This month in the “Special Focus” section, we focus on the ICT sector in Japan.
Information on the various related sub-sectors, the latest reports as well as the previous webinar on this topic are available on the following links.
Sectors: The Japanese IT industry includes a wide range of different sectors, such as computer hardware, software, electronics, semiconductors, Internet, telecoms equipment, e-commerce and computer services. Information technology is widely recognised as a great resource for the service sector because it improves operational efficiency and transparency and also creates opportunities for new and developing markets. The Japanese IT industry is a key driver of global economic growth. To read more, please click on the link below: | |
The ICT sector plays an important role in Japanese economic development and cultural prosperity, and technological developments have been widely embraced in areas such as mobile communications. With a receptive domestic market and reputation for excellence in science and technology, opportunities in the Japanese ICT sector are present in many areas. In this sense, Japanese authorities see the ICT sector as one of the main pillars of future economic growth. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is therefore aiming to increase Japanese economy’s productivity through the implementation of ICT in all types of business. To find out more, please see below: | |
Digital technology has a long history in Japan. A recent study indicated that 99.5% of Japanese people aged 15 to 24 were “digital natives”, i.e. people who have interacted with digital technology since an early age. This figure was second only to that of South Korea, where 99.6% of young people fall into this category. The Japanese tendency to embrace new technology in daily life makes the country a promising market for firms engaged with digital technology. If you wish to find out more on the Japanese digital technology market, please click on the link below: | |
| Publications: Fintech is a comparatively new concept in Japan with the media only having coined the term in 2015. There are many opportunities for Fintech startups in Japan due to the country’s high GDP, strong e-commerce sector, and high level financial assets. Japan’s financial industry was slow to innovate during the lost decade, but is now in a good position of growth. Fintech will also have a key role during Tokyo 2020 as the number of tourists rises substantially. Japan’s megabanks have recognised the need to implement new technologies to innovate, improve efficiency and open up new revenue streams. To read the report, please click below: |
The advancement of digital technologies is one of the most important forces for innovation. Innovation - the transformation of novel ideas into marketable products – can bring prosperity and economic growth. Innovation is a force causing major shift in the paradigms of daily life. Key Japanese players in industry, academia and government are now attaching the vital importance to nurturing IT experts and upgrading their innovation capacity in a diverse range of digital economy fields. To read more, please click below: | |
To access other reports on this topic, please click on the links below: | |
| Webinar: The webinar was targeted at EU companies EU companies and organisations seeking to improve their knowledge about the interaction capabilities of entertainment and assistive robots, with a particular focus on the Pepper robot developed by SoftBank Robotics. To access the recording of this webinar, please see below: |
The EU-Japan Centre currently produces 5 newsletters :
Joint venture established in 1987 by the European Commission (DG GROW) and the Japanese Government (METI) for promoting all forms of industrial, trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Japan.
The EU-Japan Centre’s activities are subject to the allocation of a Grant Agreement by the European Commission for 2024-2026