How to Create Attractive New Business Ideas through Collaboration between Companies and Students?
Momoyama Gakuin University and welzo will hold a talk session to unveil the results of their industry-academia PBL.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 21:00
Momoyama Gakuin University (Izumi Campus, Osaka Abeno Campus, President: Mizuhiko Nakano) and welzo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, President and CEO: Yoshifumi Kana), an innovation company that creates value for daily life, will hold a talk session "How to Create Attractive New Business Ideas through Collaboration between Companies and Students?" at Venture Café Fukuoka on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
This session will dissect the real process of creating "new core businesses for 10 years from now" that welzo Co., Ltd., aiming to be an innovation company in agriculture and horticulture, should undertake. This process was the focus of the "PBL Application I (Problem-Solving Class)" course at Momoyama Gakuin University's Faculty of Business Design, conducted in the autumn semester of 2025. The speakers will frankly discuss what emerged from building a "co-creation relationship" between Z-generation students and the company during this 15-week practical program.
Beyond the "teaching-learning" relationship, co-creating a world one step ahead.
In this program, implemented as an industry-academia collaboration project between Momoyama Gakuin University's Faculty of Business Design and welzo Co., Ltd., students envisioned the future 10 years from now within welzo's business domains, such as agriculture and horticulture. In March 2026, the "welzo Award" was selected for the most outstanding project, and the winning team presented directly to the President and CEO. How were "new business sprouts" born that transcended existing frameworks? This session will share the reality of this practical experience, where future-oriented companies and education intersect.
■ Talk Session Overview
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026, 17:00-17:50
Venue: Venture Café Fukuoka (ONE FUKUOKA BLDG. 6F, 1-11-1 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Format: Talk session + Networking (in-person event)
Target Audience: Entrepreneurs, local businesses, government officials, students, creators, etc.
Application: https://community.venturecafefukuoka.org/sessions/342
■ Presenting Companies and Speakers
Professor Katsutoshi Fujita, Specially Appointed Professor, PBL Application Course Leader, Faculty of Business Design, Momoyama Gakuin University
After working at Sumitomo Corporation and Accenture, he obtained an MBA from the P.F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University in 2004. From 2005, he served as an executive officer at an IT company, responsible for marketing and business development. After becoming independent in 2010, he founded Project Initiative Inc. Since 2019, he has been a Specially Appointed Professor at Momoyama Gakuin University's Faculty of Business Design.
Motofumi Goto, Director, Biz Promotion Division, welzo Co., Ltd. / Project Leader for this project
After working at operating companies in construction and food service, he entered the consulting industry, engaging in business revitalization and M&A for small and medium-sized enterprises. Subsequently, he supported regional companies at a public-private fund. Currently, at an operating company, he oversees management planning, public relations branding, new business, M&A, and investment. While leading rebranding and DX promotion, he is advancing growth strategies through internal and external collaboration, primarily in the agricultural sector.
■ MC
Mr. Keisuke Sone (CEO/Founder, i-NNO Inc.)
He engaged in marketing and new business development at a major advertising agency and a digital media company. After becoming independent in 2019, he developed businesses centered on marketing, branding, and regional revitalization. He handles promotions for local governments and companies, startup support, and support for overseas companies expanding into the Japanese market.
His strength lies in creating value through co-creation, spanning regional issues and global perspectives.
■ About welzo Co., Ltd.
We, welzo, are an innovation company that provides products and services to enrich sustainable society and people's lives. We develop highly specialized B2B-centric solutions in a wide range of fields including agriculture, livestock and fisheries, food industry, horticulture and floriculture, and living environment, with 24 bases nationwide.
By combining the "nurturing power" cultivated over a history of more than 100 years since our founding and the "delivery power" to bring value to local communities and daily life, we have built a consistent value chain from upstream to downstream. We will pioneer a rich food culture and a happy future for people.
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Head Office |
1-14-3 Hakataekihigashi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
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Representative |
Yoshifumi Kana, President and CEO |
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Established |
August 1952 (Founded August 1921) |
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Capital |
470 million yen |
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Sales |
50,137 million yen (Fiscal year ended December 2024) |
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Business |
A specialized trading company handling mainly agricultural materials, home gardening products, flower-related products, and feed raw materials. |
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Website |
■ About Momoyama Gakuin University
Momoyama Gakuin University was founded in 1959, rooted in an English school established in 1884 that followed the Church of England tradition. In 2024, the academy celebrated its 140th anniversary and the university its 65th anniversary. In addition to practical learning, exemplified by the pioneering problem-solving curriculum of the Faculty of Business Design (Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture), the university offers a rich array of extracurricular programs, including international experience programs, regional collaborations, and volunteer activities.
The university offers 86 programs, both overseas and domestic, that any student can participate in, based on agreements with 67 universities in 26 countries and regions. In 2025, Momoyama Gakuin University will merge with Momoyama Gakuin University of Education and establish the "Faculty of Human Education." In April 2026, the "Faculty of Engineering," its first science-based faculty, will be established.
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University Name |
Momoyama Gakuin University |
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University Location |
【Izumi Campus】1-1 Manabino, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture |
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Representative |
Mizuhiko Nakano, President |
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Established |
1959 |
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Number of Students |
8,116 (as of May 1, 2025) |
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Website |
FAQ
What is the purpose of this event?
To unveil "10-year future business" ideas co-created by Momoyama Gakuin University students and welzo through a 15-week PBL, sharing the outcomes and co-creation process of industry-academia collaboration.
Who can attend this event?
A wide range of individuals interested in new business creation and industry-academia collaboration, including entrepreneurs, local businesses, government officials, students, and creators.
What is the welzo Award?
It is an award given to the most outstanding new business plan developed in Momoyama Gakuin University's PBL Application I course. The winning team had the opportunity to present directly to welzo's president.