NEWS

On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, Professor Masanori FUJITA of the College of International Management hosted a symposium on the theme “Success Factors of Innovation Ecosystems: Connecting Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Kyushu.” The event welcomed seven distinguished experts from Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Kyushu., who examined the challenges and success factors of Kyushu’s startup ecosystem from a variety of perspectives, including political systems and socio-cultural contexts. Approximately 50 participants from industry, government, academia, and the student community gathered to listen and engage in discussion.

In his opening remarks, Professor Fujita highlighted a critical issue: although Kyushu’s semiconductor industry has recently thrived, fueled in part by TSMC’s entry into Kumamoto, its innovation ecosystem—namely the startup ecosystem—remains much smaller in scale compared to Silicon Valley and Tokyo. He supported his observations with data-driven analysis.

The symposium began with a keynote lecture by Dr. Tomohiro Hoshi, Head of Stanford Online High School, who reviewed the historical development of Silicon Valley and how its startup ecosystem took shape over time.
This was followed by expert talks presenting the current state of startup ecosystems in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Kyushu:

Silicon Valley

Eijiro TSUKADA, Co-founder & CEO, World Matcha Inc.
Yoshiaki TAMURA, Product Manager, Google Inc.

Tokyo Metropolitan Area

Professor Takaaki HODA, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University
Yuichiro YOSHINARI, General Manager, Digital Business Department, Mitsubishi Corporation

Kyushu

Professor Hitoshi TAKATA, Director, QREC, Kyushu University
Yasuhisa YAMAGUCHI, President & CEO, Inter-University Ventures

A lively panel discussion followed, where both the speakers and the participants actively contributed ideas on how to invigorate Kyushu’s startup ecosystem, generating an energetic exchange throughout the venue.

The symposium concluded with a video message from APU President Hiroshi Yoneyama. President Yoneyama expressed his commitment to supporting the global expansion of regional industries, including those in Kyushu, through APU’s network of 10,000 global alumni. He also introduced APU’s initiatives, such as the comprehensive partnership agreement with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan to foster human resources in the high-tech sector, and curricular programs where APU students visit and study semiconductor-related companies. He emphasized the university’s strong focus on cultivating internationally minded management talent capable of contributing to the semiconductor industry.

This symposium, led by Professor Fujita, is being held for the fourth time since its launch two years ago. Professor Fujita views the symposium as one of the starting points for shaping Japan’s innovation ecosystem, nurturing startups to lead this effort, and creating a lasting impact on society.