Regional Partnerships with Local Companies and Universities/Governments

Uchida Yoko Co., Ltd. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President & C.E.O. Shinichi Mukai) renovated the Hokkaido Branch, in celebration of its 60th anniversary this year, to be the "place" for the realization of ubiquitous business, which is the core theme of its Mid-term Business Plan starting this year.

In the Hokkaido Branch, a collaborative creation space for regional partnerships, "U-cala", was officially opened on October 3. Equipped with open wireless LAN on all floors which include a Free Exhibition Hall equipped with a large multi-screen display for showing content as well as presentation systems mounted with RFID (wireless IC tags) technology, and complete with tools and a design that is the realization of an ubiquitous environment.

"U-cala" has been designed to support the revitalization of the local Sapporo area, where there is active coordination among industry, government and academia in the IT segment, providing a "place" for collaborative creation work on joint research as well as to develop content and designs with citizens, industry, government and IT ventures in a wide network ranging from joint research with universities and public offices linked directly to corporations and businesses to community-based student participation projects.

In addition, the materials in the "U-cala" interior utilize local resources such as Sapporo's freestone and Biei's Japanese larch trees, supporting not only the revitalization of the local industry, but also providing environmental education for children about recycling and local production-local consumption. Specifically, the objective is to undertake joint research on a wide range of subjects from office design to the creation of ubiquitous spaces to education, utilizing "U-cala" as a "place" for local "power" to concentrate and grow.

We actively pursue contributions by local residents by providing a free space and a digital media gallery (exhibition space) to present the works of designers, creators, students and school officials living in Sapporo, as well as by preparing meeting rooms and seminar event spaces with ubiquitous devices that can be freely visited and used by interested parties.