Place Marketing Awards Received the Economic Development Category Award (2019)

The Y-PORT project was established by the Institute for Public Management and Regional Governance, which belongs to the University of Marseille, a national university in France, with the support of local governments in the country, and received the Place Marketing Award (an award given to initiatives that take advantage of local characteristics).
At the award ceremony held in Reel, France in April 2019, presentations and PR were made using a video message summarizing Y-PORT initiatives.

The Place Marketing Forum is an international conference that brings together intellectuals and experts on the attractive characteristics of the region. This forum was established by the Institute for Public Management and Regional Governance at the University of Marseille with the support of French municipalities, and currently 22 local governments, including Lyon, a sister city in Yokohama, are participating. At the conference, lively exchange of opinions and introductions of cases have been made, making it a place to share attractive best practices around the world.
This meeting has been held every year since 2013, and awards will be awarded for "promotion activities that take advantage of local characteristics". 2019 was held in Reel, France, from April 4th to 5th. (The host cities so far have been X-Ann-Provins, Lyon, Strasbourg, etc.)

For details on the forums and awards, please refer to the above website created by Marseille University, the organizer.

The Place Marketing Award is an award given to promotional activities that take advantage of local characteristics.
The three criteria for selecting the award are innovation/impressive results/emblematic achievement.
In 2019, the award-winning organizations were selected in the following five categories:

①Economic Development Category: Y-PORT - Yokohama city / Japan
②Tourism category: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association / Canada
③Specialty category: Arvieu 2020 - Village of Arvieu / France
④Major Project Category: Zhongxian e-sport stadium / China
⑤Blanding Category: Dublin One - Dublin Town / Ireland

In the column for Economic Development Category (Economic Development Category), there is a statement that Yokohama City has received the award.
(Hereinafter, excerpts from the original text)
By capitalizing on the technologies, know-how and expertise developed as Smart City, Yokohama launched in 2011 an international technical cooperation project, the Yokohama Partnership of Resources and Technologies (Y-PORT). Y-PORT aims to provide opportunities for Japanese companies in emerging Asian countries, to support residential attractiveness and to strengthen the city’s international reputation. Four Southeast Asian metropolitan areas (Bangkok, Batam, Cebu and Da Nang) have signed public-private partnership agreements with Y-PORT to better manage their waste, preserve their water resources or solve their congestion problems. Yokohama has become the leader of the Asia Smart City Alliance and organizes an international conference, Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC) every year, bringing together experts, practitioners and international organizations (Asian Development Bank, World Bank, etc.).
(Overview)
In emerging countries such as Asia, infrastructure development and environmental measures have been delayed due to the rapid population concentration associated with remarkable economic growth and urbanization, and various urban problems have occurred. In addition to overseas countries and cities, there are growing expectations for the creation of cities in Yokohama and the utilization of the technologies and know-how of companies that support them in various fields, including the Japanese government and international organizations. Since 2011, Yokohama City has been working on “International Technical Cooperation (Y-PORT Project)” through public-private partnerships utilizing Yokohama's resources and technologies, with the aim of supporting the resolution of various urban issues faced by emerging countries and supporting the overseas expansion of companies. By promoting international technical cooperation through the Y-PORT business, we aim to enhance the brand value of the international city Yokohama and promote the overseas expansion of local companies.
Currently, we have concluded agreements with four cities in Bangkok, Batam, Cebu, and Da Nang in the ASEAN area as Y-PORT cooperative cities, and are working together to solve issues such as water and sewage and resource recycling measures in each city through international cooperation through public-private partnerships. In addition, in close cooperation with international development financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, we host an annual international conference called the Asia Smart City Conference. At the conference, engineers and experts related to urban development and urban development will come together from Asian cities, international organizations, and academic institutions to share various knowledge, but also to create specific business opportunities.