BANDAI NAMCO Group Deploys "GUNDAM"-Powered Sustainability Project "GUNDAM UNIVERSAL CENTURY DEVELOPMENT ACTION (GUDA)"

TOKYO, June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BANDAI NAMCO Group has established a sustainability policy (*1) that, together with its fans, promotes activities for the realization of a long-term and sustainable society by utilizing its core IP axis strategy.

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Through BANDAI NAMCO Group's transversal project, the "GUNDAM Project," which is spearheaded by its Chief GUNDAM Officer (*2), the Group has begun "GUNDAM UNIVERSAL CENTURY DEVELOPMENT ACTION (GUDA)," a sustainability project using the "GUNDAM" brand. As part of this initiative, it will be launching "GUNDAM Open Innovation" where new ideas and technologies can come together to face various societal concerns stemming from the human population and the environment.

- What is "GUNDAM UNIVERSAL CENTURY DEVELOPMENT ACTION (GUDA)"?

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From more than 40 years ago, the "GUNDAM" series has brought to global attention the precarious state of the Earth and its environment, symbolized by a fictitious new era known as the "Universal Century" that marked the start of space emigration within the story. An underlying theme in "GUNDAM" is how humankind faces the vast frontiers of space, not as individuals, but as an entire race.

BANDAI NAMCO Group believes that the messages brought up in "GUNDAM" that touch upon the human population and the environment resonates with many current-day concerns. Hence, the Group will be taking action for children of the future as it works with fans and external partners in bringing about a better world by learning from the fictional era in GUNDAM in preparation for a real-world "Universal Century."

Leading the initiative, BANDAI NAMCO Holdings, BANDAI SPIRITS, BANDAI NAMCO Amusement, and BANDAI LOGIPAL together launched the "Gunpla Recycling Project" in April 2021. The project seeks to gather from fans the empty runners that remain after building Gunpla models, and to recycle them into new plastic model products by using the latest chemical recycling technology. With the help of its fans, the BANDAI NAMCO Group companies are committed into realizing a sustainable society.

- New ideas and technologies to resolve problems faced by the human population and the environment through the new project "GUNDAM Open Innovation."

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Back in 2018 and 2019, BANDAI NAMCO Group launched the BANDAI NAMCO Accelerator to gather business ideas that are not bound to conventional business models and common sense in an effort to bring about changes that can lead the Group to the next level.

BANDAI NAMCO Accelerator has taken a new form, and will be newly launched as the next initiative to GUDA under the project name, "GUNDAM Open Innovation." The "GUNDAM Open Innovation" project seeks to gather new ideas and technologies from fans and external partners worldwide in an effort to address concerns stemming from the human population and the environment by using the "GUNDAM" brand.

Last December, the Group opened to the public the 18-meter-tall, full-scale moving GUNDAM statue at GUNDAM FACTORY YOKOHAMA. This was brought about from the various efforts of those involved, and from the desire of seeing an actual, full-scale GUNDAM move in real life. In like manner, the Group believes that it can bring to reality concepts never seen before by gathering and applying ideas inspired from the fictional world of "GUNDAM."

BANDAI NAMCO Group will announce further details on its project later on its official website. It looks forward to seeing everyone's comments and ideas from around the world.

"GUNDAM Open Innovation" official website: http://www.bandainamco.co.jp/guda/goi/en

Notes:

(*1) For details of BANDAI NAMCO Group's sustainability policy, please refer to the press release dated April 16.
https://www.bandainamco.co.jp/cgi-bin/releases/index.cgi/en/press/10271?entry_id=7157

(*2) What is a Chief GUNDAM Officer?

The Chief GUNDAM Officer's role was established in 2003 to oversee the GUNDAM business of BANDAI NAMCO Group. Currently, the role is held by Koji Fujiwara, Corporate Managing Director of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

*The information herein represents the information according to the date of the press release. Information may be updated without notice after release.

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SOURCE BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.