URBAN INNOVATION INSTITUTE

What URBAN INNOVATION INSTITUTE does

Urban Innovation Institute (公益財団法人都市活力研究所, UII) is a Japanese public interest incorporated foundation headquartered at Grand Front Osaka Knowledge Capital Tower C in Osaka, Japan. Founded in April 1989 as the Senri International Information Business Foundation and rebranded in 2009, UII transitioned to its current public interest foundation status in April 2011 under oversight of the Governor of Osaka Prefecture. The organization operates three program pillars: life sciences entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystem development, and urban revitalization. Its portfolio includes the Life Sciences Entrepreneur Training Program (now in its 15th consecutive year), the Hack Osaka international innovation conference (annual since 2013), the Next-Generation Modality Seminar series on advanced therapeutics (nuclear medicine, mRNA, nucleic acid drugs), the UII Urban DX Hands-on Course, the Kansai Life Sciences Leading Scientist Seminar, the Juso Cross community-building program (200+ participants, 7 teams in FY2025), Fika Osaka networking events, and the newly launched X Glass Hackathon 2026 in smart glasses/XR.

UII serves graduate students, university researchers, biotech entrepreneurs, corporate innovation officers, and municipal stakeholders across Japan's Kansai region. The foundation operates as a convener rather than a product company, hosting no proprietary software platform, APIs, or mobile applications. Its core distribution consists of in-person and hybrid seminars staged at partner venues including Osaka Innovation Hub, Life Science Hub West, and NORIBA10 umeda, with registration handled through Peatix. UII is the secretariat for Kansai Innovation Initiative (KSII) and co-organizes programming with a dense cross-sector network spanning Kyoto University, RIKEN, Osaka University, BiocK, LINK-J, JMBC, Osaka City Government, Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren), and the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau. The organization co-founded the Life Intelligence Consortium (LINC) with Kyoto University and RIKEN in November 2016 to advance AI-driven drug discovery.

As a non-profit, UII generates revenue primarily through modest per-program fees (¥20,000 general admission / ¥5,000 student for the Life Sciences Entrepreneur Introductory School, with several seminars offered free), supplemented by grants, public-sector support, and corporate sponsorship. The foundation employs 1–10 staff and holds basic endowment assets of ¥260 million contributed by ten founding corporate donors including NTT, Hankyu Railway, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Panasonic, The Sanwa Bank, The Industrial Bank of Japan, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and NHK Information Network. Annual business and financial reports are publicly disclosed from FY2010 onward, and the foundation is governed by a board of directors, councilors, and a president/representative director, currently Matsumoto Toshinori (appointed July 2024).

Name

URBAN INNOVATION INSTITUTE

Legal name

公益財団法人都市活力研究所

Website

https://urban-ii.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Urban Innovation Institute (UII) is an Osaka-based public interest foundation established in 1989 that operates education, training, and convening programs across life sciences entrepreneurship, innovation ecosystem development, and urban revitalization in Japan's Kansai region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Development and Innovation Ecosystem Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy, Consulting & General Management Institutes (EDAHAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

AI & Emerging Technology Literacy (EDAAAIAJ)

Keywords

• Life sciences training
• Innovation ecosystem programs
• Entrepreneurship education
• Urban planning seminars
• Biotech community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

URBAN INNOVATION INSTITUTE (UII) is a public interest incorporated foundation that organizes educational programs, seminar series, workshops, conferences, and community events across three domains: life sciences innovation, innovation/entrepreneurship ecosystems, and urban revitalization in Japan's Kansai region. It sells paid training programs (e.g., the multi-session Life Sciences Entrepreneur Training Program), structured seminar series, hackathons, and an annual international innovation conference (Hack Osaka), and it also convenes stakeholder forums across academia, industry, and government.

Product overview

The Urban Innovation Institute (UII) operates as a public foundation focused on three core areas: life sciences, innovation ecosystems, and urban planning. Rather than offering a single software product, UII provides a portfolio of educational programs, seminar series, forums, and community events designed to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and regional development in the Kansai region. Key offerings include the Life Sciences Entrepreneur Training Program (now in its 15th year), the UII Urban DX Hands-on Course, the Hack Osaka International Innovation Conference (since 2013), the Next-Generation Modality Seminar series, the Kansai Life Sciences Leading Scientist Seminar series, the Smart Wellness Research Society, Fika Osaka networking events, the Juso Cross community events, and the Juso Future Conference. These programs collectively support startups, researchers, and urban planners through training, knowledge sharing, and cross-sector collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Life Sciences Entrepreneur Training Program (ライフサイエンス・アントレプレナー入門塾)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 participants across 7 teams formed through the Juso Cross community-building program in FY2025
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• 関西イノベーションイニシアティブ (Kansai Innovation Initiative / KSII)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026KSII is a key co-organizing partner for UII programs. UII serves as the secretariat/representative organization for KSII. KSII promotes open innovation across the Kansai region and UII hosts its activities and events, including Hack Osaka. The relationship is mutual, with KSII listed as a co-organizer and a supporter of UII events.
• 大阪イノベーションハブ (Osaka Innovation Hub / OIH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Osaka Innovation Hub, located at Grand Front Osaka Knowledge Capital, is a key co-organizer and venue partner for UII programs including the Life Sciences Entrepreneur Introductory School and various seminars. The hub is operated by Osaka City and serves as the primary venue for UII events in Osaka.
• バイオコミュニティ関西 (BioCommunity Kansai / BiocK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026BiocK is listed as a co-organizer and supporter of UII life sciences programs. It is a community organization promoting the biotech industry in the Kansai region. UII co-organizes seminars with BiocK such as the ライフサイエンス・アントレプレナー入門塾, and BiocK is listed as a supporter of multiple UII events.
• LINK-J (一般社团法人ライフサイエンス・イノベーション・ネットワーク・ジャパン)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026LINK-J co-organizes the 次世代モダリティ seminar series with UII and other organizations. LINK-J is a general incorporated association promoting life sciences innovation across Japan, and its activities align closely with UII's life sciences programs.
• 武田コンソーシアム / ライフインテリジェンスコンソーシアム (LINC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026LINC (Life Intelligence Consortium) was established by Kyoto University, RIKEN, and UII in November 2016. LINC aimed to build an AI-driven drug discovery platform using supercomputers and received the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award at the Cabinet Office Japan Open Innovation Awards. UII played a founding role in this consortium.
• 日本マイクロバイオームコンソーシアム (Japanese Microbiome Consortium / JMBC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026JMBC is listed as a partner organization on UII's homepage and UII co-organizes symposiums with JMBC focused on human microbiome research and its applications in healthcare and life sciences.
• 大阪エリアマネジメント活性化会議 (Osaka Area Management Activation Council)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UII and Osaka City serve as the secretariat for this council, which promotes area management activities in Osaka's central district. The council's official website was launched in October 2024, and UII supports its activities as part of its urban development mission.
• 一般社团法人情報計算化学生物学会・CBI研究機構・次世代モダリティ研究所coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026This NPO co-organizes the 次世代モダリティ seminar series with UII and other partners including LINK-J and the Kansai Pharmaceutical Association. The seminar series focuses on next-generation modality drug development including nuclear medicine, nucleic acid drugs, and cell therapies.
• 大阪市 (Osaka City Government)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Osaka City is a key municipal partner for UII, co-organizing Hack Osaka (an international innovation conference held since 2013) and supporting various urban development initiatives including the Juso Cross community-building program and the Osaka Area Management Activation Council.
• 大阪市北区大深町３番１号 グランフロント大阪ナレッジキャピタル (Grand Front Osaka Knowledge Capital)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UII's headquarters is located in Grand Front Osaka Knowledge Capital Tower C. The Knowledge Capital is a major innovation hub bringing together companies, universities, and research institutions. UII's seminar venues also frequently utilize facilities within the Knowledge Capital complex.
• 大阪市大都市交通局 (Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner for the public transport seminar series (沿線地域の未来を考える公共交通セミナー). These seminars address sustainable urban planning in the context of public transportation and demographic decline.
• 公益社団法人関西経済連合会 (Kansai Economic Federation / Kankeiren)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UII and Kankeiren co-organize events such as the Keihanna Open Innovation Forum and collaborate on initiatives related to the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.
• 大阪駆動開発 / XR Meetup KagoshimaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UII co-organizes the X Glass Hackathon 2026 with Osaka Driven Development and XR Meetup Kagoshima. This is a hackathon focused on smart glasses and XR (AR/MR/VR) technology development, demonstrating UII's engagement with emerging technology communities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Plug and Play Japan: Plug and Play Japan is a global accelerator with a Kansai presence running startup programs, corporate innovation partnerships, and pitch events. It overlaps with UII's startup-corporate convening role but operates at much larger scale and as a for-profit venture platform.
• KDDI ∞ Labo: KDDI ∞ Labo is a long-running Japanese corporate accelerator and open-innovation program that pairs startups with KDDI and partner enterprises. It overlaps with UII's corporate-startup convening role but operates as a unit of a major telecom incumbent rather than an independent foundation.

Regional players

• Keihanna Open Innovation Consortium: The Keihanna consortium of Kyoto-area research institutions runs open innovation forums alongside Kankeiren — the same events UII co-organizes. It shares themes on life sciences, AI, and urban innovation with UII but is anchored in the Kyoto-side Kansai sub-region.
• Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (FBRI): Operated by the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation, the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster is a regional cluster of biotech firms and research institutes in Hyogo Prefecture. It mirrors UII's life sciences and urban-innovation thesis but operates primarily in Kobe rather than Osaka.

Direct peers

• CBI Society: CBI Society is an NPO focused on computational and informatics-based biology that co-organizes UII's Next-Generation Modality Seminar series. It shares the same audience of academic and industry researchers in the Japanese life sciences community.
• BioCommunity Kansai (BiocK): BiocK is a community organization promoting the biotech industry in the Kansai region. It co-organizes UII's Life Sciences Entrepreneur Training Program and other life sciences seminars, serving the same audience of researchers, entrepreneurs, and pharma partners in Osaka.
• Kansai Innovation Initiative (KSII): KSII promotes open innovation across the Kansai region and co-runs flagship programs like Hack Osaka with UII. Although UII acts as KSII's secretariat, the two organizations substantially overlap in their mission to convene startups, corporates, and researchers in the region.
• Osaka Innovation Hub (OIH): Operated by Osaka City at Grand Front Osaka, OIH serves as UII's primary venue partner and runs accelerators and corporate-innovation matching programs. It is mission-aligned with UII in building and supporting the Kansai startup ecosystem.
• LINK-J (Life Science Innovation Network Japan): LINK-J is a general incorporated association promoting life sciences innovation across Japan through networking events, seminars, and member services. It directly co-organizes UII's Next-Generation Modality Seminar series and serves overlapping audiences of researchers, entrepreneurs, and pharmaceutical partners.
• Knowledge Capital: Knowledge Capital is the innovation hub within Grand Front Osaka where UII is headquartered. It curates programs across technology, learning, and creativity for corporates, universities, and startups, overlapping significantly with UII's life sciences and urban-planning programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UII_machi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEDlHflMqVYfHJHrXXUUYkg
• Facebookfacebook.com/UII.Osaka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about URBAN INNOVATION INSTITUTE