■ Akita Prefecture

October 2021 – February 2022

We were entrusted with the “Digital Technology Utilization Consultation Tour” project aimed at promoting the introduction of digital technologies, including AI and IoT, for businesses within Akita Prefecture. Our company held lectures and consultation sessions for industry associations, bringing together members with expertise across various sectors, including private, public, and global industries. Additionally, after the consultation sessions, we organized and provided feedback based on the consultation records, helping participating businesses accumulate valuable knowledge.

【Challenges】

・ Severe labor shortage (rise in effective job openings ratio) (July) … National 1.15, Akita Prefecture 1.62 ・ Low labor productivity: Akita’s secondary industry labor productivity is 74.6% of the national average ・ Disproportionate concentration of human resources in information-related companies: No ICT department … 82.0% (FY2019 DI Office) ・ Low share of the information industry in national sales: ¥17 million per person (69.6% of the national average)

【Support Provided】

We held “Digital Technology Utilization Lectures” and “Consultation Sessions on the Introduction of Digital Technologies” at industry association meetings and various events in Akita Prefecture. ・ Coordinating the lecture locations and themes ・ Listening to the issues faced by industry associations and formulating lecture content to address them ・ Selecting and dispatching lecturers ・ Conducting the lecture and consultation sessions ・ Conducting post-event surveys and reporting
 

【Results/Outcomes】

We held lectures and consultation sessions for 5 organizations (including forestry and sake brewing industries). The sessions included 26 participants for the lectures and 21 participants for the consultations.

・ Importance of DX (Digital Transformation), and the consequences for companies not engaging in DX ・ Utilization of data ・ Identifying challenges related to digitization ・ Proposals for specific tools and systems ・ Formulating short, medium, and long-term plans considering the start of efforts and how to parallel current operations ・ Advice on selecting members to promote DX projects ・ Guidance on utilizing subsidies