Japanese Technology Illuminates Africa’s Future: Transforming Senegalese Agriculture into a Global Industry Through Co-Creation with Four Major Corporations

Creating a New Industry: Made in Senegal with Japan

SUCRECUBE JAPON Inc., a company that has been building infrastructure in off-grid areas of Senegal for seven years, is launching a new public-private partnership. In collaboration with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), Daikin Industries, Ltd., Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP), and Seiko Epson Corporation, we will begin demonstrating a new business model to “cool, process, and deliver” Senegalese agricultural products to the world using solar power. This ambitious endeavor has been selected for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s (METI) “FY2023 Subsidy for Feasibility Study on Promoting Overseas Infrastructure Deployment by Japanese Corporations (Future-Oriented Co-creation with the Global South).” The project is being advanced under a strong partnership with the Government of Senegal. The trust that a single startup built on the ground has attracted the technology of Japan’s leading corporations and moved a nation. This is a new role model for co-creation that will open up Africa’s future.

The Beginning of Co-Creation: How Seven Years of Trust Made the Impossible Possible

Senegal’s mangoes are organic and incredibly delicious. However, many of them lose their value before ever reaching the market simply because there is no way to “keep them cool.” This is not limited to mangoes; post-harvest losses for agricultural products as a whole amount to hundreds of thousands of tons annually. Faced with this critical challenge, we initiated this project in co-creation with Japanese industry to find a solution.

(Image: Concept of a refrigerated warehouse, food processing facility, and digital KIOSK powered by solar energy) 

(Image: Concept of mango processing and sales in export destination countries)

Since our establishment in 2018, SUCRECUBE JAPON has put down deep roots in Senegal, continuously addressing local challenges. We delivered our “TUMIQUI Smart Kit,” a solar power and LED lighting system, to off-grid clinics to ensure safety during nighttime births. We installed fully off-grid data centers in schools, expanding educational opportunities for children. Through these steady efforts, we have built an asset with multiple municipalities and the government that money cannot buy: “trust.”

It is because of these seven years of achievements and trust that this exceptional collaborative framework was born.

(Diagram: Japan side on top, Senegal side below. The Senegal side shows collaboration between our subsidiary, government ministries, and municipalities.)

• Japan Side: The on-the-ground capability of a startup (SUCRECUBE) combined with the world-class technology of four major corporations.
• Senegal Side: Full cooperation from three government ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Commerce) and local municipalities.
• Inter-Governmental: Official backing from Japan’s METI through the “FY2023 Subsidy for Feasibility Study on Promoting Overseas Infrastructure Deployment by Japanese Corporations (Future-Oriented Co-creation with the Global South).”

This collaborative structure is not a conventional scheme of simply delivering aid from Japan. It is formed by the local government, Japanese private companies, and regional municipalities each bringing their respective roles to the table and uniting under a “common purpose.”

This three-tiered cooperation, where trust, technology, and policy needs are intertwined, is designed to function as a “self-sustaining business model” that balances profitability and social impact, setting it apart from traditional ODA assistance. This is a model that has evolved from “aid” to “co-creation” and further to “industrialization,” representing a new form of sustainable development in Africa.

The Strongest Alliance: An Integrated Model for the Future, Supported by the Technology of Four Major Corporations

This grand challenge can only be realized by professionals from each field bringing their best technology to the table.

• Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL): Connecting to the World with Global Logistics As an expert in international shipping and logistics, MOL supports the demonstration of this project as part of its social contribution activities. They will back the reduction of food loss in Africa and the construction of a sustainable cold chain.
• Seiko Epson Corporation: Delivering Value to People with Social Implementation Technology Utilizing its high-precision, low-power printing technology, Epson will place its printers in digital KIOSK terminals. By providing life-essential print services such as issuing administrative documents and printing ID photos for local residents, they aim to expand community service functions and generate revenue.
• Daikin Industries, Ltd.: Creating Value with Energy-Saving Refrigeration Technology As a global leader in air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, Daikin will introduce its refrigerated containers to the project. With technology that can stably cool food even in Senegal’s climate, they aim to reduce food loss in Africa.
• Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP): Protecting Value with High-Performance Insulation Technology Leveraging its advanced technology and know-how cultivated in the functional films and logistics sectors, DNP is collaborating on high-performance vacuum insulation panels for the refrigeration units. This supports the construction of a high-quality, sustainable cold chain that ensures high energy efficiency and hygiene.

Voices of Expectation from Home and Abroad: Moving Toward the Future, Together with the Nation

This project has garnered high expectations not only within Senegal but also from Japan.

• H.E. Mr. Serigne Gueye Diop (Minister of Industry and Commerce of Senegal): “I am well aware that SUCRECUBE (and its local subsidiary TUMIQUI JAPON) has consistently built a track record of success in the education sector in Senegal. This project is a wonderful new challenge based on that trust and experience. I have great expectations that, in the future, they will tackle the crucial national issue of agricultural storage—for instance, storing hundreds of thousands of tons of harvested produce—with Japanese technology and partnership.”
• Mr. Ken Shibusawa (CEO, Shibusawa and Company, Inc.): “In Senegal, a Francophone country that is ‘far’ from Japan and has relatively few Japanese companies, this challenge to solve social issues will strongly impress the value of ‘Made With Japan’ upon the local people through collaboration with multiple major Japanese corporations. As a pioneer forging a new path in Africa, I sincerely hope for their further development.”

Image : From left, CEO Koichi Sato, Minister of Industry and Commerce Serigne Gueye Diop, and members of SUCRECUBE’s Senegalese subsidiary, TUMIQUI.

Image : Mr. Ken Shibusawa (left) and CEO Koichi Sato.

The Origin: The Passion of Founder Koichi Sato

“For seven years, my work has been solely focused on Africa. While bringing light to off-grid clinics and connectivity to schools, I came to realize that ‘aid alone cannot sustain the future. To support people’s livelihoods, businesses that generate profit and support employment are essential.’ As I grappled with this awareness, a turning point came when a Senegalese friend smiled and said, ‘Monsieur Sato, have a mango.’

Based on the technical capabilities and the relationship of trust with the government that I have cultivated through developing local power and communication infrastructure, I am taking on the challenge of building a new future for Africa and Japan through a ‘Made in Senegal with Japan’ approach. That is my mission.”

Impact and Future Development: What Our Co-Creation Will Produce

This integrated model will not just create facilities; it can become an infrastructure that changes the structure of the nation.

• Environmental Impact
  • Direct reduction of CO₂ emissions by reducing food loss.
  • Thorough energy efficiency through optimization of insulation, cold storage materials, and temperature control.
  • Promotion of carbon credit generation through acquisition of international certifications such as Gold Standard.
• Economic Impact
  • Increase in the unit price of produce by 2-3 times the local rate through high-value-added processing.
  • Expansion of export channels, mainly to Japan and France (with an eye on EU organic certification).
  • Contribution to improving the national current account balance and international creditworthiness by earning foreign currency.
• Social Impact
  • Creation of over 15 direct jobs per site (projected for 2026).
  • Provision of practical technical training and ICT education opportunities for women and youth.
  • Improved access to previously hard-to-reach administrative and financial services through KIOSKs.

By 2030, we will promote horizontal expansion within the West African region and present this co-creation model to the world as a new diplomatic and economic model between Japan and Senegal.

Roadmap

• June 2025: Commence joint demonstration in Senegal.
• August 2025: Announce this co-creation model and its outlook at TICAD 9 (Tokyo International Conference on African Development).
• February 2026: Scheduled completion of the METI “FY2023 Subsidy for Feasibility Study on Promoting Overseas Infrastructure Deployment by Japanese Corporations (Future-Oriented Co-creation with the Global South)” project.
• March 2026 onwards: Plan to expand to neighboring countries and integrate digital financial services based on the demonstration results.

We are confident that this challenge will become a new model case for Japanese startups and major corporations to collaborate and develop businesses in Africa. Please look forward to our future developments.

Future of this Co-creation Model and Call for New Partnerships

This project aims not merely to introduce technology or provide aid, but to build a self-sustaining economic model that generates sustainable employment and profit through local preservation, food processing, and export. In the future, we aim to acquire quality certifications such as HACCP in Senegal and launch full-scale exports to Japanese and European markets. By doing so, we will build an agricultural value chain connecting Africa to the global market, aiming to achieve multifaceted social impacts such as improving local farmers’ incomes, creating employment for youth, and supporting women’s participation in the workforce.

We intend to make this initiative in Senegal a role model for future business development in Africa and, by extension, the Global South, and to create many more co-creation projects.

We sincerely welcome inquiries from companies and organizations that share the vision of this project and are interested in creating new value together. For more details, please contact us through the page below.

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