1. About the agreement:

Based on this partnership agreement, an agricultural learning facility will be established in F Village in 2023, where adults and children can learn about and enjoy agriculture. The facility is aimed to promote sustainable development of agriculture, which is a key industry in Hokkaido.
Visitors will be able to see the cultivation of crops using state-of-the-art agricultural technologies such as smart agriculture. In addition, we aim to nurture the next generation through agricultural experiences and educational programs, create communities around agriculture, and encourage inter-industry social exchange (exchange between producers and consumers, cooperation, and collaboration with neighboring farmers, etc.).
We plan to showcase our "vision for the future of agriculture" from the vast land of Hokkaido.

Features:

• - Exhibition and introduction of agricultural technologies
• - Fostering the next generation of agriculture
• - Educational activities such as stimulating youth interest in agriculture and nutrition education
• - Community creation and inter-industry social exchange activities centered on agriculture
• - Contribution to Hokkaido's agriculture
• - Promotion of SDGs related activities

2. Facility Overview:

• - Area: Construction area: approx. 1,700 ㎡ / Total floor area: approx. 2,400 ㎡ (1st floor: 1,650 ㎡, 2nd floor: 750 ㎡)
• - Exhibition and experience (tentative)

Statements

Koji Kawamura, President of FSE

“The development of the next generation of youth and sustainable city planning are important themes in our ballpark concept, and agriculture, which is also a key industry in Hokkaido, is closely related to these two themes. The three parties agreed that the ballpark would be the starting point for communicating the future of agriculture, and this led to the conclusion of a partnership agreement on the establishment of agricultural learning facilities and sustainable development of agriculture. I hope that this will become a symbolic project that supports the future of agriculture by demonstrating the strengths of each of the three parties, working together to educate young people and create opportunities for diverse people to interact with each other, and by fostering interest in and appreciation of agriculture.”

Yuichi Kitao, President of Kubota Corporation

”We advocate "For Earth, For Life", and our mission is to work on solving social issues in the areas of food, water and the environment. In addition, we are promoting "solutions to enhance food productivity and safety" under our long-term vision "GMB2030," "Platform to support life." Therefore, we are delighted to have this opportunity to work in Hokkaido, a major production center for agricultural products. We would like to the visitors to experience the bright future of agriculture and provide a place where they can learn not only about agriculture, but also about food and the environment.”

Kiyohiro Houkin, President of Hokkaido University

“Although it is a coincidence of history, I feel very honored to be able to participate in this project today in Kitahiroshima City, where the phrase by Dr. Clark "Boys be ambitious" was born. At the same time, I feel a responsibility to further develop our university's education and research in agriculture. The Smart Agriculture Education and Research Center (tentative name), which is scheduled to open in the university in 2022, will also be used as a satellite farm to conduct operational experiments with F　Village through remote control, and will work to solve various issues surrounding agriculture through practical application of cutting-edge technology.

Kubota Corporation

Since its establishment in 1890, Kubota has contributed to people's lives through the development of modern water supply systems by domestically producing iron pipes for water supply, and through the mechanization of agriculture to increase food production and save labor. Today, in addition to agricultural machinery and iron pipes for water supply, Kubota is working to solve problems in the fields of food, water, and the environment in more than 120 countries and regions around the world by providing solutions through a variety of products and technologies, including construction machinery, industrial engines, and environment-related equipment.

Hokkaido University

Once known as Sapporo Agricultural College, established in 1876 as Japan's first bachelor's degree granting institution, Hokkaido University leads innovation with government agencies, administrations, and private companies as an international collaborative research and education center for robust agriculture, forestry, and fisheries engineering. It aims to make the food value chain robust by incorporating the concept of production engineering into the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries.