BRT participation in policy events

Since 2024, the BRT has received invitations to take part in meetings on EU-Japan related topics to give an EU-Japan business perspective to the issue being discussed. On the BRT and EU-Japan Business-to-Government discussions webpage you can find summaries of BRT contributions to stakeholder events organised by the EU and Japanese Authorities and linked to formal government-to-government level dialogues. Below you can find summaries of BRT contributions to policy-based events organised by think tanks.

“Leading by Example: EU-Japan Partnership for Global Economic Security”, Brussels - 6 June 2025

As part of the inaugural Brussels Economic Security Forum, Merck and NEC took part in a breakout session on the EU and Japanese economic security strategies and how, at a time of disruption and increasing protectionism, they can provide global leadership. The session was organised by the European Policy Centre and Japan’s Institute of Geoeconomics. Other panellists represented the European Commission, a Japanese university and a Belgian research organisation.

Left to right: Jean-Paul El Ahl and Mitsuhiro Murooka

For Jean-Paul El Ahl (Merck’s Head of EU Hub and Global Platform Lead, Chief Political Office), businesses and governments should work together despite having different roles and senses of urgency and of risk. The B2G dialogue is key as businesses react to and implement what the EC decides. The updated EU-Japan High-Level Economic Dialogue will be a wonderful place to set and seize opportunities. Innovation is essential – without it, achieving strategic indispensability will not be possible. Diversification of supply chains is also very important. Once innovation and secure supply chains have been achieved, we should build attractive markets. During the subsequent discussion, Mr El Ahl argued that the rate of innovation should be faster than the rate technology is lost. As companies hate barriers, for each ‘barrier’ that is introduced, two ‘bridges’ are needed.

Mitsuhiro Murooka (NEC’s Corporate Senior Vice President, Chief Global Strategy Officer, and Managing Director - Global Strategic Planning Division) articulated the vital importance of a robust partnership between the European Union and Japan in safeguarding global economic security. Speaking at the Roundtable, he underscored NEC's commitment to fostering this collaboration, leveraging its expertise across diverse fields, from critical infrastructure such as undersea cables to groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence technologies.

Mr Murooka posited that economic security should be viewed not merely as a defensive measure, but as a proactive strategy to catalyse innovation, prosperity, and enhanced societal well-being. He believes that Japan, in concert with the EU, emerging as a critical 'third pole' in global economic security. Public-private partnerships, such as those fostered by the Japan-EU Business Round Table, are paramount in mitigating risks and enhancing industrial competitiveness, providing recommendations to both governments including focus on economic security and industrial competitiveness.

The imperative for enhanced coordination between EU and Japanese companies in digital transformation was also highlighted. This extends beyond the mere adoption of identical technologies to encompass the reduction of reliance on single supply sources, ensuring interoperability, and bolstering resilience in critical domains such as 5G, AI, and cybersecurity. Mr Murooka emphasised the importance of building a resilient ecosystem that delivers benefits to all nations, including those in the Global South.

NEC's pioneering initiatives in AI-driven drug discovery within Europe exemplify the potential to significantly enhance global well-being. While the sharing of genomic data necessitates meticulous consideration of personal data and privacy, the potential benefits are immense. To facilitate secure and responsible cross-border data sharing, a robust and interoperable framework is essential. He also expressed anticipation for Japan's early association with Horizon Europe.

Furthermore, Japan and the EU are actively engaged in collaborative initiatives with the Global South, exemplified by the EU’s Global Gateway. Mr Murooka identified critical infrastructure, dual-use technologies, and research security as key areas for trilateral collaboration.

In closing, Mr Murooka asserted that through strategic partnerships, transparent dialogue, open innovation, and a commitment to sustainable development in the Global South, Japan and the EU can forge a more resilient, secure, and equitable future for all.

Other speakers addressed:

• The longstanding partnership between the EU and Japan (and the contribution the EPA makes to economic security), the facts that both regions face similar challenges (including access to critical raw materials) and that regulatory cooperation and joint research on quantum, AI and 5G they will strengthen their economic security.
• The fact that economic security concerns are not new but have become more acute as the global economic order has changed. China’s 2010 ban on the export of raw materials to Japan was a wake-up call for Japan. Japan identified economic resilience and strategic indispensability as tools to reduce its dependency on China. With the US weaponising economics and using the ‘indispensability’ of access to its markets to negotiate strongly with other countries to change their behaviour, EU-Japan trade will build strategic autonomy and indispensability.
• Three ‘factors’ that can contribute to success: establishing human networks (based on research networks, technology and industry ambassadors and intense executive-level contacts); creating an ‘ecosystem’ (with collaborations established early in the supply chain) underpinned by standardisation; and industrial plans and joint infrastructure.