A special program titled "Enterprise Action Meeting," which focuses on the "practical implementation" of open innovation, was held at Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB). The program brought together representatives from leading large corporations to discuss the real-world challenges and future prospects of co-creation.

Overview

This session was held for corporate representatives interested in open innovation, featuring four companies: Shimizu Corporation, Google, Sony Group, and Yamato Holdings.The event consisted of two parts: a panel discussion where speakers shared not only success stories but also real-world failures and the latest trends, followed by group discussions where participants delved deeper into specific themes. According to the survey results, the satisfaction rate—combining “very satisfied” and “satisfied”—reached approximately 90%, indicating that the content fully met participants’ expectations.

1. Panel Discussion: The Reality and Future of Startup Collaboration

[Theme] The Beginnings of Open Innovation and Real-Life Experiences of Success and Failure in Collaboration

With Masayuki Tadokoro, CEO of Unicorn Farm, serving as moderator, four leading figures took the stage.

・Daisuke Kato (Shimizu Corporation, NOVARE Venture Business Unit, Business Creation Group, Group Conductor)

・Shino Tsuchiya (Google LLC, Head of Google for Startups Japan)

・Yuji Miyazaki (General Manager, Acceleration Service Division, Business Acceleration and Collaboration Department, Sony Group Corporation)

・Kenji Mori (Manager, Innovation Promotion Division, Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd.)

During the session, in response to the fundamental question of “Where does open innovation begin?”, participants shared insights unique to practitioners—such as how to overcome barriers in organizational culture and how to transform failures into future assets. They also discussed the need to establish a common language with startups, the necessity of creating systems that enable the organization to act collectively rather than relying on individual efforts, and the importance of cultivating a mindset that turns failures into assets.

Many participants reported that the phrase “Just take action—it’s okay to fail” gave them the push they needed, while others commented, “It was great to hear about the real challenges and initiatives of the four speakers,” and “Each speaker had their own unique perspective, which made it easy to apply their insights to our own company.”

2. Group Discussion: Deepening Co-creation by Theme

Participants were divided into six groups based on different themes and held discussions led by expert facilitators.

[Discussion Topic]

1. Managing Internal Communities and Driving Cultural Change

2. Strategic Use of CVC

3. A New Collaboration Model Seen in the Swing-by IPO

4. The Process of Co-Creating Business with Startups

5. The Cutting Edge of Industry-Academia Collaboration and Its Challenges

6. Business Transformation Through M&A

Within each group, there was a lively exchange of views across company boundaries on topics of high interest, such as “how to proceed with internal coordination” and “building concrete collaboration models.”

3. Networking

To wrap up the program, a networking session was held at Square2 on the first floor of TIB. Over light refreshments, participants could be seen engaging in concrete discussions throughout the venue—discussing how to apply what they had learned in the sessions to their own companies, or exploring potential avenues for collaboration between firms.

In the survey, many participants commented that "hearing about other companies’ failures was extremely helpful" and that "connecting with colleagues facing the same challenges was the biggest takeaway."