[Kobe City x AlphaDrive] Call for participants for the administrative challenge-solving project 'Urban Innovation KOBE 2026'

Kobe City and the project management office (AlphaDrive, Inc., The Kobe Shimbun, K.S. Rogers, Inc.) have officially opened the call for participants for the 2026 edition of 'Urban Innovation KOBE' (UIK), a program designed to solve administrative challenges through collaboration with startups and private sector companies.

Since its inception in 2017, UIK has facilitated approximately 70 public-private partnership and pilot projects. Many of these successful pilot projects have led to full-scale contracts in subsequent years.

The 2026 program features two distinct frameworks: the 'Regional/Administrative Challenge' track, which tackles four specific problems identified by Kobe City, and the newly established 'Open Proposal' track, allowing companies to propose their own themes.

[Regional/Administrative Challenge Track] - Participation Fee: Free - Pilot Support Grant: Up to 1 million JPY per project

2026 Challenges (Total 4) 1. Digitizing training management and self-inspection in nursing care settings. 2. Improving the quality of regional talent matching for Nishi Ward staff. 3. Automating construction photo organization and quantity calculations using generative AI. 4. Implementing new ways to communicate waste management rules to the public.

[Open Proposal Track] Companies can propose their own pilot themes within Kobe City, receiving guidance and support from the Kobe City New Industry and Science/Technology Division.

[Online Information Session] Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 18:00 - 19:00