The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation organised a dedicated Digital Solutions Business Mission in Japan from 14 to 17 October 2025, at the occasion of the CEATEC 2025 trade show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba near Tokyo. A group of 12 European SMEs and one cluster from 11 EU Member States presented their innovative digital technologies and services to over 98.000 visitors, attracting interest from Japanese companies and institutional stakeholders. This year’s mission focused on fostering digital cooperation and market access opportunities for European companies active in advanced digital fields, reinforcing their presence within Japan’s dynamic technology ecosystem. It was the second time that the EU-Japan Centre participated with a booth at CEATEC after a successful first participation last year.
The joint EU Japan Centre exhibition booth at CEATEC 2025 provided each participant with an individual display stand, supported by Japanese language poster and company profile materials, and professional interpreters to ensure effective communication and visibility with Japanese industry partners. Alongside the Digital Solutions Mission participants, the booth also hosted the National Contact Point for Horizon Europe in Japan and the Gaia-X European Association for Data and Cloud, providing visitors with a comprehensive picture of digital innovation in the EU.
Over four days, several activities were organised to increase participant exposure and networking. The first day featured an official reception with the CEATEC AWARD 2025 ceremony, attended by the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Communications, Economy, Trade and Industry, and Digital Agency. The awards recognised outstanding technologies and services embodying the theme "Innovation for All." On the second day participants attended the exhibitor's networking event for an opportunity to meet with engineers and business leaders from Japanese startups and major corporations’ new business divisions. On the third day participants pitched at the global stage attracting a wide range of interested parties. The final day brought together an event with two mission participants, the Digital Agency in Japan, as well as embassy representatives from France and Ireland to share insights on Digital Transformation (DX) in the Public Sector. This event was organised by the Japan Tax and Public Procurement Helpdesk of the Centre.
CEATEC 2025 generated significant interest among Japanese industry representatives and institutional stakeholders. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited CEATEC, drawing significant attention from participating companies and potential investors. The mission participants reported a number of promising meetings and new business opportunities arising from their engagement at CEATEC. The EU Japan Centre regards this Digital Solutions Business Mission as a highly successful initiative, reinforcing and expanding the collaboration between European and Japanese digital ecosystems.
Testimonials
“Great support for SMEs to access the Japanese market. I would recommend all companies interested in Japan to take advantage of the valuable services of the Centre, which offers knowledge, network and very competent people.”
By Sebastiano Toffaletti, Secretary General at European DIGITAL SME Alliance
“The mission provided a deep understanding of how to operate in the Japanese market, from engaging with potential customers and partners to experiencing the local business culture. It helped us realize the importance of building trust, long-term relationships, and adapting our innovation strategies to local expectations. The experience provided the foundation for our company’s future market entry and collaboration with Japanese organizations.”
By Giedre Rajunce, CEO at UAB AI INNOVATIONS – GREÏ
“We think the most helpful point of the mission is the joint booth. That gives us visibility we would not have otherwise. The most important lesson for us from this mission is to form a Japanese legal entity. Many companies were so open to our services but have internal company requirements that limit them of doing business only with Japanese companies. Therefore, if we had a that, we would become way more easily approachable by them from a legal standpoint. We have been thinking about it for quite some time now, but this mission reinforced this feeling”.*
By Daniel Fazekas, CEO at Scriptide Ltd.
*Scriptide will open a subsidiary in Japan in January 2026
“For Logiicdev, this was our first mission, and it provided invaluable insights into customer expectations beyond just technology. We observed that many customers struggle to articulate their needs clearly. As a result, explaining use cases often required intuition and judgment to bridge the gap between their implicit requirements and our solutions.”
By Deepak Katkoria, CEO at Logiicdev GmbH
Published: December 2025