Civic Innovation Hub “SUNABA” in Shiojiri City
TIMELINE
April 2018 – March 2020 (space is ongoing)
CHALLENGE
• Developing local facilitators for business creation.
• Cultivating an organizational culture rooted in “WHY.”
• Empowering city officials through entrepreneurial training.
• Cultivating an organizational culture rooted in “WHY.”
• Empowering city officials through entrepreneurial training.
OUR APPROACH
We acted as the “Strategic Anchor” by embedding our team within Shiojiri City Hall for six months. We overhauled internal communication through agile methodologies and digital tools (Slack), transforming traditional bureaucrats into proactive ecosystem builders capable of mentoring local startups.
IMPACT
In just two years, SUNABA became a self-sustaining hub with a culture distinct from conventional government offices. It has successfully fostered a new generation of civic entrepreneurs and now attracts a steady stream of collaborative R&D projects from across Japan.
