Hokuto City, Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School, and DIT Sign Partnership Agreement for Smart Agriculture and DX Human Resource Development

Digital Information Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Satoshi Ichikawa; TSE Prime Market: 3916; hereinafter referred to as DIT), an independent system integrator, will sign a partnership agreement with Hokuto City and Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School to promote DX education through industry-government-academia collaboration. We are pleased to announce that the agreement signing ceremony will be held on July 7, 2026.

This agreement is established as an industry-government-academia collaboration framework, bringing together Hokuto City (government), Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School (academia), and DIT (industry).

Hokuto City, Ohno Agricultural High School, DIT Logo

Overview of the Agreement Signing Ceremony

(1) Date and Time: July 7, 2026 (Tuesday) 2:00 PM (Reception opens: 1:30 PM) (2) Venue: Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School (2-26-1 Mukaino, Hokuto City, Hokkaido 041-1231) (3) Expected Attendees:

- Hokuto City Mayor: Tatsuo Ikeda - Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School Principal: Yuta Haga - Digital Information Technology Co., Ltd. Director of Hakodate Branch, Executive Officer: Yuichi Narita

*Media representatives are welcome to attend for interviews. Please come to the venue on the day.

Background

DIT has established the "DX Business Research Lab Hakodate Branch" in Hakodate City (opened November 2023) and the "Hokuto AI Satellite" in Hokuto City (opened January 2025). Through industry-government-academia collaboration, we have been working to solve regional issues, including student internships focused on regional revitalization, smart agriculture projects, and business development studies for sewer pipe inspections utilizing AI technology.

Furthermore, Hokuto City and DIT signed a comprehensive partnership agreement on DX promotion in February 2024, and have been collaborating to foster digital talent, improve internal government efficiency, enhance citizen services, and revitalize the regional economy. This new agreement builds upon the cooperative relationship established between Hokuto City and DIT in the comprehensive partnership agreement, by newly adding Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School as an educational institution, thereby developing it into an industry-government-academia framework.

Leveraging these regional DX initiatives based in Hokuto City and the network and expertise of industry-government-academia, this agreement has been concluded through a three-party collaboration with Hokuto City and Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School to further advance locally rooted human resource development.

Objectives

This agreement aims to foster the next generation of human resources who will lead regional DX by having the three parties of Hokuto City, Hokkaido Ohno Agricultural High School, and DIT collaborate to practice smart agriculture education utilizing digital technologies such as drones and AI. Beyond mere educational support or social contribution, it seeks to create a practical learning environment that leads to the resolution of regional issues and promote the development of new regional DX models through industry-government-academia collaboration. Furthermore, by utilizing the educational programs and operational know-how accumulated through these initiatives, we aim to expand them to other municipalities and educational institutions in the future, and to connect them to business development in the fields of smart agriculture and education DX.

We will build a system where the region as a whole nurtures the next generation of leaders by bringing together the strengths of industry, government, and academia.

Collaboration Items

Based on this agreement, the three parties will promote the following initiatives:

(1) Implementation of educational programs, courses, and training utilizing digital technologies such as drones and AI (Including learning about their application in the agricultural sector) (2) Planning and execution of joint demonstration experiments for the utilization of digital technologies in the agricultural sector (3) Initiatives for solving regional issues and developing next-generation human resources using digital technologies

Smart Agriculture Education at Ohno Agricultural High School

To foster next-generation agricultural human resources, we will implement smart agriculture education utilizing drones and AI. The program is planned to allow students to practically learn basic knowledge of smart agriculture, drone operation methods, aerial image and data analysis, and to consider ideas for solving regional agricultural challenges.

<Main Planned Activities>

- Basic lectures on smart agriculture, drones, AI, and data utilization - Drone flight and water spraying demonstration operation experience and observation - Field observation using aerial imagery and data analysis workshop - Consideration of problem-solving ideas using digital technology - Presentation of results within the school and at the Southern Hokkaido Agricultural Management Training Council

This program emphasizes not just technical experience, but also the process by which high school students independently consider regional agricultural issues and devise solutions using digital technologies. Results will be presented within the school in December 2026 (5th session) and at the Southern Hokkaido Agricultural Management Training Council in January 2027 (6th session). By having students present their self-devised solutions to regional agricultural stakeholders, we aim to create an opportunity for high school students and the region to collectively consider the future of regional agriculture.

Through this initiative, we aim to help students understand the potential of digital technology in agriculture and cultivate their ability to proactively think about and solve regional issues as their own.

Digital Information Technology Co., Ltd.

As an independent IT company, we provide system development and DX support services. Based at the "DX Business Research Lab Hakodate Branch" in Hakodate City and the "Hokuto AI Satellite" in Hokuto City, we are also engaged in regional DX and digital human resource development through industry-government-academia collaboration.

(1) Capital: 453 million yen (as of the end of June 2025) (2) Sales: 24.15 billion yen (Fiscal year ending June 2025) (3) Establishment: January 4, 2002 (4) Location: FORECAST Sakurabashi 5F, 4-5-4 Hatchobori, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (5) Representative: Satoshi Ichikawa, President and CEO (6) Number of Employees: 1,630 (consolidated) (as of the end of December 2025) (7) Homepage: https://www.ditgroup.jp/