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Japan Business Day back again this year as an in-person event!

Topic: New materials for a sustainable future

At the Japan Business Day on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, companies from Japan and NRW will present their technologies and products on the topic of "New Materials for a Sustainable Future: Development, Processing and Recycling" and discuss the future prospects and applications of new materials together with experts from science and politics. As an integral part of the traditional Japan Day in Düsseldorf, the event will once again take place in person. NRW Economics and Innovation Minister Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, Dr. Stephan Keller, Mayor of the state capital Düsseldorf, the Japanese Consul General Kiminori Iwama and the President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Shinichi Okumura, will open the event at 2:00 p.m. at Hotel KÖ59, Königsallee 59, Düsseldorf.

The Japan Business Day takes account of the wide-ranging economic relations between Japan, North Rhine-Westphalia and the state capital Düsseldorf. They contribute considerably to prosperity in the region and to its attractiveness as a business location. North Rhine-Westphalia and the state capital Düsseldorf are home to more than 630 Japanese companies, making it the strongest Japan location in Germany and continental Europe. Japanese companies employ more than 50,000 people in North Rhine-Westphalia. Against this background, the Japan Business Day offers an important platform for exchange. It is aimed at professional visitors from the German and Japanese business communities.

Japan and Germany share important future topics, and sustainability in particular has moved into the political, social and economic spotlight in both countries. The shift towards sustainability creates challenges, but at the same time also offers opportunities for new growth and cooperation. The Japan Business Day 2022 takes this into account with its central theme. New materials have the potential to generate high-quality products with improved or new material and surface properties. Innovative production processes optimized for these materials can reduce manufacturing costs and thus strengthen growth, employment and competitiveness in the long term. Recyclability is another decisive factor with regard to sustainability. New materials are therefore already an outstanding economic factor for Germany and Japan.

Expert information, exchange and networks

At the Japan Business Day, Prof. Dr. Hisakazu Mihara, Vice President, Professor of School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, will speak on "Challenges in New Materials and Production Technology under Tokyo Tech's Holistic Bio-strategy". Another keynote address will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Ing. habil. Dierk Raabe, Chairman of the Board, Max Planck Institute for Iron Research GmbH and Director of the Department of Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design on "Sustainable Metals and their Importance for the Circular Economy".

The program also includes presentations and case studies by Japanese and German experts and company representatives on the subject of new materials for a sustainable future. During the subsequent panel discussion, participants will have the opportunity to discuss possible collaborations and market entry in Japan and Germany in greater depth. Afterwards, they will be able to further explore the day's topics at the networking meeting and to socialize.

You can find the full program here.