Research Programs: Regional Economies

Regional economies as platforms for the emergence of innovation

Project Leader/Sub-Leader

HAMAGUCHI Nobuaki

HAMAGUCHI Nobuaki (Program Director and Faculty Fellow)

Leader

Overview

This study focuses on innovation and regional revitalization, which are a major focus of the government’s growth strategy, and which are particularly important to local economies. With regard to innovation, there is a need to strengthen the creation of startups in non-metropolitan regions. In this study, we analyze the growth factors of startups and the external factors that are required for the startup ecosystem by creating a questionnaire based on the literature review of previous studies on startups and conducting a survey of companies. With regard to regional revitalization, the study will basically examine in depth the regional characteristics of resources that are ubiquitous throughout the country and make them into distinctive regional resources, differentiate products to be able to supply a wide market both domestically and internationally, and attract tourists and capture external demand by placing them at the core of town development, which is integrated with the historical and cultural background of the region. The sake brewing industry will be studied as a case study of an industry that has a distinctive approach to attracting tourists and capturing external demand. Additionally, we will do research that analyzes the results of a questionnaire survey of office workers in large cities regarding their evaluation of working styles based on which form of activity-based communication decision (formal/tacit) leads to the creation of a non-resident population that is interested in participating in activities in the region.

April 17, 2023 - September 30, 2025

(During the research project period, the research activity period is set from April 17, 2023 to March 31, 2025, and the data usage reporting period is set from April 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025.)

Major Research Results

2024

RIETI Discussion Papers