Blog assignment : How Japanese government use social network analysis to increase start-up companies

Currently, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japanese central government, is trying to increase more start-up companies in Japan. Therefore, they will re-develop a financing policy during this year. Also, they have been providing some business conference and training to people who are eager to start their start-up. In fact, this activity has just launched since this January. So, there is some potential opportunity to recommend them to implement Social Network Analysis (SNA) into their activity in order to encourage people to establish Start-up Company.

◆ Problem / Challenges◆

-       There is no database which the government helps people connecting each other

　As I mentioned former statement, even though the government provides some business conference and training, I don’t believe it is enough and sufficient to encourage people, also it is not affected the increase of start-up companies directly.

　Main problem is that the government is not organizing data as people attending the conference and training. Therefore, they cannot track who are eager to do start-up companies. Moreover, they can help people connecting expert if they can collaborate with universities and laboratories, or some venture capital which can support financing.

　If the government really wants to increase the number of start-up companies in order to create new job opportunities, they must have database and they support people connecting each other to exchange their knowledge and idea. Also, they can create some community for people in order to do business together.

◆Solution◆

-       Creating database and gathering data from people who wants to do start-up business

Data set

Ø  Personal basic information (name, age, gender, location, background)

Ø  Business relative information (current status, specialty, business idea, the person whom this person is looking for, experience, etc.)

Once the government gathers above data, they can analyze these data by using tools. Some examples of the way to use this data analysis are as below:

Ø  Finding potential business partners among people who are looking for some experts, universities, and laboratories

Ø  Creating communities for people who have same knowledge, business idea, or background, etc.

　If the government could collect data and do analysis, it would be beneficial not only people who are willing to do start-up, but also the government itself because creating connection and communities could have influence to job creation, and economic growth.