President Nobuyuki Toshikuni

The Sakai City Industrial Promotion Center was created by integrating the Sakai City Small & Medium Sized Company Promotional Foundation formulated on Aug. 8, 1957 and the South Osaka Local Industrial Promotional Foundation established on Aug. 16, 1985 when Sakai city became an ordinance-designated city on April 1, 2005.

As a comprehensive base for supporting small and medium sized companies in Sakai city, the Industrial Promotion Center has provided support to small and medium sized companies that has changed with the times including, management guidance and consultations, financial support, promotion of traditional industries and furthermore, coordination between industry, academia and the government, support of business expansion and eco-businesses.

Since the Kofun Period, a culture of using iron has been passed down through time in the area. During the Middle Ages, it thrived as a major manufacturing area of guns and the blacksmith technology used to produce guns has crossed the ages and continues to be used in advanced manufacturing technology used by companies in the city today. A wide variety of companies are located in Sakai city including coast industries such as industries involved in new energy and material industries, while traditional companies are located inland such as metal working and bicycle and Sakai knife manufacturing. The area is one of the few areas in Japan that still manufactures a large number of products in Japan.

In the future, while the business environment is becoming more stringent due to increased global competition from the rapid development of emerging countries, the Sakai city government will strengthen its industrial promotion policies and coordination with industries to maximize this foundation's talent and know-how and help support the stable development of small to medium sized companies and foster new industries. I will be devoting all of my energies to achieving a vibrant industrial city here in Sakai.