The EU and Japan – A New way Forward

Industrial transition towards green and digital economy

EU Industry Days is Europe’s flagship annual event on industry. It serves as the main platform to discuss industrial challenges and co-develop opportunities and policy responses in an inclusive dialogue with a wide range of partners, also at international level.

Japan and the EU have concluded an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which entered into force in February 2019. Together with a more general Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), provisionally applied since the same date, and the Partnership on Sustainable Connectivity and Quality Infrastructure signed in September 2019, it has become the cornerstone of an enhanced relationship between the EU and Japan.

The EU and Japan have yet more to gain by working together to grow their economic relationship, and by aligning their mutual interests to find a new way forward in the face of disruptions and challenges across economic and geopolitical spectrum.

The event will be a platform to discuss industrial challenges and co-develop opportunities notably towards three types of cooperation (i) Regulatory cooperation and new standards, (ii) technological cooperation and industrial innovation, and (iii) EU-Japan Business cooperation in third markets, notably in Asia and Africa.

Programme

Welcome remarks (17:00 Tokyo / 9:00 Brussels)

• H.E. Patricia Flor, Ambassador of the European Union to Japan
• Masaki Sakuyama, Chairman of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, President of the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, co-Chair of the EU-Japan Business Round Table

EU and Japan Public Authorities (17:10 Tokyo / 9:10 Brussels)

• Thierry Breton[1], European Commissioner for Internal Market 
• Hiroshi Kajiyama[2], Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Industrial transition towards green economy (17:30 Tokyo / 9:30 Brussels)

• Yumiko Noda, Chairman & Representative Director of Veolia Japan k.k., Chair of the Environment and Safety Committee of Keidanren
• Akiji Makino, Chairman & CEO of Iwatani Corporation  (presentation)
• Jan Warzecha, Representative Director of juwi Shizen Energy Inc. (presentation)
• Michael Mroczek, President of the European Business Council in Japan (presentation)
• Q&A (15 min) moderated by Yasuo Tanabe, Managing Director, Japan-side of the
  EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation

Industrial transition towards digital economy (18:25 Tokyo / 10:25 Brussels)

• Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director-General of DIGITALEUROPE (presentation)
• Fabien Versavau, President & CEO of Rakuten France A.S.A. (presentation)
• Nobuhiro Endo, Chairman of the Board of NEC Corporation, Chair of the Cyber Security Committee of Keidanren (presentation 1 , 2)
• Markus Beyrer, Director General & CEO of BusinessEurope
• Q&A (15 min) moderated by Philippe de Taxis du Poët, Managing Director EU-side of the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation & Minister Counsellor of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan

Closing remarks (19:20 Tokyo / 11:20 Brussels)

• H.E. Yasushi Masaki, Ambassador of Japan to the European Union, Head of the Mission
• Philippe Wahl, President & CEO of La Poste, co-Chair of the EU-Japan Business Round Table

[1] Via video recorded message

[2] Video recording scheduled