Co-Innovation University (CoIU) Signs Partnership Agreement with Toyama Airport
Co-Innovation University (CoIU) and Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. have signed a partnership agreement. The collaboration aims to promote wide-area cooperation between the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, fostering regional human resources and creating practical educational programs.
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- 📰 Published: June 10, 2026 at 01:30
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School Corporation CoIU (Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, Chairman: Hakusei Inoue), which operates Co-Innovation University (CoIU) that opened in April 2026, signed a partnership agreement on June 9, 2026, with Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. (located in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, President & CEO: Shinichiro Okada). The agreement aims to promote wide-area collaboration between the Hida-Takayama region and the Toyama region, contributing to the sustainable development of local communities.
Through this agreement, both parties will work on developing regional human resources, planning and implementing educational research programs, promoting recurrent education for working adults, and fostering inter-regional exchange.
By combining CoIU's educational philosophy of "learning through the cycle of theory, dialogue, and practice" with Toyama Airport's approach to airport management that walks alongside the community, the partnership aims to create practical educational opportunities where students can learn while facing real-world societal challenges, and to build a new co-creation model connecting Hida and Toyama.
A New Step in Wide-Area Human Resource Development Connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama
As regional revitalization becomes a national theme, many regions face challenges such as population decline, outflow of young people, and a shortage of industrial workers.
On the other hand, although regions possess rich natural, cultural, and industrial resources, there is a lack of human resources and systems to pass these on to the next generation and develop them into new value creation.
In particular, the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, while possessing abundant natural, cultural, and industrial resources, require the enhancement of practical educational opportunities and career development venues where people can learn and challenge themselves while addressing regional issues.
To address these challenges, it is important for educational institutions, companies, and governments to collaborate across boundaries and create learning and practical opportunities using the region as a field.
CoIU promotes practical education that involves learning in collaboration with regions and companies, while Toyama Airport is engaged in regional revitalization and creating exchange population centered around the airport. The collaboration between the two is expected to open up new possibilities for human resource development and regional co-creation connecting the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, leading to the signing of this agreement.
A New Regional Co-Creation Model Envisioned by Airport and University
This agreement aims to combine CoIU's expertise in higher education and regional problem-solving with Toyama Airport's regional revitalization efforts centered on the airport, creating opportunities for students and local human resources to learn while engaging with real societal challenges.
By broadly connecting the adjacent Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions and integrally promoting human resource development, educational programs, and regional revitalization, the partnership aims to build a new co-creation model that leads to sustainable regional development.
Shinichiro Okada, President & CEO of Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. (left), and Hakusei Inoue, Chairman of School Corporation CoIU (right). School Corporation CoIU and Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. have signed a partnership agreement for wide-area collaboration connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama.
Initiatives for Learning and Co-Creation Connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama
To create opportunities for students, companies, and local communities to learn and challenge themselves together using the region as a field, both parties will promote the following initiatives towards achieving wide-area human resource development and regional co-creation:
- Collaboration on regional human resource development (wide-area human resource development in the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions)
- Planning, development, and implementation of educational research programs and curricula
- Planning, implementation, and hosting of educational programs for working adults (recurrent education)
- Promotion of exchange and wide-area collaboration between the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions
- Regional revitalization activities by students and local human resources
Towards Creating a New Co-Creation Model Connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama
Going forward, through educational programs and practical learning opportunities based on this agreement, the partnership will further deepen exchange between the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, and expand the co-creation space where students, local communities, and companies learn and challenge themselves together.
Furthermore, while promoting regional problem-solving and next-generation human resource development on a wide-area basis, the partnership aims to accumulate results and knowledge, and build a sustainable regional co-creation model that can be expanded to other regions in the future.
Thoughts on This Collaboration
Shinichiro Okada, President & CEO of Toyama Airport Co., Ltd.
Although CoIU only opened in April 2025, I was deeply impressed by the students who show great future potential. The attitude of the first-year students who seriously face regional issues and think and act on their own truly aligns with Toyama Airport's philosophy that "airport development begins with regional development." I feel encouraged that we can nurture this potential together into regional strength, and I am very much looking forward to our future collaboration.
Hakusei Inoue, Chairman of School Corporation CoIU
CoIU upholds the founding spirit of "questioning civilization together and co-creating the future," and is engaged in education where students, companies, and local governments learn together, using the region itself as a learning environment.
We believe this collaboration with Toyama Airport is a major step that goes beyond mere industry-academia collaboration, expanding the possibilities for new learning and co-creation through the "place" of an airport that connects people, regions, and industries.
We are very excited that the two regions of Hida-Takayama and Toyama can bring their respective strengths together, think about the future of the region, and take on challenges to create a new model of human resource development and regional co-creation.
■ About Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. (https://www.toyama-airport.co.jp/)
Toyama Airport, the operating company of Toyama Airport which was privatized in April 2026, promotes regional revitalization centered on the airport under the philosophy of "airport development begins with regional development." In addition to maintaining and expanding its airline network, the company works to enhance regional value through the promotion of tourism and industry. Furthermore, by promoting airport DX, aiming to sophisticate data-based operations and improve convenience, while achieving both safety and efficiency, the company aims to lead the industry in airport management.
Representative: President & CEO Shinichiro Okada
Location: 30 Akishima, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
Business: Operation and management of Toyama Airport, provision of airport-related services
■ About Co-Innovation University (abbreviation: CoIU) (https://coiu.ac.jp/)
Co-Innovation University (CoIU), operated by School Corporation CoIU, is a four-year university that opened in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture.
Centering its education on fostering "the ability to ask questions" and "co-creation ability," the university challenges students, faculty, staff, and working adults to solve regional issues together through learning that alternates between practical experience in the region and diverse theories and dialogues. While primarily using the Hida-Takayama region as its field, the university also operates satellite campuses nationwide. Through educational research programs closely linked with the region, the university aims to nurture the next generation of human resources and contribute to the development of local communities.
◯ University Name: Co-Innovation University (CoIU)
Operator: School Corporation CoIU
◯ Established: April 2026
◯ Special Advisor: Hiroaki Miyata
Chairman: Hakusei Inoue
President: Akiyoshi Takagi
◯ Faculty and Department: Faculty of Co-Creation, Department of Regional Co-Creation
◯ Location: 11-15 Kanamori-cho, Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
Instagram: @coiu_2026: https://www.instagram.com/coiu
Through this agreement, both parties will work on developing regional human resources, planning and implementing educational research programs, promoting recurrent education for working adults, and fostering inter-regional exchange.
By combining CoIU's educational philosophy of "learning through the cycle of theory, dialogue, and practice" with Toyama Airport's approach to airport management that walks alongside the community, the partnership aims to create practical educational opportunities where students can learn while facing real-world societal challenges, and to build a new co-creation model connecting Hida and Toyama.
A New Step in Wide-Area Human Resource Development Connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama
As regional revitalization becomes a national theme, many regions face challenges such as population decline, outflow of young people, and a shortage of industrial workers.
On the other hand, although regions possess rich natural, cultural, and industrial resources, there is a lack of human resources and systems to pass these on to the next generation and develop them into new value creation.
In particular, the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, while possessing abundant natural, cultural, and industrial resources, require the enhancement of practical educational opportunities and career development venues where people can learn and challenge themselves while addressing regional issues.
To address these challenges, it is important for educational institutions, companies, and governments to collaborate across boundaries and create learning and practical opportunities using the region as a field.
CoIU promotes practical education that involves learning in collaboration with regions and companies, while Toyama Airport is engaged in regional revitalization and creating exchange population centered around the airport. The collaboration between the two is expected to open up new possibilities for human resource development and regional co-creation connecting the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, leading to the signing of this agreement.
A New Regional Co-Creation Model Envisioned by Airport and University
This agreement aims to combine CoIU's expertise in higher education and regional problem-solving with Toyama Airport's regional revitalization efforts centered on the airport, creating opportunities for students and local human resources to learn while engaging with real societal challenges.
By broadly connecting the adjacent Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions and integrally promoting human resource development, educational programs, and regional revitalization, the partnership aims to build a new co-creation model that leads to sustainable regional development.
Shinichiro Okada, President & CEO of Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. (left), and Hakusei Inoue, Chairman of School Corporation CoIU (right). School Corporation CoIU and Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. have signed a partnership agreement for wide-area collaboration connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama.
Initiatives for Learning and Co-Creation Connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama
To create opportunities for students, companies, and local communities to learn and challenge themselves together using the region as a field, both parties will promote the following initiatives towards achieving wide-area human resource development and regional co-creation:
- Collaboration on regional human resource development (wide-area human resource development in the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions)
- Planning, development, and implementation of educational research programs and curricula
- Planning, implementation, and hosting of educational programs for working adults (recurrent education)
- Promotion of exchange and wide-area collaboration between the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions
- Regional revitalization activities by students and local human resources
Towards Creating a New Co-Creation Model Connecting Hida-Takayama and Toyama
Going forward, through educational programs and practical learning opportunities based on this agreement, the partnership will further deepen exchange between the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, and expand the co-creation space where students, local communities, and companies learn and challenge themselves together.
Furthermore, while promoting regional problem-solving and next-generation human resource development on a wide-area basis, the partnership aims to accumulate results and knowledge, and build a sustainable regional co-creation model that can be expanded to other regions in the future.
Thoughts on This Collaboration
Shinichiro Okada, President & CEO of Toyama Airport Co., Ltd.
Although CoIU only opened in April 2025, I was deeply impressed by the students who show great future potential. The attitude of the first-year students who seriously face regional issues and think and act on their own truly aligns with Toyama Airport's philosophy that "airport development begins with regional development." I feel encouraged that we can nurture this potential together into regional strength, and I am very much looking forward to our future collaboration.
Hakusei Inoue, Chairman of School Corporation CoIU
CoIU upholds the founding spirit of "questioning civilization together and co-creating the future," and is engaged in education where students, companies, and local governments learn together, using the region itself as a learning environment.
We believe this collaboration with Toyama Airport is a major step that goes beyond mere industry-academia collaboration, expanding the possibilities for new learning and co-creation through the "place" of an airport that connects people, regions, and industries.
We are very excited that the two regions of Hida-Takayama and Toyama can bring their respective strengths together, think about the future of the region, and take on challenges to create a new model of human resource development and regional co-creation.
■ About Toyama Airport Co., Ltd. (https://www.toyama-airport.co.jp/)
Toyama Airport, the operating company of Toyama Airport which was privatized in April 2026, promotes regional revitalization centered on the airport under the philosophy of "airport development begins with regional development." In addition to maintaining and expanding its airline network, the company works to enhance regional value through the promotion of tourism and industry. Furthermore, by promoting airport DX, aiming to sophisticate data-based operations and improve convenience, while achieving both safety and efficiency, the company aims to lead the industry in airport management.
Representative: President & CEO Shinichiro Okada
Location: 30 Akishima, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
Business: Operation and management of Toyama Airport, provision of airport-related services
■ About Co-Innovation University (abbreviation: CoIU) (https://coiu.ac.jp/)
Co-Innovation University (CoIU), operated by School Corporation CoIU, is a four-year university that opened in Hida City, Gifu Prefecture.
Centering its education on fostering "the ability to ask questions" and "co-creation ability," the university challenges students, faculty, staff, and working adults to solve regional issues together through learning that alternates between practical experience in the region and diverse theories and dialogues. While primarily using the Hida-Takayama region as its field, the university also operates satellite campuses nationwide. Through educational research programs closely linked with the region, the university aims to nurture the next generation of human resources and contribute to the development of local communities.
◯ University Name: Co-Innovation University (CoIU)
Operator: School Corporation CoIU
◯ Established: April 2026
◯ Special Advisor: Hiroaki Miyata
Chairman: Hakusei Inoue
President: Akiyoshi Takagi
◯ Faculty and Department: Faculty of Co-Creation, Department of Regional Co-Creation
◯ Location: 11-15 Kanamori-cho, Furukawa-cho, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture
Instagram: @coiu_2026: https://www.instagram.com/coiu
FAQ
What is the main purpose of the partnership agreement between CoIU and Toyama Airport?
To promote wide-area collaboration between the Hida-Takayama and Toyama regions, and to foster regional human resources and create practical educational opportunities.
When was this agreement signed?
It was signed on June 9, 2026.
Who is the president of CoIU?
The president is Akiyoshi Takagi.