Tokyo, Japan – April 26, 2023 – Mapbox Japan G.K., a leading provider of digital map development platforms, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Tokyo International University of Technology (TIU) in their practical training program, "Regional Co-Creation Design Practice." This initiative, which commenced on April 12, 2023, aims to nurture digital talent by integrating digital map development into the curriculum.

In this program, students analyze social issues through information visualized on maps and propose and create digital maps that contribute to people's lives. Through this practice, Mapbox Japan, in collaboration with the university, aims to foster students' ability to identify and solve problems. One of the objectives is to promote the creation of digital map development talent as part of digital human resource development.

Significance of digital maps

In recent years, digital maps have been utilized not only for route guidance but also for weather and disaster information, increasing their versatility as information services that benefit people's lives. Furthermore, by visualizing vast amounts of data, they enhance visibility and intuitive understanding, making them valuable as analytical IT technologies in corporate marketing tools. Therefore, fostering "digital map talent" contributes to the government's promotion of digital human resource development.

Program details

In this practice, utilizing Mapbox features, students will plan and produce digital maps that contribute to people's lives, such as delivery services for elderly people living alone and evacuation routes in the event of a disaster. After that, students will proceed to "Solution Development I and II" in the third and fourth years, where they will conduct more advanced development. Mapbox Japan plans to support these series of collaborative practices. Additionally, by brushing up the service quality of the digital maps created by students in practice with the support of Mapbox Japan to the level of commercialization, they aim to widely publicize their usefulness.

About Tokyo International University of Technology

As Japan's first new university specializing in "AI, IoT, and Robotics" and "Games and CG," it opened in April 2020. With advanced practical education in collaboration with the global ICT and digital content industry, it produces "digital talent" who can work globally. Led by President Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, former president of the University of Tokyo, the faculty includes researchers with high achievements in their respective fields and practitioners from renowned companies such as IBM, Panasonic, NTT, Bandai Namco Studios, and NHK, enabling students to acquire advanced practical and applied skills that meet the needs of the industry and society.