Delivered on January 5, 2026
2026: LBMA Japan Activity Policy/New Year’s Greetings
Speakers:
Kuniyuki Kawashima (one company) LBMA Japan Representative Director
Affiliation and position information is as of the time of distribution
LBMA Japan, established in February 2020, is now in its sixth year and has expanded its membership to 117 companies. Collaborations with government agencies and universities have progressed, and the contours of the location business "industry" are clearly emerging. However, questions remain about whether we are contributing substantially to the industry as a whole and delivering sufficient value to member companies. Our guiding principle for 2026 is "Location Public-Private-Academic." We will travel the country and challenge ourselves to create a new business economic sphere that only a non-profit association can create. With honest and positive thoughts, we will continue to work hard this year!
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From Industry Formation to Profit Maximization
LBMA Japan has been working hard to build the concept of the location data industry through podcasts sharing the latest examples of location data businesses and publishing "chaos maps" that visualize the overall picture of the industry. In 2025, we established a new "Academic Membership System" and began collaborating with university laboratories. This aims to not only cultivate next-generation talent, but also to transform academic research into business and promote its implementation in society.
In 2026, based on the established industry framework, we will place a greater emphasis on "maximizing the business benefits" for each member company. Beyond simply serving as a forum for information exchange, we will strengthen our support system as the secretariat to help member companies generate concrete revenue and establish sustainable business models.
2026 Activity Guideline: "Location Mind Studies"
LBMA Japan's key guideline for 2026 is "Location Mind Studies." This represents our commitment to expanding business utilizing location data, increasing our stakeholder base, and making recommendations in line with national policies.
Specifically, we aim to create a framework for close collaboration between industry, government, and academia to achieve both the resolution of social issues and economic growth. As a first step, we will launch a "Recurrent Education Program" for working adults in collaboration with Yokohama City University in February 2026. With an eye toward GREEN EXPO 2027, we plan to develop human resources with skills in tourism analysis and people flow prediction using location data and propose specific measures to ensure the event's success.
Major Events and Developments Planned for 2026
Throughout the year, we are planning a variety of events that will expand the potential of location data.
• February: Launch of a recurrent education program with Yokohama City University and hosting the online "Chaos Map Conference 2025."
• March and April: Host regional events in Fukuoka (Hakata) and Osaka. In Osaka in particular, we plan to hold an ideathon combining 3D maps and data.
• June: We will hold the 3rd Location Business & Marketing EXPO in Hamamatsucho.
• October: We will exhibit at CEATEC 2026, Japan's largest digital trade fair, for the 6th time.
Through these activities, we will attempt large-scale proof-of-concept experiments that a single company could not accomplish, and also create new indicators that involve government agencies.
Toward Creating a New Business Economic Zone
The location data business is a young field, only a decade old. LBMA Japan is determined to create a "business economic zone" suited to the modern era, flexibly incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as AI and new concepts, without being bound by the concepts of existing industry associations.
Representative Director Kawashima emphasized that through friendly competition with member companies, we will create an environment in which the entire industry can grow healthily and provide true value to society. In 2026, we will continue to provide cutting-edge recommendations through weekly podcasts and in-person events.
Summary
LBMA Japan is now in its sixth year and has 117 member companies. Moving forward, we will transition from building industry concepts to a phase focused on maximizing member companies' profits and implementing them in society.
• Establishing "Location Mind-Learning" as our guiding principle for 2026, we will strengthen collaboration between industry, government, and academia. We will promote concrete human resource development and data utilization, including a recurrent education program with Yokohama City University.
• Through exhibits at the "Location Business & Marketing EXPO" and "CEATEC 2026" and regional collaboration events in various regions, we will create new use cases and economic spheres for location data.
Location data is becoming an essential infrastructure connecting the physical and digital worlds. LBMA Japan will work with member companies to create new business models centered on this data.