News
2026/09/29
[Event Report] Japanese and Canadian Students Tackle Challenges in the Narita Area! “2026 Global Entrepreneurship Program: Canada Segment”
For five days, from August 24 to 28, 2026, the Chiba University Entrepreneurship Center held the Canadian leg of the “2026 Global Entrepreneurship Program” in Toronto, Canada.This program is an overseas component that followed the Japanese segment and online program held in June as part of the GTIE initiative.Ten students from Japan reunited with ten students from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and formed Japan-Canada joint teams to work on bringing business ideas to life centered on the theme of “regional challenges around Narita Airport.”
With support from “DMZ,” an incubator based at TMU, a workshop on creating prototypes using AI tools was held on Day 1. On Day 2, the students conducted street interviews in downtown Toronto to test their hypotheses using the prototypes and carry out real-world market research on pricing.
On Day 3, we had the opportunity to hear firsthand from entrepreneurs through a Founder Talk featuring Brian, CEO of Smooth Commerce, and by observing the Demo Day for DMZ’s student program, “EmBA,” where we experienced their passion and enthusiasm.
On Day 4, the entire team engaged in in-depth discussions to rethink their business models and prepare for their 3-minute pitches, based on the feedback gathered during the fieldwork. Between workshop sessions, students mingled with one another and explored Toronto, fostering deep cross-border teamwork.
On the final day, the “Prototype Showcase & 3-Minute Pitch” event was held, featuring an interactive demo review by the judges.While all teams presented highly polished projects, making the judging process difficult, “Team 3: Timepass Narita,” which proposed a service that comprehensively addresses the pain points of transit travelers, was awarded the Excellence Prize (Prize).
Participating students commented, “We felt a sense of accomplishment in combining regional challenges with the needs of the North American market to develop a business that can compete on the global stage.”
Professor Katagiri of Chiba University’s Entrepreneurship Center, who served on the judging panel, reflected, “I felt a strong sense of confidence watching the students rapidly deepen their business acumen—from the conceptual stage in Japan to the pilot phase in Toronto. Thanks to the strong collaboration with TMU and DMZ, this became a program of exceptionally high quality.”
• Click here for a detailed activity report
https://entrepreneurship-center.chiba-u.jp/program/2026-202682428.html
• Click here for the report on the Japan segment