Events

• to inform Japanese and EU companies of the Clusters network in the EU
• to get updates on clusters' internationalisation and R&D cooperation
• to inform companies of regional and national incentives in specific sectors
• to enable companies to find R&D partners or highly expert subcontractors

The EU and its Member States see industrial clusters as a means to revitalising local economies based on innovation and R&D. Industrial clusters are networks of bodies such as companies, research institutes and universities in specific industrial fields sharing both the risks and benefits of innovation, and focusing on developing and commercially exploiting new technologies. Industrial clusters open to partnerships with foreign entities are able to penetrate global markets benefiting both the clusters' members and their international partners.

With increasing competition between businesses, global companies are looking to take maximum advantage of expert R&D and production subcontractors and to exploit specialist technologies developed by SMEs.

This seminar was aimed at people with a strategic role responsible for new business development in R&D, procurement, and sales and marketing activities in EU and Japanese companies. It facilitated the creation of EU-Japan networks in relation to EU industrial clusters.

EU and Japanese companies interested in investing or developing cooperation in R&D in specific sectors met regional and national bodies supporting investment and competitiveness.