Regional Innovation Strategy Promotion Program Sapporo Health Innovation 'Smart-H'

Regional Innovation Strategy Promoting Regions

From Fiscal 2011, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology (MEXT), the Ministry Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) have jointly selected regions with excellent original visions toward the creation of regional innovations from a long-term perspective and designate them as “regional innovation strategy promoting region.” The external expert committee examines and is responsible for establishing regional innovation strategies and is proactively carrying out projects as either “regions focused on strengthening international competitiveness” or “regions focused on advancement of research function/industrial concentration” according to the potential of the individual regions.

Selected as a Region focused on Strengthening International Competitiveness

Hokkaido University Research & Business Park was selected as a region focused on strengthening international competitiveness in August 2011 with the reasons that HU R&BP possesses higher potentials such as internationally excellent university's technology seeds and concentration of businesses which attract people, goods and capital from overseas.

MEXT Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program

The Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program provides support for proactive and self-sustainable local activities, such as the formation intellectual assets and the development of human resources, in regions where MEXT’s assistance is expected to contribute largely to the realization of their strategies. Regions eligible for receiving support are selected from among the regional innovation strategy promoting regions. Each selected region can combine following programs to promote projects for generation of innovation. The details are as follows.