Osaka Prefecture teams up with 23 private companies to support the elderly and realize a smart city

Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura (front row, center) with 23 participating companies (February 7, Osaka City/Provided by Osaka Prefecture)

As one of the "Osaka Smart City Strategy" promoted by Osaka Prefecture, the "Osaka Smart Senior Life Demonstration Project" started on February 1st with private companies. On the 7th, a press conference was held by the business promotion council, and representatives of each group gathered to explain the details of the project. [Source] 23 participating companies This project is a public-private partnership to build a platform for "supporting elderly people to live active, healthy and convenient lives." From 2021, they are looking for cooperating companies and participants so that they can use digital terminals such as tablets to use government and private services. There are 23 participating companies, including Osaka Gas, Ono Pharmaceutical, Sumitomo Life, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Tokio Marine & Nichido, SoftBank, Resona Bank, and Microsoft. Services include online medical care, shopping agency, medicine notebook, exercise guidance, dementia prevention, personalized medical care, local event information, online karaoke, hobby gatherings, electronic circulation boards, disaster prevention evacuation guidance, job matching, watching... Words of support for the elderly are lined up. Tomomi Tsubota, chairman of the Osaka Smart Senior Life Demonstration Project Promotion Council, explained, "(Osaka Prefecture and a private company) started this project by splitting the bill." Although the amount of the budget is not disclosed, it is said that private companies contribute to the council's budget (the prefectural government's budget for fiscal 2021 is about 100 million yen). The demonstration project will begin on February 1, targeting approximately 1,000 people in three areas: Minami Ward, Sakai City (the entire area including Senboku New Town), Kawachinagano City (Minami Hanadai), and Sayama City, Osaka (Sayama New Town). . A dedicated tablet will be lent free of charge, and after analyzing the usage status of various services, it plans to connect it to future business development.