Sponsoring Musashino Art University's Business Model Creation Initiative 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD 2026'

Sony Marketing Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Daisuke Kawaguchi; hereinafter 'Sony Marketing') announces its sponsorship of the business design award 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD 2026' organized by Musashino Art University (Location: Kodaira-shi, Tokyo; President: Hirokazu Kabayama).

The business design award 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD 2026' is an initiative that aims to create new business models by conceptualizing businesses that pose questions to society, starting from the students' own experiences and sense of incongruity.

Under Sony's Purpose to 'fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology,' Sony Marketing will strive to create new value through the 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD 2026'.
In this award, Sony Marketing employees will consistently participate as mentors for each selected team, from the workshops conducted in the primary selection to the training camp for forming business ideas ahead of the final presentation. Furthermore, for the winners of the 'Sony Marketing Special Award,' opportunities for discussion with Sony Marketing will be provided as a venue to explore the possibility of Proof of Concept (PoC). This ensures that ideas do not remain mere concepts, but are connected to actual social issues to explore the potential for commercialization. This deep corporate involvement from the workshop stage through to proof of concept is a first-of-its-kind endeavor for this award.

By practically supporting the resolution of social issues originating from students' experiences and sense of incongruity, we will promote initiatives for value creation together with Musashino Art University.

## Overview of the 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD 2026'
Official Website: https://jikkenku.musabi.ac.jp/

Organizer: Musashino Art University
Collaborative Partner: Sony Marketing Inc.

■ Target Participants
Open to all students from high school and above, including graduate students, regardless of age, affiliated school, or genre*
*Please check https://jikkenku.musabi.ac.jp/award for details on application guidelines and participation methods.

■ Program Schedule
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■ Support Activities by Sony Marketing
Employees will participate as mentors to support the activities, including approaches to issue consideration, organization, and verbalization of concepts.
- Mentors will participate in the primary selection workshop
- Mentors will participate in the training camp preparing for the final presentation
- Employees other than mentors will participate as judges in the final presentation

■ Awards
- Grand Prix: 1 team (Prize: 100,000 yen)
- Runner-up: 2 teams (Prize: 50,000 yen)
- Sony Marketing Special Award: Provision of a discussion venue with Sony Marketing Inc. to explore the possibility of Proof of Concept.

■ Inquiries regarding Musashino Art University's 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD 2026'
Contact here:
https://www.musabi.ac.jp/contact/

About the 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD 2026'
The 'MAU SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD' is a business design award implemented as part of the 'Musashino Art University Experimental District CREATORSHIP PROGRAM,' an entrepreneurship support program originating from an art university. It aims to delve into individual experiences and perspectives, elevating business ideas that start from a first-person 'narrative as a concerned party' into a third-person 'narrative that resonates widely in society.' The goal is to pose the envisioned vision to society and create business models that gain empathy and support.
In its third year, fiscal 2026, under the theme 'Increasing Co-creators of Emotion,' the program aims to build a cycle where the next generation of creators is born not by leaving emotion to chance, but by conceptualizing, trialing, and implementing it into society as a business.

* 'Sony' and 'Sony' logo, as well as product names, service names, and logos used in this press release are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Group Corporation or its affiliates. Other product names, service names, company names, or logos are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective companies.