LINE WORKS and Kobe Shinwa University Sign Comprehensive Partnership Agreement for Regional Co-creation and Education DX Promotion

LINE WORKS Corporation and Kobe Shinwa University announced today that they have signed a comprehensive partnership agreement for "Regional Co-creation and Education DX Promotion" aimed at regional revitalization and the promotion of digital transformation (DX) in the education sector.

Based on this agreement, starting in April 2026, Kobe Shinwa University will introduce an education DX initiative utilizing the business communication tool "LINE WORKS" and the AI meeting minutes tool "LINE WORKS AiNote" in its compulsory subject "Regional Co-creation Studies," targeting approximately 600 students across 40 projects.

This full-scale introduction in a university's regional collaboration-type course is an advanced initiative even within Japan.

Through this agreement, both parties aim to further develop regional co-creation by combining their knowledge, technology, and networks to solve regional issues, foster next-generation digital talent, and promote education DX. Notably, this is the first comprehensive partnership agreement LINE WORKS Corporation has signed with a university for the purpose of promoting regional co-creation and education DX.

Specific Initiatives from April 2026

Both parties will progressively implement the following measures in Kobe Shinwa University's "Regional Co-creation Studies":

Unification of Communication Infrastructure

Communication methods for class and project operations will be centralized on "LINE WORKS," unifying information sharing among students, faculty, and regional stakeholders. This will enhance project transparency and accelerate decision-making.

Visualization of Activities through AI Meeting Minutes

Contents of meetings and fieldwork will be automatically recorded and summarized by "LINE WORKS AiNote" and accumulated as activity history. This will improve the quality of project knowledge sharing and reflection.

Data Accumulation and Analysis per Project

Communication logs and deliverables from each project will be accumulated as data and utilized for improving educational effectiveness and project operations. In the future, the development of AI-powered learning support and evaluation models will also be considered.

Enhanced Real-time Collaboration with Regions and Companies

By conducting interactions with regional organizations and companies on "LINE WORKS," collaboration with external stakeholders will be streamlined, realizing collaborative learning in an environment close to real society.

DX Training for Faculty and Students

At the start of classes, training on tool utilization will be provided to faculty, staff, mentors, and students to support smooth introduction and adoption.

Background of the Agreement

In recent years, while the importance of digital utilization in education has increased, communication and information sharing remain critical issues in practical education involving diverse stakeholders such as universities, local governments, companies, and regional organizations.

Particularly in practical education programs, where a wide range of internal and external stakeholders are involved, communication methods can be dispersed across multiple tools, often requiring continuous review of how information sharing and activity records are organized and accumulated.

Kobe Shinwa University's "Regional Co-creation Studies" is a practical education program where the university collaborates with local governments, companies, and regional organizations, and students work on solving regional issues. Approximately 480 students are divided into about 40 projects as part of a compulsory subject, engaging in multiple parallel communications including internal university contacts, student-to-student interactions, and collaborations with regions and companies.

In such an environment, the establishment of a more consistent communication infrastructure and the visualization and accumulation of educational activities have emerged as important themes.

Expected Effects

Through this agreement, the following effects are expected in educational, social, and business aspects: ■ Social Aspect

Promotion of regional issue resolution, deepening of co-creation models integrating universities and regions, and expansion of digital utilization in the region are expected.

Educational Aspect

Through the visualization of project activities and data accumulation, students' practical digital skills will improve, and new AI-powered learning models will be constructed.

Business Aspect

By expanding this initiative to educational institutions, local governments, and boards of education, it is expected to serve as a model case for education DX.

Future Outlook

Kobe Shinwa University will utilize the functions of "LINE WORKS" in its Regional Co-creation Studies, with students, mentors, and faculty exploring the ideal form of regional communities.

LINE WORKS Corporation, starting with this demonstration at Kobe Shinwa University, will promote expansion to other educational institutions and disseminate case studies at education-related events and seminars.

Furthermore, by considering collaboration with local governments and boards of education, and proof-of-concept (PoC) experiments in educational institutions, the company aims to establish a standard model for DX and regional co-creation in the education sector.

Comments

Keiji Matsuda, President, Kobe Shinwa University

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to deepen our collaboration with LINE WORKS and advance new initiatives. At our university, we are developing a university-wide compulsory curriculum called "Regional Co-creation Studies" to promote regional revitalization with the university as a platform, and to explore new forms of university education. The challenges here are how to create cross-boundary communication and how to readily utilize advanced information technologies such as AI. I believe that through our collaboration with LINE WORKS, we can offer a new model of social development that addresses these challenges to a wide range of people. I would be grateful for your continued understanding and support at this opportunity.

Takeshi Shimaoka, President and CEO, LINE WORKS Corporation

I am very pleased to have signed this comprehensive partnership agreement with Kobe Shinwa University. This agreement is an important step in opening up new possibilities for DX in education and regional collaboration. Leveraging LINE WORKS' technology and expertise, we will contribute to creating a new education DX model that connects regions, universities, and students more smoothly. Together, we will realize a form of learning and regional co-creation suitable for the AI era.

About Kobe Shinwa University

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026, Kobe Shinwa University has fostered learning that extends beyond the campus walls, embracing the region and the world as its campus, nurturing many "teachers" and empowering the community and society together with its students.

Location: 7-13-1 Suzurandai-kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo

President: Keiji Matsuda

URL: https://www.kobe-shinwa.ac.jp/

About LINE WORKS Corporation

LINE WORKS Corporation provides the business communication tool "LINE WORKS," AI products, and LINE WORKS Family products managed on the LINE WORKS platform.

"LINE WORKS" has surpassed 520,000 companies introduced (as of January 2025) and supports on-site communication across a wide range of industries and business types. According to Fuji Chimera Research Institute's "Software Business New Market 2018-2025 Edition," it has secured the No. 1 share in the domestic paid business chat market for 8 consecutive years from FY2017 to FY2024.

Furthermore, it has achieved continuous growth, reaching an ARR of 16 billion JPY (as of July 2025).

The company is committed to providing services that address on-site challenges regardless of diverse industries or business scenarios, and through cutting-edge AI technology research, aims for further social implementation of AI technology.

Headquarters: 23F Shibuya Sakura Stage, SHIBUYA Tower, 1-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Takeshi Shimaoka

URL: https://line-works.com/