Tokyo: Where Urban Challenges Meet Global Innovation
More than half of the world’s population now live and work in cities. By 2050, rapid urbanization will spur nearly 7 in 10 to take root in cities, which currently generate more than 80% of global GDP.[1]
The speed and scale of urbanization brings its own challenges, including the scarcity of affordable housing and renewed pressures on transport, healthcare and energy infrastructure. But cities are also the bedrock of innovation, where solutions to the greatest challenges can be found.
An Engine of Global Innovation
As the world’s largest city by metropolitan area, Tokyo leads by example. From artificial intelligence and robotics to culture and cuisine, Tokyo is a financial, technological and cultural hub, consistently ranked as one of the world’s safest, most secure cities.[2]
As the capital of Japan, Tokyo is also the engine of Japan’s growth. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG)'s 16.1 trillion yen ($109 billion) budget in the 2023 fiscal year was as large as some national budgets, including that of Austria (16.3 trillion yen; $110 billion) and Sweden (15 trillion yen; $101 billion). TMG is using its largest budget to date to invest in a smart and environmentally friendly city, guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And TMG is now working to strengthen Tokyo’s reputation as a hub for startup innovation.
Notably, in 2023, TMG earmarked 28.6 billion yen ($19.3 million) to bolster the startup ecosystem, with city tech being an area of focus. By identifying and supporting transformative urban solutions, Tokyo is creating renewed momentum among the global community to actively design greener, more inclusive and resilient cities.
Cities as a Force for Change
“Humanity is now caught in a maelstrom of unprecedented complex crises such as the climate crisis and an unstable international order. But these harsh circumstances present us with a game-changing moment. The players here are not someone else. They are we ourselves,” notes KOIKE Yuriko, Governor of Tokyo.
To become a crucial engine of global innovation and drive progress on the SDGs, TMG collaborates with cities across the world, sharing ideas through global conferences and exhibitions on climate action, digital transformation, finance, culture, technology and other industries.
Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo (SusHi Tech Tokyo)
At the heart of TMG’s initiatives to create “sustainable new value” is Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo (SusHi Tech Tokyo). This annual event aims to help city leaders, startups and innovators—and anyone thinking about the future of cities—overcome global urban challenges through cutting-edge technology, diverse ideas and digital know-how.
“In a rapidly changing global society, it is important that Tokyo takes on the challenge of structurally transforming industry, economy and society by leveraging its urban concentration and attractiveness,” explains MIYASAKA Manabu, Vice Governor and Chief Information Officer of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. “We want SusHi Tech Tokyo to be an opportunity for global innovators to expand internal and external connections, leading to investment and open innovation.”
A key initiative to accelerate such innovation and global idea-sharing is SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024, which will be held in the scenic Tokyo Bay Area from April to May. It will consist of three signature programs: the Showcase Program, a hands-on exploration of future city models that is expected to draw 500,000 participants; the City Leaders Program, the summit-level conference of city leaders from five continents; and the Global Startup Program, Asia's largest global innovation conference, with an expected 40,000 participants.
Showcase Program
From April to May 2024, this month-long experiential program for all ages will reimagine what the future of Tokyo could look like: a sustainable city that blends nature with convenience.
Across four vibrant venues set against the backdrop of Tokyo Bay, immersive models of next-generation mobility, food tech and other future-inspired, cutting-edge technologies will drive excitement and behavioral change among visitors.
City Leaders Program
Fostering deep intercity connections, collaborations with startups and experiences with cutting-edge technologies are crucial in helping city leaders create new solutions for shared urban challenges.
The City Leaders Program in mid-May will bring together city leaders from five continents for connected dialogue on realizing sustainable societies and creating new value.
Global Startup Program
An expansion of City-Tech.Tokyo, the Global Startup Program is now one of Asia’s largest startup events. Various stakeholders, including leading startups from Asia and around the world, investors, large corporations, city leaders and student entrepreneurs, will gather in Tokyo to foster open innovation across five key themes: infrastructure, environment, living, culture and impact—with social impact investing being a newly added theme of SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024.
Sessions by global and Japanese industry leaders will explore the kind of future that can be realized through innovation and clarify the next steps in creating fast-growing markets. In addition, the SusHi Tech Challenge, featuring the world’s leading startups, is Asia's largest pitch competition. More than 500 companies applied for the competition in 2024, surpassing the previous year. In addition to the grand prize of 10 million yen ($68,000), there are also supplementary prizes, which will give startups an opportunity to pitch to large corporations and sharpen their competitive edge.
From Tokyo to Tomorrow
“Cities are an accumulation of technologies,” says Miyasaka. “And as technology continues to transform cities, cross-border dialogue and collaborative thinking are the building blocks of sustainable societies.”
Through SusHiTech Tokyo 2024's unique Global Startup Program, startup companies in Japan and abroad will have a unique opportunity to co-create a new vision for sustainable cities. And with more than two-thirds of startup exhibitors hailing from overseas, the Global Startup Program is scheduled to be held in English to create encounters that have not yet been made, while simultaneously facilitating matching between overseas and Japanese startups, investors and other ecosystem players. Discover the future of cities, startups and innovation from April 27 to May 26—only at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024.
