Business with Kansai

THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2006 (For historic record only)
Visit from Osaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry
"Developing Business with the Digital Giants of Kansai: the Role of Global Venture Forum and Digital Concept Partners"

This page is maintained for historic reference only

Organised by: Asia-Pacific Technology Network and JETRO London
Location: MidCity Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6AL
Nearest Tube Station: Holborn or Chancery Lane
Time: 13.00 Sushi Lunch: 14.00 - 15.45 Presentations:: 15.45 tea and networking

Chairs: Hitoshi Masuda, Deputy Director-General, JETRO London
Louis Turner, Chief Executive, Asia-Pacific Technology Network

Speakers: Junichi Azuma, Assistant Manager, Economy and Industry Division, Osaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry "How to get close to the digital giants of the Kansai region: the role of Global Venture Forum 05 and Digital Concept Partners"

Dr Toshio Nomura, Deputy-Director of Sharp Laboratories of Europe
Mr Yutaka Harada, JETRO "Your Opportunity in Japan: How JETRO Can Help"

The Kansai Region (which includes Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe) is a global centre for digital industries, with major players such as Matsushita Electric, Sanyo Electric and Sharp having headquarters there. Kansai has also been at the forefront of attracting high-tech SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) into Japan. In recent years, the annual Global Venture Forums have allowed a limited number of such companies to present their business plans to the region's industrialists.

The giant companies in the region, Sanyo Electric, Sharp Corporation, Matsushita Electronic, NTT West and Osaka Gas have now created an Industry Leaders Group called Digital Concept Partners (DCP). This aims to help High-Tech SMEs and Venture Capitalists from round the world to develop proposals with its member companies to include co-development, technical tie-ups and joint-venture propositions. A secretariat is being created which will steer initial proposals to the correct part of the member companies.

Mr Azuma will introduce both these initiatives, and we hope to include representatives from at least one of the companies behind the DCP imitative.

This occasion will allow the speakers to sketch out their vision as to how high-tech British SMEs can be helped in making contact with the Digital giants of Kansai.