EU-Japan Business Cooperation in African Infrastructure Development

On 5 March 2025, the EU-Japan Centre promoted EU-Japan business cooperation in Africa at a hybrid seminar on “Japanese and French Companies Collaborating in Overseas Infrastructure Sector” in Tokyo. The seminar was part of an ongoing study on France-Japan Cooperation in African Infrastructure Development commissioned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan (MLIT).

The seminar welcomed other speakers from the public and private sectors, such as MLIT, the French Embassy in Japan, the French International Contractors (SEFI), Bouygues Asia, Oriental Consultants Global and Nippon Koei. They all showcased multiple French-Japanese joint initiatives in Africa and showed how these projects can pave the way for joint expansion into other regions such as Southeast Asia. The EU-Japan Centre’s presentation provided a broader perspective on the topic by highlighting the existence of joint projects involving not only French companies but also companies from other EU Member States. It also underlined how EU and Japanese companies can complement each other and create synergies when working together in foreign markets by sharing risks, financial resources, market expertise, partner networks and technologies. Finally, the EU-Japan Centre emphasised the win-win dimension of trilateral projects between the EU, Japan and Africa, which benefit all parties involved on a level playing field. The event was a resounding success, with the audience showing a keen interest in fostering EU-Japan business cooperation in Africa.