Social X Collaborates with The University of Tokyo's Cross-Disciplinary Education Program 'Regional Future Society Education Program'

Social X Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hiroki Ito; hereinafter "the Company") is pleased to announce that its social problem-solving business creation platform, "Social X Studio," will be tentatively utilized in the "Regional Future Society Fieldwork I" course, part of the cross-disciplinary education program "Regional Future Society Education Program" offered by The University of Tokyo.
This course is a practical intensive lecture whose content will be updated and implemented starting April 2026. Its objective is for students to learn from the perspective of industry-academia-government collaboration, starting with the real-world challenges faced by local governments. As an agreement partner of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's startup initiative TOKYO SUTEAM*, the Company will operate this studio in collaboration with SHIBUYA QWS, utilizing the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's cooperative projects, and contribute to this course.

**Background**
Currently, capitalism is at a major turning point, and there is a demand for a new type of entrepreneur who uses social problem-solving as an engine for growth.
However, at present, there is a structural gap between particularly high-priority social issues and the solutions proposed by entrepreneurs. As a result, local governments are often forced to resort to existing services in related areas, which frequently fails to lead to fundamental problem-solving.
To date, the Company has promoted numerous projects through open innovation (public-private co-creation) between companies and local governments. From this experience, we have become strongly aware of "the necessity of a mechanism to connect with society's priority issues from the pre-startup phase."
The Company, in line with the objectives of the educational activities conducted by The University of Tokyo's Institute for Future Initiatives, will provide educational cooperation, such as offering case studies, as part of learning focused on social issues.

**Reference Information: Introduction to Social X Studio Initiatives (Our Business)**
*The following is a general introduction to programs operated by the Company and does not indicate the content or results of this specific course.

1. Tangible problem-solving based on specific issues of local governments
Instead of textbook case studies, we start with "high-resolution social issues" that the Company directly consults with local governments about. By experiencing the specific concerns and constraints on-site, students develop the ability to refine effective business models.

2. Provision of multi-faceted insights by frontline professionals
Senior entrepreneurs, local government officials, and the Company, as experts in public-private co-creation, will provide support. We offer a luxurious learning environment where students can directly absorb practical experience, real-world situations, and public-private co-creation know-how from practitioners who are usually difficult to access.

3. Integrated curriculum for social implementation
Students learn integrally, from fostering the mindset necessary for impact startups, to exploring and refining business ideas, and finally to social implementation through public-private co-creation.

In addition to the course, the Company offers the following services for those who have started a business, creating a system that can support them from conception to implementation and scaling:

- "Social X Acceleration" to support business growth
- "Reverse Proposal" providing opportunities for demonstration in collaboration with local governments
- "Social X Impact Fund" providing funding

These are optional support services independently provided by the Company and are not predicated on the content or results covered in the course. Furthermore, they are entirely unrelated to course enrollment, grading, credit acquisition, etc., and the university and instructors do not recommend or arrange participation.

**Future Outlook through Collaboration in This Course: Making Academia an "Engine" to Move Society**
Through this collaboration, the Company expects to expand opportunities to connect university learning with social issues.
Furthermore, by making business creation based on social issues an "ordinary option" rather than a "special challenge," we aim to cultivate next-generation leaders who balance public good and economic viability, contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.

**Course Outline**
Course Name: Regional Future Society Fieldwork I
Target: All undergraduate senior courses at The University of Tokyo
Period: April-September 2026 (2026 S Semester)
Main Content: Deepening understanding of social issues, interviewing local governments, business model building, acquiring public-private co-creation skills

**Comment from Hiroki Ito, Representative Director of the Company**
Entrepreneurs who take on challenges based on social issues are still few, and in particular, mechanisms to support them in the pre-startup phase are not sufficiently developed. As a company, we have supported many social problem-solving projects through open innovation between companies and local governments, and during this process, a structural problem became clear: there are extremely limited solutions suitable for the high-priority issues of local governments.
To change this situation, it is indispensable for aspiring entrepreneurs to conceive and launch businesses based on the overall priority issues of society.
Through this collaboration, university learning and real-world societal contexts will connect, and the issues of (The Japanese article body was truncated here.)