Tohoku Economic Federation explains their outline
“The ILC and the Creative Reconstruction” was a symposium held in a hotel in Sendai on May 12th to celebrate the 2016 G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Sendai. The event was organized by the Tohoku Economic Federation (Tokeiren), which explained its outline for a “Grand Design”: a regional development plan being devised around the ILC. They also conveyed their support for the realization of the project.
Tokeiren started work last fall on the Grand Design as a basic concept for developing the region in anticipation of the ILC. In hopes of realizing their outline of “a high quality of life in Tohoku through innovation,” they displayed their plans corresponding to each phase of the ILC project, separated into daily life, tourism, and other areas.
Major initiatives within Tokeiren’s Grand Design Outline
| Preliminary preparatory phase (2016-2018) | ・Share information about Tohoku’s food culture; start developing a brand
・Matching services for local businesses in anticipation of the ILC |
| Preparatory phase (2019-2022) | ・Consider how to welcome and receive people from other regions/countries
・Create demand for wood products by encouraging use in related facilities and other methods |
| ILC Construction phase (2023-2031) | ・Improve daily life, education, and more for foreign researchers and their families
・Encourage use of ILC technology in other industries |
| Operations Start (2032~) | ・Take in students from around Japan and the rest of the world, and aim to become a center of next-generation human resources development
・Create an international community, and start intensive science tourism |
The creation of the Grand Design was formally announced at the general meeting of the Tohoku Council for the Promotion of the ILC, and the council plans to strengthen the structures needed to receive [the ILC and researchers].
Professor Shigeru Ito, a specially-appointed professor at Waseda University and Head of the Design Deliberation Committee, gave the keynote speech. He explained, “Tohoku is blessed with hard bedrock, and has a history of producing brilliant scientists. It has the technological capability to create a precision accelerator.” Furthermore, he stressed his support by saying, “Of course there will be effects on the economy, but [with the ILC] the world’s knowledge base will reach a new level. If we can contribute to that, Japan will be held in high regard by the entire world.”
The panel saw an exchange of ideas between 4 researchers and Ms. Yukie Chida, director of Chida Precision Products (Oshu City).
The G7 event will be held on 5/20-21, mainly within Sendai City. The Tohoku Council for the Promotion of the ILC will have a special display on the ILC and hand out related materials at the reception on the 19th. Sendai Mayor Emiko Okuyama, who is also the director of the Council, expressed her desire that the ILC be realized: “As the host of the G7 event, I want us to share a great amount of information on Tohoku’s reconstruction. As we consider how to creatively rebuild the region, there’s nothing that can beat the ILC.”