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Host a Japanese intern and get a new input into your R&D projects.

The EU-Japan Centre is excited to announce the opening of the recruitment campaign for the next 'Vulcanus in Europe' session.

Prefecture flag Main City: Wakayama Population: 964,000 people, ranking 40/47 prefecture (2015) [1] Area: 4,726 km2 [2] Geographical / Landscape description Wakayama Prefecture faces the Pacific Ocean, and is located in the south-western part of the Kii Peninsula. 75% of the land is covered by forests and mountains. [2] Climate The climate is generally mild. [2] Recent history, culture The prefecture is home of the Mt. Koya known as the world headquarters of the Koyasan Shingon sect of Japanese...

Call for applicants to World Class Manufacturing training in March. The 5-day online training provides an in-depth analysis of Japanese manufacturing methodology with the aim of improving EU companies competitiveness.

The 5-day World Class Manufacturing training provides an in-depth analysis of Japanese manufacturing methodology and is aimed exclusively at EU managers with knowledge of WCM and an engineering background. It assists the participants to acquire a better understanding of TQC (Total Quality Control), TQM (Total Quality Management), TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), JIT (Just In Time), TIE (Total Industrial Engineering) practices and the current KAIZEN manufacturing methods (continuous...

Why Japan? Opportunities for EU Companies Japan is an extremely important global economic powerhouse, with a GDP valued at 500 trillion yen in 2012. Japan has 47 prefectures, with many of them producing a regional GDP comparable to the national GDP of many European countries. With a well-educated and long-living population of 127 million Japanese ‘prosumers’ (professional consumers), this gigantic consumption market remains very often an underexplored market for exporting European companies. In...

From First Contact to First Contract. How to successfully navigate through the cultural challenges we face when trying to penetrate the Japanese market?For European companies looking to penetrate the Japanese market there are several cultural factors that can facilitate or dramatically impede your entry into the market. The objectives of this webinar is to review the different challenges you are likely to face and to provide you with tools to be more effective in your work and communication with...

What are the major Entry Strategies and which legal structure in Japan is optimal for my business requirements? There are various Entry Strategies that a company can adopt when approaching Japan. Each strategy has its own levels of costs, benefits, risks and legal/tax issues, to be assessed carefully. The most appropriate method is usually determined by the market potential, the company’s degree of international expertise as well as the resources available. Most SMEs use the direct exporting...

What are the major biotech-related food and agro products in Japan, how are they regulated, and were might be opportunities for you to get into business?Japan is a net food importer but her markets are highly exigent and regulated. Biotechnology is an important field for Japanese food and agro producers and highly developed both in the private and the public sector. Both the Japanese strategies to export such products to Europe and successful cases of European exports to Japan will be analyzed...

What are the main trends and characteristics of the Japanese market for plastics products and components? Japan as an advanced industrial country uses plastics products and components in a wide range of fields. Especially the automotive and the machinery industry are to be mentioned here. The webinar will give an outline of the Japanese market for plastics products with special regard to the construction, automotive and machinery industry. The role of parts suppliers in Japan will be examined...

How important it is to understand the differences in management practices between Japan en Europe?Takeo Fujisawa, cofounder of Honda Motor Company once said, “Japanese and American management practices are 95 % the same, and differ in all important respects.” Replace American with European and you see how important it is to understand the differences in management practices between Japan and Europe. These 5 % are related to our fundamental values and they became painfully clear when stakes are...

What are the legal procedures that those foreign companies will need to go through in a process of launching a business in Japan and the points to optimize the business plans according to such legal regulations of Japan?The speaker of this webinar has been helping a lot of foreign business entities and entrepreneurs to launch a business in Japan for 13 years so far as an administrative lawyer, making up and optimizing their business plans. The points to be taken up in this webinar will be based...

How to Master B2C and B2B Marketing in Japan?Many export managers have experienced over the years in which way Time, Quality, Reactivity and Service have another dimension in the Country of the Rising Sun. The interest of Japan Success Stories lays in what they usually showcase, that is, Persistence and Concepts like “Getting to know your Client” or “Adapt and Change”, more than in the very results achieved. In this webinar, we will give you some insight into the Japanese Market, as well B2C as...

How to utilize Japanese Intellectual Property System from abroad? Nowadays, we have very complex technologies and intellectual property issues cause a number of problems which have attracted much interest in society. Japan is signatory to most of the international treaties regarding intellectual property rights. Therefore, to the extent that the international treaties are relevant, general schemes for protection and prosecution of intellectual property rights under the intellectual property laws...

How can managers in European Small-and-Medium-sized Enterprises prepare for acquisition by a Japanese company?In 2016, the total value of Japan-sourced acquisitions reached €86 billion, three times higher than the total value of domestic transactions within Japan. During this period, Japanese companies made 156 acquisitions in Europe: headline examples include Asahi Group Holdings investment of €7.3 billion towards acquiring brands such as Pilsner Urquell, Tyskie, Lech, Dreher, and Ursus. This...

Which opportunities does the Biopharmaceutical market in Japan offer to EU companies?Among Biotechnology, the field of biopharmaceuticals is a core sector in terms of market size and growth potential. Since the market of antibody medical products was launched in 2002 in the world of pharmaceutical products, the biopharmaceutical market rapidly expanded, as the pharmaceutical market worldwide made a historical shift from chemically synthesized medicines to biopharmaceuticals around 2000. Japanese...

How can technology SMEs based in the EU leverage their offerings to become relevant for the Tokyo 2020 Games? With the Tokyo 2020 Games being less than three years away, there are already plenty of opportunities for domestic suppliers and partners. The official route for suppliers is complex for foreign companies to navigate. We present the ways in which foreign companies who want to enter Japan can also make the most of the Games by taking alternative routes to market, capitalising on the most...

How has the Japanese startup ecosystem developed, and what are its features both within Japan and in terms of connections to European markets?This webinar will give a clear overview of the Japanese startup ecosystem and will cover key aspects including: key and growing sectors, primary regional hubs, resources including startup events, funding outlets as well as incubation and acceleration programmes. Our insights are also based on interviews of Japanese and European startup entrepreneurs giving...

How can we develop assistive robots able to adapt how they behave and speak to the culture, customs and manners of the person they assist? Caresses (Culture-Aware Robots and Environmental Sensor Systems for Elderly Support) is EU-Japan coordinated research project started in January 2017. CARESSES will design culturally aware and culturally competent elder care robots. These robots will be able to adapt how they behave and speak to the culture, customs and manners of the person they assist...

How can I make meetings with Japanese partners more effective and achieve own goals?Meetings with Japanese partners follow a different agenda than the one we are used to in Europe. They require a more meticulous preparation process, a careful choice of participants and a good deal of formality. For European business people, the greatest challenge however lies in the fact that Japanese meetings tend to be lengthy and tedious and seldom produce any concrete output. Many try to speed up the process...