The Recent History of Japanese Investment in the British Auto Sector

This programme is in the process of being created

Tuesday 24 Feb 2009

Co-Organiser Asia-Pacific Technology Network
Co-Organiser: Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
Supported by Japan Society
Financed by a grant from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation

This research seminar is part of a series on the History of Japanese investment in the UK (the project is being funded by the Great Britain-Sasakawa Foundation). This follows on from seminars on the electronics, R&D, pharma and financial services sectors.

This will be a topical and popular seminar. Much of the discussion will focus on the way the big Japanese greenfield auto investments have matured and put down strong roots into the British economy. Although the basic thrust of this seminar will be to look at the history of the past two decades, there will inevitably be some discussion of the impact of the current global crisis on the Japanese automotive sector and how policy-makers are responding to the challenges. We will aim to steer discussions so that they focus on the historical dimension for at least two thirds of the time.

If this seminar is over-subscribed, we will give preference to people working around the automotive sector, or who have been involved in past policy developments.

Chair

• Sir Robin Mountfield, former Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office

Speakers

• Professor Daniel T Jones, Lean Enterprise Academy and co-author of Machine That Changed the World
  • The impact of Japanese automobile investments on the wider British economy.
• Louis Turner, Chief Executive, Asia-Pacific Technology Network
  • The key developments since 1990
• Given sensitivities amongst the Japanese auto companies about current developments, we won't have a speaker from one of them. Instead, we will put on an informal panel to discuss their position within an industry which is in crisis across the globe.

Location: Daiwa Foundation Japan House, 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London, NW1 4QP
Nearest tube station: Baker Street
Timing: 17:00 - 19.30
Pricing: Free
To Register your interest: please send your details (name, institutional affiliation, email address, phone number) to biz@aptn.org. Please indicate how actively you are, or have been, involved in the automotive sector.