regional Productivity

According to the 'Initiatives for Enhancing Productivity in Hokkaido's Food Manufacturing Industry' published by the Hokkaido Economic Industry Bureau, Hokkaido's food manufacturing sector accounts for over 40% of the region's manufacturing industry, making it a core industry. While labor productivity across all industries has improved over the past decade both nationally and in Hokkaido, the labor productivity of Hokkaido's food manufacturing industry—where employee ratios are high—has remained nearly stagnant, and the sector faces severe labor shortages. Although the need for automation and labor-saving measures is widely recognized, the absence of core personnel within companies who can oversee entire operational processes and define requirements—such as 'what to automate, which processes, and to what standard'—is hindering progress.

Even though elemental technologies and individual implementation cases exist, optimal adoption at the operational level and horizontal expansion to other companies and processes are not advancing, creating structural challenges that prevent widespread industry adoption. Circu addresses this issue by leveraging the expertise of external professional talent to support companies in articulating their own challenges and building systems capable of implementing solutions.

※ Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hokkaido Economic Industry Bureau: Initiatives for Enhancing Productivity in Hokkaido's Food Manufacturing Industry

Supporting Internalization of Expertise Through Professional Talent Accompaniment

In this project, Circu will provide support in three stages: (1) seminar implementation, (2) requirement definition through individual consultation sessions, and (3) hands-on support by professional talent (for approximately three companies).

Seminars will be held in Sapporo City to introduce the significance and benefits of collaborating with professional talent, as well as specific case studies, aiming to reduce psychological barriers to external talent utilization and enhance companies' ability to identify and articulate their challenges.

Following this, Circu will dispatch professional talent best suited to each company's challenges to conduct practical activities, including current situation assessments, discussions on specific productivity improvement measures, and strategic planning for mid-to-long-term talent development and acquisition necessary to sustainably advance productivity improvements.

Comment from Yu Fukuda, CEO of Circu Co., Ltd.

Hokkaido's food manufacturing industry is not only a core sector supporting Japan's food supply but also a frontline where challenges such as labor shortages and stagnant productivity—faced by regional SMEs nationwide—are most acutely evident.

By bringing the employment-independent option of 'pro-sharing' to local businesses, we aim to take full responsibility for accompanying companies that have been seeking ways to initiate change, enabling them to articulate their challenges in their own words and drive transformation through their own efforts.

This project is not intended as a one-off initiative. We view it as an effort to establish a sustainable model within Hokkaido—through collaboration with Hokkaido METI, financial institutions, and support organizations—where companies can continue leveraging external expertise even after the formal support period ends. Circu will contribute to the sustainable growth of Hokkaido's regional economy and, ultimately, that of Japan's regional economies nationwide through this initiative.

Toward Sustainable Regional Economic Growth Through Localized Self-Sustaining Models

The knowledge and insights gained through this project will be compiled into 'support case reports' and widely disseminated throughout Hokkaido.

Circu will contribute to revitalizing regional industries by collaborating with professional talent to address challenges that cannot be solved by regions alone through pro-sharing.

Inquiries Regarding This Project

・Circu Co., Ltd.

Contact: Hosono (Hokkaido Branch), Okada and Takahashi (Public Team)

Email: [email protected]

Address: Circu Building ForPro, 3-21-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001

Phone: 03-6256-0467

※ Please mention 'Survey and Analysis on Supporting Talent Acquisition for Regional SMEs' when inquiring.

【Company Overview】

Company Name: Circu Co., Ltd.

Official Website: https://circu.co.jp/

Representative: CEO Yu Fukuda

Founded: January 6, 2014

Headquarters: Circu Building ForPro, 3-21-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Under the vision of 'Creating a Society Where Experience and Expertise Circulate Worldwide,' Circu operates a pro-sharing business that enables multiple companies to utilize the experience and expertise of external professional talent. By offering access to highly specialized professionals on a project basis rather than through employment, we support companies in solving their challenges and achieving their missions.

From a pool of 33,999 professional talents, we select the most suitable experts based on each company's management challenges, industry, growth stage, corporate culture, and management philosophy, forming project teams to solve specific issues. Our registered professionals, aged from their 20s to 70s, undergo interviews and are assessed through our proprietary talent evaluation system, accumulating accurate evaluations and insights on their skills, experience, motivations, and character. Since its founding in 2014, Circu has supported 6,069 companies across 24,772 projects (as of January 2026).

【Press Inquiries】

Circu Co., Ltd. Public Relations

TEL: 03-6256-0467

FAX: 03-6256-0476

Email: [email protected]