'About Japan' webinar series 277: Smart mobility in Japan - Convergence of automotive and urban ecosystems

What business opportunities does Japan’s connected mobility and in-car digital services market offer to European SMEs and startups? How is the vehicle integrated into a broader smart mobility approach in Japan?

Japan's Society 5.0 initiative sets out a vision for a human-centred and digitally integrated society, using advanced technologies to improve people’s lives and solve social challenges. It also provides a framework to transform the country’s automotive and mobility sectors. The Japanese government plans to invest around ¥30 trillion, with public-private collaboration expected to bring total investment to around ¥120 trillion. Japan’s Mobility DX Strategy aims for Japanese-affiliated companies to capture a 30% share of global software-defined vehicle sales by 2030.

This ambition supports the ongoing transformation of the automotive industry, shifting the role of the car itself. The vehicle is becoming a connected digital platform and its infotainment system an entry point to a broader range of services throughout the user’s journey. Such a transformation opens the automotive sector to cross-industry innovation and creates business opportunities for companies outside the traditional automotive supply chain.

The purpose of this webinar is to present key findings of the smart mobility market in Japan and help European SMEs from various sectors understand how they can turn their existing technologies and services into new revenue streams through connected mobility and smart-city solutions.

The webinar is targeted at European SMEs and startups looking to explore new business opportunities in Japan through connected mobility, especially if they do not work directly with the automotive sector. This includes companies working in AI, software, digital content, entertainment, payments, telecommunications, cybersecurity, energy, insurance, logistics, travel and tourism, retail and location-based services, or smart-city solutions.

In 40 minutes from your desk, discover:

• How Japan’s automotive and smart mobility market is changing
• Who the key players are
• How vehicles connect to smart cities and mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) development
• Where the business opportunities lie
• What challenges to anticipate

Programme:

• Introduction
• Expert’s presentation
• Q&A Session

Registration deadline: 25 January 2027

Speaker: Zdravka Bondidier is the founder of Mirai Mobility Consulting, specialising in the automotive and smart mobility sectors. Drawing on 20+ years of industry experience with leading Tier-1 suppliers (Bosch, Valeo) and car manufacturers (Toyota, Stellantis), as well as international market exposure in Japan, France and Germany, Zdravka combines in-depth industry expertise with a cross-cultural perspective on automotive innovation and digital transformation.

Moderator: Sofia Smerzi, Business Support Coordinator, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation

Organiser: EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation - Brussels Office

Deliverables 

Coming soon...