From PoC to Implementation: Building on the Legacy of Keihanna Expo 2025

At Keihanna Expo 2025, ATR led the Startup Subcommittee and launched the KPoC (Keihanna Expo Global PoC Challenge), leveraging its global innovation network of 1,470 institutions across 49 countries, built through international partnerships. With startups from Japan, Canada, and Taiwan, KPoC conducted six PoCs addressing social challenges such as regional development, aging, healthcare, and the environment. These initiatives demonstrated Keihanna’s unique strengths in R&D infrastructure, resident-participatory PoC, and international collaboration, particularly its ability to validate social acceptance through co-creation with local residents and communities.

Building on these achievements, Keihanna has positioned itself as a “Post-Expo City” under its FY2026 Phase 5 Stage Plan, with the vision of becoming a Future City, Human Capital Development City, and Co-Creation City. With the support of Kyoto Prefecture, ATR will continue KPoC as a co-creation platform for addressing social and global challenges, while working with diverse companies to provide an environment where social acceptance and business viability can be validated at an early stage. Through these efforts, ATR will accelerate Keihanna’s evolution from a “PoC City” to an “Implementation City.”

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in society, competitiveness will depend not only on technological excellence, but also on the ability to build social acceptance and translate innovation into real-world implementation through co-creation with residents and users in such sectors as robotics, mobility and foodtech. ATR therefore aims to combine Keihanna’s real-world, resident-participatory co-creation environment with AI-enabled digital networks, creating a global co-creation and PoC hub connecting residents, companies, universities, startups, local governments, and innovation support organizations with the world. Through this initiative, ATR aims to help establish Keihanna as a global innovation city that contributes to solving social challenges and creating new value worldwide.