Urban Development at the Former Site of Kyushu University's Hakozaki Campus: Officially Selected as Land Use Project Developer (Newsletter)
A consortium of eight companies, led by Sumitomo Corporation, has been officially chosen to develop the former site of Kyushu University's Hakozaki Campus. The project, 'HAKOZAKI Green Innovation Campus,' aims to create one of Japan's largest smart cities, blending the university's 100-year history with advanced technologies like the IOWN initiative. The goal is to establish a hub for innovation, new industries, and sustainable lifestyles, with a planned opening in fiscal year 2028.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 26, 2026 at 18:19
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (51h 39m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 14, 2026 at 22:21 (408h 22m after Collected)
A corporate group of eight companies, led by Sumitomo Corporation, was officially selected on Thursday, March 26, 2026, as the land use project developer for the 'Kyushu University Hakozaki Campus Former Site Area Land Use Project Developer Recruitment' by Kyushu University National University Corporation and the Urban Renaissance Agency Kyushu Branch. We are pleased to announce this decision.
*Image rendering of the 'Innovation Core' block.
■ Project Background
This project aims to realize the 'Kyushu University Hakozaki Campus Former Site Grand Design' by leveraging the university's history and vast grounds to create a hub where diverse people can gather and generate innovation. Based on the philosophy of 'FUKUOKA Smart EAST (*)', it is one of Japan's largest smart city developments, merging tradition and innovation. Industry, government, academia, and the public will work together to create and promote new industries, realizing a future city that will lead the world as an environmentally advanced metropolis.
*About FUKUOKA Smart EAST: To achieve sustainable development while solving various urban challenges like a declining birthrate and an aging population, this initiative seeks to create a comfortable, high-quality lifestyle and urban space through advanced technologies, building a city to be proud of in the future. The development in Hakozaki will serve as a pioneering model, intended to expand throughout the city, beyond its borders, and reach an even larger population.
■ Vision for the City
Hakozaki, the site of the project, is a place where tradition and pride have been passed down for over 100 years since the opening of Kyushu Imperial University in 1911. Leveraging this historical background and its vast grounds, the project aims to create a hub where diverse people gather to foster innovation. The concept is the 'HAKOZAKI Green Innovation Campus.' By incorporating the IOWN initiative (*), a game-changing technological development that positions Japan to compete and win globally, we will establish an environment that can constantly update smart services and create new ones by adopting new values and technologies. By integrating and coordinating various smart services, we aim to deliver more tailored services and realize a future smart city model.
Guided by six core policies (inheriting Kyushu University's 100-year history, inheriting Fukuoka's 1,000-year culture and history, creating and growing new industries, creating and growing an environmentally advanced city, creating a lush green space, and creating new lifestyles), we aim for the city's opening in fiscal year 2028, creating a comfortable, high-quality lifestyle and urban space to realize a sustainable model city.
*IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) is a revolutionary communication technology featuring low power consumption, low latency, and high capacity. The IOWN concept aims to realize a future smart city by creating a digital twin of the entire city and then integrating and coordinating all smart services.
■ Outline of Urban Development
For details, please refer to the following publication:
○ Outline of the Basic Business Plan
https://www.sumitomocorp.com/-/media/Files/hq/news/release/2026/20940/20940_business_plan_ja.pdf
*Image rendering of the 'Innovation Core' block.
■ Project Background
This project aims to realize the 'Kyushu University Hakozaki Campus Former Site Grand Design' by leveraging the university's history and vast grounds to create a hub where diverse people can gather and generate innovation. Based on the philosophy of 'FUKUOKA Smart EAST (*)', it is one of Japan's largest smart city developments, merging tradition and innovation. Industry, government, academia, and the public will work together to create and promote new industries, realizing a future city that will lead the world as an environmentally advanced metropolis.
*About FUKUOKA Smart EAST: To achieve sustainable development while solving various urban challenges like a declining birthrate and an aging population, this initiative seeks to create a comfortable, high-quality lifestyle and urban space through advanced technologies, building a city to be proud of in the future. The development in Hakozaki will serve as a pioneering model, intended to expand throughout the city, beyond its borders, and reach an even larger population.
■ Vision for the City
Hakozaki, the site of the project, is a place where tradition and pride have been passed down for over 100 years since the opening of Kyushu Imperial University in 1911. Leveraging this historical background and its vast grounds, the project aims to create a hub where diverse people gather to foster innovation. The concept is the 'HAKOZAKI Green Innovation Campus.' By incorporating the IOWN initiative (*), a game-changing technological development that positions Japan to compete and win globally, we will establish an environment that can constantly update smart services and create new ones by adopting new values and technologies. By integrating and coordinating various smart services, we aim to deliver more tailored services and realize a future smart city model.
Guided by six core policies (inheriting Kyushu University's 100-year history, inheriting Fukuoka's 1,000-year culture and history, creating and growing new industries, creating and growing an environmentally advanced city, creating a lush green space, and creating new lifestyles), we aim for the city's opening in fiscal year 2028, creating a comfortable, high-quality lifestyle and urban space to realize a sustainable model city.
*IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) is a revolutionary communication technology featuring low power consumption, low latency, and high capacity. The IOWN concept aims to realize a future smart city by creating a digital twin of the entire city and then integrating and coordinating all smart services.
■ Outline of Urban Development
For details, please refer to the following publication:
○ Outline of the Basic Business Plan
https://www.sumitomocorp.com/-/media/Files/hq/news/release/2026/20940/20940_business_plan_ja.pdf