ASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9OCTOBERNEWSROOMKAKAO LAUNCHES SOUTH KOREA'S FIRST ROBOT VALET PARKING SYSTEMJapan's education technology (edtech) market is set to expand to ¥362.5 billion (US$2.43 billion) by fiscal 2027, marking a 1.4-fold increase from 2021, according to a report by the Nomura Research Institute.The surge is driven by rising concerns over teacher overwork and the growing adoption of digital tools to streamline school operations and administrative tasks.One of the leading innovators, Asfeel, based in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, has developed an app that helps schools manage extracurricular activities, internal communication, and documentation. The company reports that its platform can reduce a supervising teacher's administrative workload by about 170 minutes per month, significantly improving work-life balance in the education sector.Government support is also accelerating the digital transition. In fiscal 2023, Japan's junior high schools spent just over 4 percent of their total expenses on educational activities, including commercial services. To promote public-private collaboration, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has launched subsidies and pilot programs for educational technology services across five sites, conducted between July and August.With strong institutional backing and an urgent need to modernize classroom management, Japan's edtech sector is poised for sustainable long-term growth, blending innovation with solutions for educational efficiency. Kakao Mobility, a leading provider of mobility services in South Korea, has launched the nation's first robot valet parking service in Chungbuk Content Enterprise Promotion Center, Cheongju City, in collaboration with HL Robotics, North Chungcheong Province, and Chungbuk Innovation Institute of Science & Technology.The test project has the HL Robotics "Parkie" robot autonomous systems to lift and transport the vehicle to the assigned parking lot.The system starts with drivers arriving at a kiosk to register their vehicle and then will choose a "drop-off" location. Mission accomplished, the user could return to the system when ready by a link sent from KakaoTalk, a messaging service from Kakao.When the vehicle was available for pick-up, notifications would come through KakaTalk.Currently the service is limited to employees who pre-registered as part of the center. There are plans to expand out to the general public.The goal of the robotic valet system is to help improve parking efficiency while reducing some of the inefficient issues that have come with traditional parking in terms of time and space.The pilot is significant in developing South Korea as an even smarter urban mobility and infrastructure. JAPAN'S EDTECH MARKET TO HIT $2.43 BILLION BY 2027· Aspire secures MAS license and launches Aspire Yield for SMEs· Returns up to 2.0 percent (SGD) and 3.9 percent (USD) with next-day liquidity· 55 percent of invested funds were previously idle in low-yield accounts· Kakao Mobility launches South Korea's first robot valet parking system using HL Robotics' autonomous Parkie robot.· The AI-powered valet service streamlines parking with vehicle drop-off, automated transport, and pickup via KakaoTalk.· Pilot aims to boost parking efficiency and marks a leap in Korea's smart urban mobility infrastructure.
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