Major Start-Up Support Center Station Ai Opens in Nagoya; ¥15.3 Bil. Facility Built to Bring Together Emerging Companies

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, November 1, 2024

NAGOYA — Station Ai, one of the world’s largest start-up support centers, opened in Nagoya on Thursday.

The seven-floor facility with a total floor area of 23,600 square meters was built by the Aichi prefectural government on prefecture-owned land near Tsuruma Park in the city at a cost of ¥15.3 billion. A subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. is in charge of operating the center.

The facility invites both emerging companies from the automobile industry, Aichi Prefecture’s main industry, and start-ups developing new business models to join, with the aim of making them more competitive.

At the time of opening, about 500 start-up companies and about 200 partner companies, including financial and educational institutions, were registered with the center. The facility aims to bring together about 1,000 member companies — both members using office spaces at the facility and members working remotely — in its first five years.

The facility houses restaurants that can be used by members of the public. The Aichi Founders Museum, which showcases great entrepreneurs related to the prefecture, opened on Friday inside the facility.