The International Blind Football Foundation (IBF Foundation), the Japan Blind Football Association (JBFA) and Skylight Consulting Inc. (Skylight) have launched the VISI-ONE Innovation Hub. This is a new initiative to create innovations to solve vision-related challenges through cooperation between companies, start-ups and people with vision challenges, including participants not only from Japan but also from overseas.
In order to create a better future for people with visual challenges*, the project brings together visually impaired people, blind football organisations and organisations that support the visually impaired, and a diverse range of stakeholders, including large companies, start-ups, investors, researchers and technology developers, with the aim of jointly creating products, services and solutions. In addition to contributing to the support of people with visual challenges, it also provides opportunities for new business creation and technological innovation for major companies and technology start-ups.
*Visual challenges: general term for functional, ability and social challenges related to vision and the eye.
**Logo concept: ‘people’ Designed with a motif of people from all over the world, with a hand-drawn illustration in the letter ‘O’.
The road to launch
The JBFA has occasionally been asked to test new products and services that help visually impaired people. The culture of blind football, which is open to new challenges, resonates with venture capitalists and new business developers.
The 2022 VISI-ONE Accelerator Programme (co-organised by JBFA, IBF Foundation and Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd) supported the creation of new businesses developing products and services for the visually impaired using technology. In this programme, representatives from six selected companies presented innovative business ideas to enrich the lives of visually impaired people using IoT, AI and other technologies. Connections were made at this time with companies such as Ashirase Inc., which has developed a walking navigation system that safely and effectively supports the mobility of the visually impaired with a device that is inserted into their shoes.
In February 2023, the VI Ideathon 2023 was held in Kerala, India, providing a platform for local visually impaired people to identify their own challenges and generate new ideas to solve them. In March 2024, the Global Leadership Camp was held in Madrid, Spain for the first time, launching an initiative to discover and develop leadership talents among the visually impaired. These two initiatives to empower people with visual impairments were planned and conducted in partnership with Skylight.
「VI Ideathon 2023」
IBF Foundation opens first ideathon for 20 visually impaired people in India
「Global Leadership Camp」
In the future
The second edition of the Global Leadership Camp took place recently, with Madrid, Spain, once again hosting the event.
Initiatives are also spreading abroad, using the network based on blind football. Efforts have already begun with Ashirase Inc. to support the overseas expansion of the company’s products.
By tackling visual challenges, we create sustainable value for all participants. As part of the VISI-ONE Innovation Hub, we are looking to recruit companies and organisation members who are committed to building communities and creating innovations together. The membership is made up of a diverse range of stakeholders, including not only companies and start-ups, but also investors and organisations with different areas of expertise in visual challenges.
The VISI-ONE Innovation Hub comprises two communities.
The Community of People with Visual Challenges is a place where visually impaired people can share their experiences and challenges related to visual challenges, and empower each other. Study groups are held regularly to learn practical knowledge necessary for working, and participants have the opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge. Information is also shared outside of the actual gatherings to seek new solutions to the challenges faced by people with visual challenges.
The Multi-Stakeholder Community brings together companies and organisations interested in eye-related issues. Through talk events and conferences, issue studies and workshops are conducted, participants interact with each other and new partnerships are created.
Participants from both communities come together to form ‘spin-off projects’, which generate concrete results within a set period of time while raising the funding necessary to carry out their activities. Accelerator programmes are a typical example. The fact that the process is carried out while also taking into account the perspectives of the visually impaired people is unique.
[Inaugural companies and organisations]
About International Blind Football Foundation
The IBF Foundation was established in 2019 and its mission is to “bring together diverse people and knowledge by mobilising the power of blind football to create answers for challenges surrounding visual impairment”. Our vision is “An inclusive world in which everyone can live their lives to the fullest on the field”. The aim is to focus on issues related to visual impairment through the most inclusive and fair sport, blind football. It will involve people, companies and organisations connected by the pitch to create a global movement to address the challenges of visual impairment. There are three forms of engagement: 1) Intermediary support activities, 2) Collaboration with partners, and 3) Acting as the main operator on your own.
About Japan Blind Football Association
The JBFA is the central governing body for blind football and low-vision futsal, and it works with the vision of “realizing a society where the visually impaired and the sighted mingle as a matter of course.” In parallel with activities to promote and strengthen competitions, the JBFA is developing diversity education programs for non-disabled individuals that take advantage of the nature of sport. In 2018 JBFA received the Asahi Sports Award.
About Skylight Consulting Inc.
Skylight Consulting Inc. is a business consulting firm established in 2000. The firm has overseas subsidiaries in India, the United States, Brazil, Kenya and Vietnam. In addition to providing consulting services for business development and corporate reform, the company also focuses on supporting businesses involved in sports. The company’s vision is “Create Bright Future Together.”
