EIP attended a seminar at Cardiff City Hall which explored the relationship between Japan and Wales in relation to inward investment, research, innovation and manufacturing links.
The event on 27 June was jointly organised by the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation and the University of Wales, and was attended by EIP associate Stephen Scott. Stephen is a Japanese speaker and a former scholar of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, a charity which supports closer links between Britain and Japan. Prior to joining EIP, Stephen spent two years in Japan under the scholarship programme working with a number of Japanese multinationals.
The seminar looked at Japan’s future in the global economy following the tsunami and its continuing links with Wales. Speakers included Hiroshi Oka, economics minister at the Embassy of Japan, London; Lord Rowe-Beddoe, chair of the Welsh Development Agency (1993-2001); Steve Dalton, MD of Sony Wales; and Glen S Fukushima, chairman of Airbus Japan.
Stephen said: “The level of investment in Wales by Japanese companies compares favourably to other European countries and many high-tech companies have factories in Wales. Wales is no longer seen as just a manufacturing country; there is a move from traditional manufacturing to more high-tech business and R&D.”