OSAKA’S PRIORITY INDUSTRIES

There are seven industries that the City of Osaka considers as priority fields:

Information and Telecommunications

• Manufacture and wholesale of IT devices, imaging devices, electronic components, etc.
• Information processing and provision services, etc.
• Communications, broadcasting, and information creation (film, video, etc.)

Robot Technology

• Manufacture and wholesale of robot products
• Software for robot control or perception
• All types of robot-mediated services (at-home nursing care, information provision, security systems, etc.)

Medical and Welfare

• Manufacture and wholesale of equipment for medical care, welfare, health-related, etc.
• Manufacture and wholesale of pharmaceuticals, functional health foods, etc.
• At-home medical care and nursing care services (at-home medical care services are limited to those covered by nursing care insurance)

Biotechnology and Nanotechnology

• Manufacture and wholesale of products applying biotechnology or nanotechnology (pharmaceuticals, foods, fibers, raw materials for chemical products, sensors, precision instruments, etc.)
• Communications, broadcasting, and information creation (film, video, etc.)

Environment

• Manufacture and wholesale of environmental devices and equipment (pollution prevention, environmental preservation, recycling, equipment for environmental measurement and analysis, etc.)
• Manufacture and wholesale of environmentally conscious products (Eco Mark products, etc.)
• Manufacture and wholesale of energy-saving devices and equipment using new energy sources

Lifestyle and Culture

• Design (commercial, industrial, clothing, interior, etc.)
• Fashion (including manufacture and wholesale of clothing, furniture, etc., but excluding industrial-use items and contract manufacturing of other companies' products)
• Cultural facilities (galleries, museums, etc.)

Human Resources

• Universities and natural science research institutions
• Private staff placement and supply of temporary labor
• Specialist services for business premises (accountancy offices, design, product inspection, market research, etc.)

OSAKA’S THREE MAJOR FOCUS INDUSTRIES

Of the above seven priority fields are three major focus industries for the City of Osaka that include Information and Telecommunications, Robot Technology, Medical and Welfare as well as Biotechnology and Nanotechnology.

Osaka ICT

The information and communication technology (ICT) industry is not restricted to the field of business solutions: it is an extremely wide-ranging industry that is now closely interwoven with the fabric of our daily lives through Internet communications, digital home appliances, the development of mobile phone software and so on. As a next-generation core industry on par with robotics and biotechnology, its prospects are increasingly exciting.

The City of Osaka's efforts to promote ICT and ubiquitous-networking enterprises are part of the Osaka City Urban Revitalization Program aimed at revitalizing Osaka's economy and creating an urban renaissance. The municipal government is conducting an initiative aimed at realizing its vision of Osaka as a ubiquitously networked city where information is accessible anytime, anywhere, to anybody. With our high concentration of related enterprises and groups, along with educational institutions and human resources, we are creating an ideal business environment for everyone working at ICT enterprises and research institutions in Japan and overseas, and providing support for their expansion to Osaka.

Osaka Robotics

The size of the robot market, which encompasses the medical, welfare and daily living fields, is expected to reach US$7.7 billion (about 900 billion yen) by 2010 making Japan a highly lucrative and attractive market, with its state-of-the-art next-generation RT to foreign RT-related companies. (Based on data from the Japan Robot Association)
The Osaka Metropolitan area (KANSAI) is filled with robotics research centers and companies including Osaka University, ATR, Panasonic and others. Like Silicon Valley for business—Osaka will soon be known as the capital of the robotics world.

Wellness City Osaka

Following the changes in eating habits and the aging population, the number of people suffering from heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, etc., has been increasing in Japan.

In 2000, the Japanese government started its “Citizen’s Health Campaign for the 21st Century (Healthy Japan 21)”and proclaimed the “Health Promotion Act” as a link in the reform of the medical system, in order to actively promote improved health for citizens and disease prevention. Looking ahead to 2010, the year set to reach the targets of “Healthy Japan 21,”we are promoting environmental improvement at a feverish pace, with the expectation of significantly larger demand for related businesses in the future.