Innovation Hub "JAM BASE" Wins Highest GOLD Award at "iF DESIGN AWARD 2026"

Awards Ceremony Scene. JAM BASE, an innovation hub in Grand Green Osaka planned and operated by the Co-creation Generator (Location: Kita-ku, Osaka; Representative Director: Kazuhiro Sasaki, hereafter CCG), has won the highest award, the "iF DESIGN AWARD GOLD," at the "iF DESIGN AWARD 2026" hosted by iF International Forum Design GmbH of Germany. This is the highest prize, awarded to only 74 works this year out of over 10,000 entries from 68 countries and regions. Additionally, it has also received "Silver" at the "A' Design Award & Competition 2026," an international design award based in Italy. ■ Co-creation Catalyst in the City—JAM BASE's Spatial Philosophy Gains International Acclaim. JAM BASE is built on three design philosophies: "Gocha-Gocha" (Mish-mash), where players of different industries and sizes intentionally mix. "Yohaku" (Blank Space), where unprescribed spaces are placed throughout the building. And "Midori" (Nature), which integrates with the 45,000㎡ Umekita Park to realize a way of working that is not confined within the building. In the iF DESIGN AWARD jury's statement, it was praised that "Within the high-density urban environment, the circulation and spatial composition that promote serendipitous encounters and creative activities allow the architecture itself to function as a 'catalyst for creativity'." We interpret this as an evaluation of how these three philosophies have been implemented as a space and are actually functioning through its operation. ■ A "Co-creation Site" with Over 400 Companies and 1,800 People. Since its opening in September 2024, more than 400 companies and organizations have participated in JAM BASE, with about 1,800 people active on a daily basis (as of April 2026). This includes startups, venture companies, new business divisions of large corporations, finance/VCs, and administrative/university research institutions. It is not a place for specific companies or industries, but an environment where players from different backgrounds are active in the same space, and where dialogue and trial-and-error emerge from daily life, which we as operators intentionally continue to create. By layering not just the hardware of the space but also software-side mechanisms such as networking opportunities among tenants, cross-disciplinary project formation, and connection with external networks, serendipitous connections are born daily. We value the accumulation of such daily life itself. In the future, JAM BASE will continue to visualize co-creation cases among tenants and expand opportunities for connection both domestically and internationally. ■ Comment from the Representative Director. Kazuhiro Sasaki, Representative Director, Co-creation Generator. I am sincerely delighted to receive such global recognition with the highest GOLD award at the iF DESIGN AWARD 2026. I believe JAM BASE is not a place that is fixed in a final form, but one that grows through daily activities together with all its tenants. As the operating corporation, we want to prepare this space and environment, and support the people and initiatives here to exert their true power and expand to the next stage. ■ About iF DESIGN AWARD 2026. Founded in 1953. An international design award hosted by iF International Forum Design GmbH of Germany, counted among the world's three major design awards. With a history of 73 years, it targets 9 categories including product and interior architecture, attracting over 10,000 entries from 68 countries and regions annually. Award-winning works are selected after a rigorous judging process by 129 experts, and GOLD is the highest prize awarded to only a very limited number of works. JAM BASE was selected in the "Interior Architecture (Corporate/Office Interior)" category. The Jury Statement praised it as "a 'vertical innovation hub' where the park and building are integrated, creating serendipitous interactions by overlapping circulation paths, and transforming the high-density urban space into 'opportunity'. The architecture itself serves as a 'catalyst' for creativity." ■ About A’ Design Award 2026. An international design award targeting a wide range of fields including architecture and interior design, where works submitted from all over the world are judged and evaluated by an international jury. After a rigorous screening, JAM BASE won the Silver A’ Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. ■ About JAM BASE. JAM BASE is an innovation hub born in Grand Green Osaka. It opened in September 2024 as a place where over 400 entities including companies, universities, research institutions, startups, and VCs, with about 1,800 people, gather to aim for business creation and social implementation together. Based on the three design philosophies of "Gocha-Gocha" (Mish-mash), "Yohaku" (Blank Space), and "Midori" (Nature), it creates an environment where serendipitous encounters and co-creation are born daily. Operating Organization: Co-creation Generator. Official Website: https://umekita.com/jambase/