FUTURE LENS

A social and environmental co-creation program in which local social entrepreneurs and Nikken Sekkei work together to demonstrate the "future of the town."

FUTURE LENS is a collaboration between the keen insights of practitioners addressing social issues in local communities and the expertise and resources in social and environmental design that Nikken Sekkei has cultivated over more than 125 years. By connecting these two elements, we will jointly create a new system that supports the sustainability of local communities.

Modern societal challenges have reached a stage where they cannot be fully solved by a single area of expertise or an individually optimized approach alone. Social infrastructure such as energy, healthcare, transportation, and administrative services are becoming increasingly sophisticated, yet the challenges themselves are intricately intertwined and structurally rigid.

At the forefront of these challenges are social entrepreneurs who are using the power of business to address local issues. These social entrepreneurs possess the most detailed understanding of the situation on the ground and a firm vision for the future.

On the other hand, the reality is that it is difficult to make these increasingly vulnerable social infrastructures the foundation for supporting regional sustainability through the efforts of a single company alone. Multiple businesses need to collaborate to design a system in which space, institutions, services, communities, and the economy are interconnected, and implement it as a "new social infrastructure."

FUTURE LENS is a program that connects the "perspective and practical skills" of social entrepreneurs with Nikken Sekkei's "ability to design social environments" to create "new social infrastructure" that supports regional sustainability. Through the systematization of the value of businesses and the visualization of social issues through this program, we will spread the value proven in the region to society as a whole.

FUTURE LENS is not just a grant program that provides funding.
This is a collaborative demonstration research program lasting up to two years, using "local communities," which are at the forefront of social issues, as its field of study, bringing together the businesses of social entrepreneurs and Nikken Sekkei's expertise in social environmental design.
The program begins with envisioning a "super goal"—the vision of society you want to realize through your project—a step beyond the business you've submitted, together with your co-creation partners, and raising it as a shared banner. It starts with jointly setting a higher goal that a single company alone could not achieve.
To that end, we go beyond simply providing funding for demonstration research. Our co-creation employees, who possess expertise in architecture, urban planning, and systems, act as partners, sometimes even visiting the site, engaging in weekly discussions, and visualizing and structuring the essential value of the project. Rather than "theoretical research," we cultivate the challenges of social entrepreneurs into forms that can be implemented in society through a process of "demonstration" that involves creating and verifying things and spaces in the field.

We formulate questions, structure them, and visualize them. We articulate and structure the essential significance of the business, elevating it to a state where it can be proven as social value.

We will spread the proven value to the community through systems, networks, and spaces, and implement it into society as a sustainable mechanism. *At the end of the year, you will be asked to present your research progress, and we will confirm whether or not to continue.

Three companies selected for the 2025 fiscal year report on the changes they have brought about through approximately one year of co-creation. Details of the initiatives implemented in their respective communities by Orange Medical Corporation (Nagano Prefecture), Kodaira Co., Ltd. (Kagoshima Prefecture), and Suichu Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) are available on NOTE.

The purpose of FUTURE LENS is not limited to solving local social issues. Through this co-creation program, Nikken Sekkei will confront local challenges such as population decline, aging infrastructure, and shrinking infrastructure, and use the insights gained from proactively encountering challenges that may also occur in cities in the future to translate into practical social and environmental design, which will then be implemented in future cities and societies.
The value proven in the community shapes the future of the city—the essence of this program is to help drive that cycle together.

With a view to the medium- to long-term social impact, we will provide demonstration research funding of up to 5 million yen per company per year, and up to 10 million yen over two years, to enable you to take risks and try new things. This funding is for research that goes beyond theoretical considerations and involves creating things and spaces in the field and verifying them.
Co-creation employees are Nikken Sekkei employees who work alongside selected companies for two years. They bring diverse expertise in areas such as architecture, urban planning, environment, and systems, along with their own sense of responsibility, to the project, acting as partners who "formulate questions together." Co-creation employees possess the ability to listen and communicate to grasp the essence of things, the ability to visualize abstract concepts, and the perseverance to stand by those involved even when results are not immediately visible. They are the kind of people who will struggle and run alongside you towards your ultimate goal.

Nikken Sekkei will address challenges such as "not being able to quantify value," "wanting to structure the issues," and "not knowing how to implement solutions in the city" with the expertise it has cultivated.

Nikken Sekkei places the "perspective of social and environmental design," cultivated through many years of practical experience, at the core of its co-creation. It views all phenomena as overlapping layers of people, things, space, industry, and institutions, unravels a single issue from multiple perspectives, and charts a path to implementation. The following three perspectives support this practice:

Located within Nikken Sekkei's offices in Iidabashi and Takebashi, Tokyo, PYNT provides a community where large corporations and local businesses can connect on equal footing. Its key features are its flat structure, both in terms of relationships and accessibility. Furthermore, it offers a platform for events, exhibitions, and workshops, serving as a space for communication and practical experimentation. Through a network of diverse experts interested in solving social issues, it enables access to resources that companies might not be able to reach on their own.
Furthermore, Z&C will support the deepening and expansion of businesses through its management and business development perspectives, its focus on creating social impact, and its nationwide regional network.

Nikken Sekkei and PYNT are seeking proposals that fit into four themes related to their vision of "the future of our towns."

Closer: INCLUSIVE
A city where all people can coexist and everyone can live authentically. Examples: mental health, multicultural coexistence, gender equality, education, childcare.

VIBRANT
A vibrant town full of excitement and fun. Examples: night economy, utilization of historical buildings, community co-creation.

Support: RESILIENT
A city that is prepared for risks and can flexibly respond to the challenges it faces. Examples: mobility, autonomous decentralized urban development, disaster prevention.

Meguru: REGENERATIVE
A city that is kind to the natural environment and realizes sustainable living. Examples: circular urban development, urban nitrogen cycle, waste material manufacturing.

We are looking for companies in a business phase where our two value propositions, "measuring value" and "expanding value," can be effectively utilized. This program targets both "child Zebra companies" (entrepreneurs who conduct social businesses in the local community) and "older brother/sister Zebra companies" (established/mid-sized companies that conduct their main business while also developing businesses for the local community).

This program primarily targets companies that possess a certain level of business foundation and resources, enabling them to proactively promote co-creation.

●They are trying to address the structural challenges of the region through the power of business.
●They are working towards expanding their efforts beyond their own business domain, with a view to extending to the community and society as a whole.
●They are not confined to existing business models or areas of expertise, but are instead seeking new questions and taking on challenges.
●We have the system and the will to undertake demonstration and expansion.

Amount and Period: Up to 5 million yen per business per year (up to 10 million yen over two years). Generally, the program is for two years (continuation will be reviewed annually).
Support Services: Co-creation employees will provide support throughout the project. The Nikken Sekkei PYNT team and Zebras and Company will be responsible for supporting the program's co-creation employees.
*This includes regular meetings with co-creation employees about once a week, and monthly discussions involving Z&C.
*PYNT MEMBERS may participate after prior consultation.

In principle, the same organization or project may participate in other grant and demonstration programs simultaneously. However, please ensure that the grants for each individual initiative covered by this program do not overlap with other grants.

Applications for the second phase of our program are now open. If you are considering participating, please first review the application guidelines and then proceed to pre-registration.