Manufacturing companies from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures gathered in Ichinoseki for the 12th Company Information Exchange on February 21st (held by the Southern Technology Research Center at Ichinoseki’s General Gymnasium in Kozenji). 63 companies and 19 organizations gathered to talk about their activities and products, as well as to improve both their technologies and their relationships with one another.

Manufacturers of metal products, electronic parts, plastics, and more (as well as construction companies, support organizations, and educational facilities) set up displays where they showed off product samples and talked about their unique technologies and techniques.

There were even some companies that used the Pepper robot to attract visitors to their booths (Pepper is a humanoid robot developed by Softbank). There were PR presentations that explored various technologies in-depth, and visitors visited each booth to talk with representatives as well as learn more about company programs and unique characteristics.

Second-year students from Senmaya High School also came to the event to talk with companies in order to learn more about what possibilities their futures could hold. One student, Yusuke Minakawa, said, “The presentation on software was interesting. I’d like to look at all the booths to learn more about what I can do in the future.”

Director of the Southern Technology Research Center, Tsugikatsu Odashima, said, “We held this event to uncover what sorts of local industry exists here already. In order for the regions outside of major cities to be successful going forward, it is vital that companies cooperate and coordinate with each other. New industries will develop from the relationships made between companies.”

After the exhibition, a seminar and reception was held at Bellino Hotel, also in Ichinoseki. There, Director of Microsoft Japan’s Microsoft Technology Center, Madoka Sawa, gave a seminar entitled, “I’ll teach you what you need to outlast the upcoming Era of AI.”