Elements of Sharing Economy in a Public-Private Partnership: A Case Study of a Company in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

This research focuses on elements shared between local governments and private companies in public and private partnership projects. In the conventional bidding system, there is a relationship between local governments and private companies. In that relationship, the local government had an authoritative position. However, in public-private partnership projects, the relationship between public and private bodies are more equal, as both provide capital for the business. The bodies conduct business as partners sharing a public project. The situation is similar to the relationship between lenders and borrowers in sharing economies. During the Great East Japan Earthquake, local government infrastructure was damaged. Private partners were sought to help with repairs. Elements of sharing were verified in two consecutive cases in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, a setting heavily damaged by the earthquake. The current study considered how partnerships in shared public projects were established. The results of the interview survey were analyzed revealing that ‘relationship’, ‘communication’ and ‘presence’ for sharing were key elements.