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Society is currently undergoing accelerating and revolutionary change.
The Kansai New Business Conference is committed to creating a "Kansai full of the spirit of challenge toward new dreams and hopes" with the core themes of "nurturing young entrepreneurs" and "supporting venture companies".
Therefore, in 2025, the 35th anniversary of Kansai NBC, we will hold a commemorative event at the Osaka Kansai Expo site, "Nurturing innovative entrepreneurs and fostering entrepreneurial momentum among junior and senior high school students (name: Kansai NBC Commemorative Event "Kansai NBC Festa")". In addition, by holding the event at the "TEAM EXPO Pavilion" during the theme week "SDGs + Beyond", we aim to further revitalize the Kansai economy.
By having each participating organization register for the co-creation challenge, it will be an opportunity to interact and co-create with people who could not be met through conventional activities.

【Reflection】
The Kansai New Business Conference (Kansai NBC) leverages the broad regional reach of the Kansai area — covering two prefectures and five administrative regions — and the unique strengths of an organization composed of local business leaders and entrepreneurs. As the core institution for promoting new business creation in the Kansai region, Kansai NBC fulfills its mission by hosting the “Kansai NBC Festa” every year as a platform for generating successful new business cases.

In an era of rapid and transformative societal change, Kansai NBC is fully committed to creating a Kansai region brimming with entrepreneurial spirit, new dreams, and hope for the future, with a strong focus on nurturing young entrepreneurs and supporting venture businesses.

In 2025, marking Kansai NBC’s 35th anniversary, a commemorative project was held at the Osaka–Kansai Expo venue under the theme of “Developing Evolving Entrepreneurs and Inspiring the Next Generation of Future Entrepreneurs—Centered on Middle and High School Students.” This event took the form of “Kansai NBC Festa 2025.” It was held during the Expo’s themed week, “SDGs + Beyond: Designing a Future Society for Our Lives,” at the TEAM EXPO Pavilion, with the goal of further revitalizing the Kansai economy.

On stage, venture entrepreneurs and future business leaders presented their visions and proposals for the future. As part of the “Kansai NBC New Business Award 2025,” an award program recognizing companies and organizations that develop original and marketable new businesses in the Kansai region—or individuals aiming to realize innovative business plans—seven companies took the stage to showcase their unique business models and cutting-edge technologies.

In addition, the high school business plan contest “Kansai NBC B-hack 2025” was held, featuring both the final selection and award ceremony aimed at nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs. The contest brought together 40 students from 21 high schools, who presented business concepts with a forward-looking vision for the future. As part of a special exhibition, one junior high school student from Tochigi Prefecture and four high school students from Taiwan also gave presentations.

In the exhibition area, presentations were accompanied by displays introducing the presenters, past award-winning companies, and supporting organizations.

Holding the event on the global stage of the Expo attracted significant attention from domestic and international visitors and media, providing a powerful opportunity to showcase innovation and entrepreneurial culture originating from the Kansai region to the world. This in turn contributed to strengthening the regional brand. Moreover, for young entrepreneurs and students, it served as an invaluable experience in developing their business ideas with a global perspective.

Through these multifaceted outcomes, the Festa has made a substantial contribution to promoting new business development and revitalizing the regional economy in the Kansai area.


【Post EXPO Initiatives】
At Kansai NBC Festa 2025, many innovative plans inspired by the Expo’s theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” and its concept “People’s Living Lab” were presented. As a result, both the Kansai NBC B-hack and the Kansai NBC New Business Awards have evolved and deepened further, marking a significant step toward the future.

Looking ahead, the Festa aims to move beyond solving familiar, local issues to address challenges on a global scale. The plan announced this year to solve the problems related to escalators—originally developed during the Expo 50 years ago—symbolizes the effort to learn from the past while overcoming today’s challenges and identifying new ones for the next fifty years. In addition, by building on the bilingual presentation experience gained at the Expo, the Festa seeks to promote multilingual presentations, enhance international communication, and create a platform where innovative ideas from around the world can gather.

Furthermore, a new award system will be established to raise awareness that “everyone is a creator of the future,” encouraging cross-generational participation and collaboration among children, university students, and professionals. Through these initiatives, Kansai NBC aims to build a systematic support framework linking B-hack to the New Business Award (Business Plan Division) and then to the New Business Award (Entrepreneur Division), continuously creating an environment where “those who keep dreaming” can shape the future together.

These efforts will serve as a powerful driving force to support the evolution of entrepreneurs and to foster an entrepreneurial spirit. Guided by the belief that “the future is shaped by the actions we take today,” Kansai NBC Festa 2026 is expected to become another historic milestone on this journey of innovation and collaboration.