Zero One Booster Inc. (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: George Goda; “01Booster”) announced that it will operate the “Hyogo Open Innovation Promotion Project (Hyogo Open Innovation X)” commissioned by Hyogo Prefecture (Kobe City, Hyogo; Governor: Motohiko Saito) in partnership with Minato Bank, Ltd. (head office: Kobe City, Hyogo; President and Representative Director: Hideki Mochimaru). “Hyogo Open Innovation X” is a program for companies in Hyogo Prefecture that provides integrated support from setting new business themes to collaboration with startups and proof-of-concept initiatives, leading to concrete business creation. It is designed for companies seeking to create new businesses and those aiming to transform through external collaboration. Through cooperation with support organizations across the prefecture, the program also aims to build a regional innovation ecosystem where new businesses can be generated continuously. The program will begin with “New Business and Open Innovation Entry Seminars” held in three locations in Hyogo Prefecture: Kobe, Amagasaki, and Himeji. Applications for each seminar are now open. “Hyogo Open Innovation X” aims to support new business creation among companies in Hyogo and promote open innovation as one strategic option. The program offers end-to-end support for organizing business strategies and challenges, designing business models and building hypotheses, matching with startups, and providing hands-on support toward PoC implementation. Rather than merely offering matching opportunities, it is a practical program focused on business creation and aims to build ongoing co-creation relationships between local companies and startups. The entry seminars are intended for companies interested in new business development or startup collaboration. They will cover the fundamentals of new business creation for corporate growth, why open innovation is needed now, how to create businesses through startup collabor