HIGASHIO SAKA FACTORies is a project to widely disseminate the appeal of Higashi Osaka's diverse technologies and creative manufacturing through collaboration between city manufacturing companies and designers.

HIGASHIOSAKA FACTORies WEBSITE
https://ho-factories.com

It all began in June 2017. The starting point of this project was to meet the members of the Manufacturing Support Office of the Economic Department of Higashi Osaka City Hall (currently the Urban Attractive Industry Sports Department) with the introduction of Mr. Hajime Yanagibashi, an associate professor of the Department of Cultural Design, Kinki University. As one of Japan's leading manufacturing towns, Higashi-Osaka City has been revitalized through a brand certification system for corporate products in the city and industry-academia collaboration with universities. For a new move, we started by receiving consultations on 'cooperation with professional designers', and in the first year we started as an ’City Brand Formation Promotion Project’.

There are 6,000 companies involved in manufacturing in Higashi-Osaka City, and most of them are mainly engaged in parts manufacturing and wage processing. Many companies are trying to break away from this type of business because it is easily influenced by economic trends and the business conditions of the ordering party. However, product development requires solutions that include not only the value of the product itself, but also the creation of brand value such as business planning, marketing, communication and services, and it is not easy to create successful cases as a business. This is due to the fact that the role of design is increasingly expanding from design in a narrow sense to design in a broader sense, and that there is a growing need to develop products with high added value through design. This project is designed to promote product development as a pilot project for the city by maximizing the use of design, and to disseminate the process and results to strengthen the city's brand power and create new value for companies.

At the start of the project, there were no concrete plans such as ’matching companies with designers', 'design projects', or 'exhibiting at exhibitions.' The project started by sharing the high potential and the problems of the companies, the attractiveness and the history and structure of its industrial development of Higashi Osaka City.

Based on the results of the survey, we have drawn up a medium- to long-term vision for the future together with the Manufacturing Support Office, discussed the planning specifications, and proceeded with the process for each fiscal year.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

OUTLINE OF SPECIFICATIONS

HIGASHIOSAKA FACTORies Business Specifications

(Summary of FY2017-FY2020)

2017

Conducted design seminars/

Hearings through company visits (5 companies) / Discussions for business planning, etc.

2018

Business planning for design project / Art direction and teaser site production

Survey by visiting companies (22 companies) / Open call and selection of companies /
Invitation of designers etc.

2019

Launch of the first phase of the design project / factory tour by all designers and creative team members

Matching of companies and designers / Contract guidance

Sharing of progress up to prototyping / Management of project meetings, etc.

2020

Sharing the progress of the commercialization process / Organizing exhibitions (Japan Shop)

Product photography / Tool production (booth, brochure, website design) / Press release

Press releases, PR support, project meeting management, etc.

In the first phase of the design project, four highly accomplished designers collaborated with four specialized companies in the fields of electric wires, rhombic wire mesh, sheet metal processing, and landscape casting, and the results were presented at an exhibition (JAPAN SHOP).
Ohara Electric Wire Co., Ltd. × Gen Suzuki (GEN SUZUKI STUDIO)
Kyowa Kogyo Co., Ltd. × Hitoshi Kuramoto (JIN KURAMOTO STUDIO)
Nimbari Kosakusho Co., Ltd. x Daisuke Kitagawa (DESIGN FOR INDUSTRY)
Hokusei Kogyo Co., Ltd. x Tomoya Tabuchi (OFFICE FOR CREATION)

The output from this collaboration differed in terms of product categories, characteristics of each business category, and aims of business development, but the project as a whole led to the dissemination of the "industrial and honest manufacturing attitude" that is one of the characteristics of companies in Higashi Osaka.
For companies that have started to expand into new business categories, we continue to provide as much support as possible in cooperation with the city to ensure the success of their business.
The four design projects have been moving through the phases of matching, contracting, prototyping, and launching within the same two-year time frame, and we have shared the progress of each.In addition, we, the creative team, are managing and promoting this project in all phases from project proposal to implementation, which is a tripartite effort organized by the government, companies, and designers.This kind of framework and formation is unique and has attracted a lot of interest as a business model.
We hope that this project will help the participating companies to continue to make great strides freely and keep improving the city's brand power. We hope to continue this outstanding project with the wonderful people who participated in it.

DESIGN PROJECT

DESIGN WITH PUBLIC SECTOR

Think about cities and regions together with the government , draw the future, and implement it. We think there are many different directions for the projects depending on the characteristics and culture of the industry in the area. There is a lot of joy and learning to be had in what design can do for the development of government, business, and their local communities. Collaborating with a creative team of highly specialized people in each field will further expand the possibilities of design. We will continue to expand our activities with the aim of 'creating new value through design' in industry and society.