When the SoftBank-backed Station Ai opens in Nagoya in 2024, it will be Japan’s largest startup facility, as well as the most visible physical embodiment of the city’s ambition to attract young companies, capital and international talent.
The mammoth six-story facility will house startups, provide mentorship facilities and foster global links and programs. It will also be a new selling point as Japan’s fourth-most populous city pitches itself as a startup hub.
Nagoya, which has invested in media trips and promotional materials to put it on the entrepreneurial map, is seeking to transform itself from a manufacturing hub to a center of innovation, drawing on expertise the city already has access to.