Alpen x GDO Connect Student Ideas to Regional Economy
Alpen and GDO will launch the "Bibai Industry-Academia Co-creation Program" from April 27, 2026, where four students from Hokkai Gakuen University will plan and implement actual business ideas at "Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai" in Bibai, Hokkaido. This practical initiative aims to contribute to the regional economy through student ideas and foster next-generation talent.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 19:00
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Alpen Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture; President: Atsushi Mizuno; hereinafter "Alpen"), a sports equipment retailer, will jointly launch the "Bibai Industry-Academia Co-creation Program" with Golf Digest Online Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President: Shinya Ishizaka; hereinafter "GDO") starting April 27, 2026. This program will involve four students from Hokkai Gakuen University (Sapporo City, Hokkaido) planning and implementing actual business ideas at "Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai" in Bibai City, Hokkaido.
This program is a practical PBL (Project-Based Learning) initiative aimed at regional revitalization and next-generation talent development, which both companies have promoted. It further develops the "Industry-Academia Collaboration Pilot Program" held in February 2026, which involved a total of 16 students from Hokkai Gakuen University and Sapporo Medical University.
■ Three Features Different from Conventional Industry-Academia Collaboration
This program aims to be a "practical field" where companies and students challenge each other on an equal footing, rather than a "learning place" that is an extension of the classroom.
① Ideas will become "real services" at Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai next winter
Unlike projects that end with mere proposals or idea meetings, plans born from this program will operate as "actual services" at Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai, managed by Alpen, during the winter season of January-February 2027. The biggest feature is that students' free and flexible ideas, unconstrained by conventional wisdom in the golf industry, will materialize as "experiential value" directly provided to local tourists and residents, directly contributing to the regional economy.
② "Adoption = Budget Acquisition." Students win business approval from executives
At the final presentation held in Tokyo in October, Alpen's business leaders and GDO's executives will directly review the feasibility of commercialization. Since actual corporate budgets will be invested in approved plans, students will be rigorously evaluated not only on customer perspective but also on the accuracy of their revenue and expenditure plans and the sustainability of their business. This provides a real business tension and growth opportunity not found in typical internships.
③ For about half a year, both companies will support the evolution of the plan as "partners"
Unlike one-off lectures or workshops, Alpen and GDO will continuously be involved through bi-monthly workshops and ad-hoc online/in-person meetings. Long-term dialogue with company representatives who know the field will enhance the quality of the business plan.
■ Background of Project Launch — From Verification to Implementation
Through initiatives utilizing winter golf courses that have continued for 10 years since 2016, the pilot version in February this year sufficiently demonstrated the potential for young people's flexible ideas to contribute to solving challenges in golf courses and local areas.
In the second phase, to solidify this experience, students are redefined not merely as "learners" but as "business partners." By not ending with theoretical discussions, but by winning corporate budgets with self-formulated revenue and expenditure plans and realizing real businesses, the program aims to achieve both human resource development for the future of the sports industry and direct contribution to the regional economy of Bibai City.
■ "Bibai Industry-Academia Co-creation Program" Overview
A selected team of four students from Hokkai Gakuen University will refine their business proposals over approximately half a year, receiving mentoring from Alpen and GDO.
■ Project Schedule (Planned)
April 27: Selected team formation, kick-off
May-September: Plan refinement (bi-monthly workshops, online/in-person meetings)
October: Final presentation to executives in Tokyo (approval of commercialization and final decision by executives)
November-December: Implementation preparation (web production, local operation setup)
January-February 2027: Service launch/operation, effectiveness measurement
■ Educational Value and Regional Impact
This project provides new value to both students and the region.
・For students: Through a sense of ownership in managing budgets and persuading executives, they gain practical business skills not acquired in classroom learning and a successful experience of their ideas being implemented in society.
・For the region (Bibai City): The introduction of new content incorporating youth perspectives will contribute to attracting winter tourists, revitalizing the regional economy, and enhancing the brand of Bibai as an "educational city."
■ Future Outlook
Alpen, in collaboration with GDO, will leverage the knowledge gained from this project regarding "utilization of winter regional resources," including winter golf courses, to connect industry-academia collaboration with regional revitalization and new business development.
About Alpen Co., Ltd.
Founded: July 1972
Capital: 15.1 billion JPY
Performance: Sales 268.6 billion JPY, Ordinary profit 10.4 billion JPY (Fiscal year ending June 2025)
Business activities: ・Development and sales of various sports equipment, golf equipment, outdoor equipment
・Management of golf courses, ski resorts, fitness clubs
About Golf Digest Online Co., Ltd. (GDO)
This program is a practical PBL (Project-Based Learning) initiative aimed at regional revitalization and next-generation talent development, which both companies have promoted. It further develops the "Industry-Academia Collaboration Pilot Program" held in February 2026, which involved a total of 16 students from Hokkai Gakuen University and Sapporo Medical University.
■ Three Features Different from Conventional Industry-Academia Collaboration
This program aims to be a "practical field" where companies and students challenge each other on an equal footing, rather than a "learning place" that is an extension of the classroom.
① Ideas will become "real services" at Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai next winter
Unlike projects that end with mere proposals or idea meetings, plans born from this program will operate as "actual services" at Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai, managed by Alpen, during the winter season of January-February 2027. The biggest feature is that students' free and flexible ideas, unconstrained by conventional wisdom in the golf industry, will materialize as "experiential value" directly provided to local tourists and residents, directly contributing to the regional economy.
② "Adoption = Budget Acquisition." Students win business approval from executives
At the final presentation held in Tokyo in October, Alpen's business leaders and GDO's executives will directly review the feasibility of commercialization. Since actual corporate budgets will be invested in approved plans, students will be rigorously evaluated not only on customer perspective but also on the accuracy of their revenue and expenditure plans and the sustainability of their business. This provides a real business tension and growth opportunity not found in typical internships.
③ For about half a year, both companies will support the evolution of the plan as "partners"
Unlike one-off lectures or workshops, Alpen and GDO will continuously be involved through bi-monthly workshops and ad-hoc online/in-person meetings. Long-term dialogue with company representatives who know the field will enhance the quality of the business plan.
■ Background of Project Launch — From Verification to Implementation
Through initiatives utilizing winter golf courses that have continued for 10 years since 2016, the pilot version in February this year sufficiently demonstrated the potential for young people's flexible ideas to contribute to solving challenges in golf courses and local areas.
In the second phase, to solidify this experience, students are redefined not merely as "learners" but as "business partners." By not ending with theoretical discussions, but by winning corporate budgets with self-formulated revenue and expenditure plans and realizing real businesses, the program aims to achieve both human resource development for the future of the sports industry and direct contribution to the regional economy of Bibai City.
■ "Bibai Industry-Academia Co-creation Program" Overview
A selected team of four students from Hokkai Gakuen University will refine their business proposals over approximately half a year, receiving mentoring from Alpen and GDO.
■ Project Schedule (Planned)
April 27: Selected team formation, kick-off
May-September: Plan refinement (bi-monthly workshops, online/in-person meetings)
October: Final presentation to executives in Tokyo (approval of commercialization and final decision by executives)
November-December: Implementation preparation (web production, local operation setup)
January-February 2027: Service launch/operation, effectiveness measurement
■ Educational Value and Regional Impact
This project provides new value to both students and the region.
・For students: Through a sense of ownership in managing budgets and persuading executives, they gain practical business skills not acquired in classroom learning and a successful experience of their ideas being implemented in society.
・For the region (Bibai City): The introduction of new content incorporating youth perspectives will contribute to attracting winter tourists, revitalizing the regional economy, and enhancing the brand of Bibai as an "educational city."
■ Future Outlook
Alpen, in collaboration with GDO, will leverage the knowledge gained from this project regarding "utilization of winter regional resources," including winter golf courses, to connect industry-academia collaboration with regional revitalization and new business development.
About Alpen Co., Ltd.
Founded: July 1972
Capital: 15.1 billion JPY
Performance: Sales 268.6 billion JPY, Ordinary profit 10.4 billion JPY (Fiscal year ending June 2025)
Business activities: ・Development and sales of various sports equipment, golf equipment, outdoor equipment
・Management of golf courses, ski resorts, fitness clubs
About Golf Digest Online Co., Ltd. (GDO)