News Release
A Core Facility of Umekita Grand Front Osaka, KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Opens on Friday, April 26, 2013
- An Intellectual Creation Base to Generate New Value from the Exchange of Knowledge -
Apr 22, 2013
OSAKA, Japan-April 22, 2013-KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Association and KMO Corporation (hereinafter, "KMO") announce that they have finalized the details concerning KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL (Grand Front Osaka, Ofuka-cho 3-1, Kita-ku, Osaka City) that will open on Friday, April 26, 2013.
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL, a core facility of Umekita Grand Front Osaka, is a multi-purpose facility designed to create new value from the fusion of human creativity and technology. It aims to create hitherto unseen products and services and tap hitherto unused human resources from the interactions of a wide variety of people, ranging from ordinary consumers to world-class technical experts, corporations, research institutes, and universities. KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Association and KMO Corporation intend to operate the KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL facility, provide a place (the facility) and the functions (human support), and realize industry creation, cultural introductions, international exchanges, and human resources development at KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL.
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Association will operate the facility in an organic manner by coordinating such component facilities as Knowledge Salon, a members-only salon where people can interact, Collabo Office, small-scale offices that can be rented, Collabo Office nx, an activities base for next-generation human resources, Knowledge Office, an office space for innovation creation, Conference Rooms that can be rented for meetings, Knowledge Theater, a 381-seat multipurpose theater, KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Congrés Convention Center, an urban-type conference facility also suitable for international conferences, The Lab., an interaction floor where people can look at, come in contact with, and discuss leading-edge technologies, and Future Life Showroom, a communication space for companies and consumers. Furthermore, the "Communicators," namely, people who facilitate communication between participants, and between participants and visitors, will be made available with the overall aim of developing collaborations and cultivating people's potential in order to create new stars.
| Facility name | KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL |
|---|---|
| Operating organization | KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Association KMO Corporation |
| Opening date | Friday, April 26, 2013 |
| Business hours | 10:00-21:00 (Some component facilities may have differing business hours) |
| Fee | Free of charge (Some component facilities are fee-based) |
| URL | http://kc-i.jp/en/ |
| Access | ＜Stations close by＞ Osaka Station (JR West) Umeda Station (Osaka Subway Midosuji Line) Umeda Station (Hankyu Railway) Umeda Station (Hanshin Electric Railway) Higashi-Umeda Station (Osaka Subway Tanimachi Line) Nishi-Umeda Station (Osaka Subway Yotsubashi Line) Kitashinchi Station (JR West Tozai Line)  |
| Address | Grand Front Osaka (North Complex)Ofuka-cho 3-1, Kita-ku, Osaka |
| Floors | B2 through F8, and F10 (B-Block), and F13 (C-Block) |
| Total floor space | Approx. 88,200 m2 |
Developers of Grand Front Osaka, Umekita Phase 1 Development
NTT Urban Development Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, ORIX Real Estate Corporation, KANDEN FUDOSAN CO., LTD., Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co, Ltd., Sekisui House, Ltd., Takenaka Corporation, Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd., Nippon Tochi-Tatemono Co., Ltd., Hankyu Corporation, The Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Ltd., Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.
| 1987 | In association with the Japan National Railway (JNR) privatization reform, Umeda Cargo Station site was transferred to the JNR Settlement Corporation |
|---|---|
| 2004 March | Established the Osaka Station North District Urban Development Promotion Association |
| July | Announced the Osaka Station North District Basic Urban Development Plan (Osaka City) |
| November | Established the Osaka Station North District Urban Development Promotion Organization |
| 2006 February | Commenced acceptance of the developer applications for the Blocks A, B and C in the Phase 1 area (Decisions in May and November 2006) |
| 2010 March | Started construction work |
| 2013 March | Completion |
| 2013 April 26 | Grand opening (planned) |
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Facilities
Concept of KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL aims to bring together company representatives, researchers, creators, and others who share the same aspirations in order to create new intellectual values through a fusion of human creativity and technology. Acting as a participatory space for polishing mutually creative activities, KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL will facilitate the commencement of new projects through the cooperation people whose abilities transcend their fields of expertise, together with fostering the feedback of large numbers of participating members of the general public. People will be brought together, and new values will be introduced to the world and to the future that awaits us all.
■Logo Mark of KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL
The logo mark of KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL comprises an "i" suggesting the first person "I" perspective of a variety of people, together with standing for "innovation." The fundamental value held by KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL is the worth of "people." This then leads to innovations that are created on a stage in which the participating players consider themselves as an "i". The logo mark encapsulates the diversity of these differing "i"s, and suggests their vibrant creative activities.
■The core value of "OMOSIROI"
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL upholds the core value of "OMOSIROI," which both refers to the Japanese word for "interesting" and carries the additional meaning of a moment of sudden revelation or insight. The spirit of "OMOSIROI" is created by diverse people coming together and enjoying themselves, and leads on to "knowledge innovation," namely, the creation of new value based on knowledge.
Overseas Tie-ups and Awards
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL is building tie-ups with overseas institutions centered on Asia, including Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company, Korea Creative Content Agency, Taipei Computer Association, and Singapore Media Development Authority. In December 2012, overseas institutions were invited to conduct events as award previews. After opening, KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL will promote the birth of new stars by developing three types of awards: international awards, KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL participator awards, and student awards.
Entities Offering Joint Sponsorship of KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL
To sustain and develop KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL, the project is being jointly sponsored by entities from a wide variety of fields, including the social, economic, academic and scientific/technological spheres.
Osaka Prefectural Government, Osaka City, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Kinki bureau of Telecommunications, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kinki Regional Development Bureau
Urban Renaissance Agency, Kansai Economic Federation, Kansai Association of Corporate Executives, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kansai-Osaka 21st Century Association, Association of Media in Digital, Osaka University, Osaka City University
Communicators
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL will provide specialized staff known as "knowledge communicators" (provisional name) to invigorate communication. These are core staffers for the operation, always working with an awareness of the need to realize the concept of KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL. They work across boundaries of the major component facilities to plan, develop, and conduct activities, promote collaboration, impart information, provide feedback to the visitors' reactions and opinions, and offer guided tours. There will be a staff of about ten communicators, and they will start receiving their training programs from Professor Oriza Hirata of the Center for the Study of Communication-Design, Osaka University, Professor Nobuyuki Ueda of Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Articles, and specialists in scientific communication, workshop design, and future centers. The communicators are being developed into key KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL workers.
Organization's Profile
The two operating organizations are working together closely to sustain the concept of KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL, thereby contributing to the rebuilding of the Kansai economic region from the starting point of Grand Front Osaka.
| Organization name | KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL Association |
|---|---|
| Address | KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL 7F Grand Front Osaka Ofuka-cho 3-1, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0011 |
| Established | June 20, 2012 |
| Board members | Representative Director Hideo Miyahara Senior Director Yutaka Mabuchi Director Hiroaki Nishina Director Soichiro Hayashi Director Yasuhiko Kumojima |
| Employees | KMO Corporation and 12 developers of Grand Front Osaka |
| Scope of business | Operate enterprises under the direct management of Knowledge Capital, establish external partnerships to contribute to the growth of Knowledge Capital, and otherwise promote public-interest initiatives. |
| Company name | KMO Corporation |
|---|---|
| Address | KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL 7F Grand Front Osaka Ofuka-cho 3-1, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0011 |
| Established | April 1, 2009 |
| Board members | President Yutaka Mabuchi Director Hiroaki Nishina Director Soichiro Hayashi Corporate Auditor Yasuhiko Kumojima |
| Executive Advisor | Hideo Miyahara |
| Shareholders | 12 developers of Grand Front Osaka |
| Scope of business | Facility management of KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL and business development |
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Contact Information
ORIX Corporation, Corporate Planning Department
TEL : +81-3-5419-5042
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL official website
URL : http://kc-i.jp/en/
About ORIX
ORIX Corporation (TSE: 8591; NYSE: IX) is an integrated financial services group based in Tokyo, Japan, providing innovative value-added products and services to both corporate and retail customers. With operations in 28 countries and regions worldwide, ORIX’s activities include corporate financial services, such as leases and loans, as well as automobile operations, rental operations, real estate, life insurance, banking and loan servicing. For more details, please visit our website at: http://www.orix.co.jp/grp/en/
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These documents may contain forward-looking statements about expected future events and financial results that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and under “4. Risk Factors” of the “Summary of Consolidated Financial Results” of the “Consolidated Financial Results April 1, 2011– March 31, 2012.” |
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