DEA and GGG establish joint venture "Growth Ring Grid" aiming for "democratization of infrastructure"

## Solving social issues through the fusion of infrastructure inspection, local tourism, and Web3.

DEA, which operates a problem-solving game platform based in Singapore, and GGG announced on the 24th that they have jointly established a new company called “Growth Ring Grid Pte.Ltd. (GRG)” with the theme of “democratizing infrastructure.” GGG is a joint venture formed by Tokyo Electric Power Company Power Grid, Chubu Electric Power Company, and ICMG Partners, established as a local entity based in Singapore.

The establishment of this joint venture aims to further scale up the social implementation of the participatory social contribution game “PicTrée - The Electric Pole Battle Between You and Me -” and to strive for a future where citizen participation in infrastructure inspections becomes “the norm.”

The two companies have jointly developed a participatory social contribution game called “Pictore.” Since its launch in 2024, it has received high praise from infrastructure operators and local governments nationwide as a new mechanism for citizens to actively engage in the preservation of social infrastructure.

GRG Corporation aims to realize a society where citizens can actively participate in the maintenance and management of infrastructure, and plans to develop the following projects.

• Development and operation of a citizen participation-based infrastructure inspection platform
• Promotion of social implementation in collaboration with local governments and businesses
• Promotion of citizen participation utilizing gamification and Web3 technology

Additionally, by breaking away from traditional infrastructure operations that rely on government and large corporations, it aims to explore new possibilities for infrastructure maintenance by citizens, thereby seeking sustainable solutions to social issues.

Background of the establishment of a joint venture

In many countries, including Japan, the need for maintenance and inspection of aging social infrastructure is rapidly increasing. On the other hand, municipalities and businesses are facing shortages in manpower, budget, and know-how, making the establishment of a sustainable operational system an urgent challenge.

Against this backdrop, DEA and GGG focused on a new approach called “Game ×: Social Issues.” Since 2024, the two companies have been jointly developing a participatory social contribution game called “Pictre,” in which participants take pictures of power assets such as utility poles and compete for the length of the distance they connect.

The new company “GRG” combines the strengths of DEA, which specializes in Web3 technology and gamification know-how, with GGG, which has a high resolution in infrastructure fields and possesses networks both domestically and internationally. Through the creation of systems that transform infrastructure maintenance into a more relatable “personal matter,” they are aiming to realize the “democratization of infrastructure.”

Related Articles: The participatory social contribution game Pictore has started a demonstration experiment of “utility pole photography” in collaboration with NTT-ME.

Future Outlook

At GRG, we will leverage the insights gained from our previous operations of “Pictore” to expand collaboration with more local governments and businesses. In the future, we plan to propose and implement new forms of social infrastructure that will address regional issues, not only limited to infrastructure inspections but also including information gathering during disasters and collaboration with local tourism.

Related Articles: Mercari’s “Bitcoin Payment” and DEA’s “Pictore” win the Good Design Award