One of Japan’s biggest general contractors, Takenaka Corporation, is aiming to streamline preparations for an Osaka IR by merging its Yumeshima MICE/IR Promotion Bureau with its Expo Promotion Bureau to establish the Yumeshima Development Department.
The new department, set to boast around 30 staff members, will be headed by Takenaka Corporation’s Executive Vice President Masato Namba, according to the Kensetsu News.
Takenaka Corporation established the Expo Promotion Bureau in October 2017 and the Yumeshima MICE/IR Promotion Office 12 months later in October 2018.
The merger is in response to increasing moves by Osaka city and prefecture to develop an IR by 2024. Being such a large scale development, unifying external communications functions is seen as a way of making the project run smoother. The new department will be in operation until February 2026.
Major general contractors have been setting up preparation offices in anticipation of IR work since last year. The Obayashi Corporation set up the Osaka Expo IR Office, Kashima has established the Yumeshima Town Development Promotion Team in their Kansai branch and Taisei Corporation has formed the City Development IR Project.