GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE Monthly Newsletter Issue No.18 (Nov, 2007)
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GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE Monthly Newsletter Issue No.18 (Nov, 2007)
Greater Nagoya Means Greater Business Opportunities
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1. Event: IT Business Exchange Meeting with Korean Companies at Softpia Japan (Nov 13, 2007)
2. Event: Seminar by WABOT-HOUSE Laboratory of Waseda University (Nov 19 and 20, 2007)
3. Event: Greater Nagoya Cluster Forum (Jan 23 and 24, 2008)
4. Mission of Greater Nagoya Initiative to Germany and France
5. Watching Soccer (Football) in Greater Nagoya
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1. Event: IT Business Exchange Meeting with Korean Companies at Softopia Japan (Nov 13, 2007)
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IT relating companies from Korea with strong interests in expanding their business in Greater Nagoya are invited to participate in this event at Softopia Japan. Softopia, located in Greater Nagoya, is a facility established in Greater Nagoya to create an advanced information-oriented society and is promoting alliance with leading IT centers around the world. Softopia also serves as an incubator by offering first class office rental space and business support to cater to the specific needs of IT startup companies. The Korean companies (ten companies) participating in the event are the companies from the city of Busan in Korea specializing in the developments of software and contents. In Busan, there is an organization called Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency who is promoting and supporting IT companies in Busan. It is expected that this event will help develop Greater Nagoya’s strength in IT industry.
Softopia Japan: http://www.softopia.or.jp/en/index.html
For more information on Softopia Japan, please also check our last month’s e-newsletter, issue No.17 (Oct, 2007).
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2. Event: Seminar by WABOT-HOUSE Laboratory of Waseda University (Nov 19 and 20, 2007)
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The WABOT-HOUSE Laboratory (WABOT-HOUSE) a center conducting researches on robotic technologies. WABOT-HOUSE is located in Techno Plaza in Greater Nagoya. WABOT-HOUSE is run by Waseda University in Tokyo (one of Japan’s top-ranking universities). Techno Plaza is a research and development center specializing in virtual reality, robotics technology and other science related technologies. The name “WABOT” is well known in the world since Waseda University was the first organization in the world that has introduced the humanoid robot WABOT-1 in 1973. Many professors and researchers from Waseda University as well as Japan’s leading universities will be participating in this event. WABOT-HOUSE is hoping to launch a new robotic industry by collaborations of SMEs in Greater Nagoya with unique technologies.
WABOT-HOUSE Laboratory: http://www.wabot-house.waseda.ac.jp/html/e-top.htm
Techno Plaza: http://www.gifu-techno.jp/index.html (Japanese Language Only)
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3. Event: Greater Nagoya Cluster Forum (Jan 23 and 24, 2008)
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This is an exhibition on “Monozukuri (manufacturing, “the drive to create products of value”)“ organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as well as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Many corporations participating in the industry cluster projects run by METI and MEXT will be participating in this Forum and exhibit their technologies, research findings, products and services. Overseas corporations will also be invited to participate in this event. Participating corporations are specialized in manufacturing, IT, biotechnology and varieties of industries. In addition to exhibitions, lectures and symposiums will also be held in order to create industry clusters and exchange of business in Greater Nagoya. There will also be opportunities for business partner matching meetings for the creation of new businesses.
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4. Mission of Greater Nagoya Initiative to Germany and France
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Greater Nagoya Initiative is sending a mission to Düsseldorf in Germany and Paris in France for the promotion of Greater Nagoya region. GNI mission team will visit Düsseldorf on November 19, Monday and 20 Tuesday. Then, the mission members will change the location to Paris and stay there from November 22, Thursday to 23, Friday.
On November 19, Monday in Düsseldorf, leaders of GNI mission members such as the governor of Mie prefecture will provide a presentation on attractiveness of Greater Nagoya at the conference called “Japan Business Forum (JBF)”, which is hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). GNI will also place an exhibition booth during the conference for promotion. On November 20, Tuesday in Düsseldorf, GNI mission will have a GNI seminar in cooperation with Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). The state of NRW is located in the northern part of Germany with its capital city, Düsseldorf which has a population of about 18 million. The state has close relationships with Japan since many leading Japanese corporations expanded their business in NRW. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce both areas’ attractiveness. GNI aims to contribute the future promotion of business exchange through exchange of views and opinions at the seminar. In France, mission members will visit leading companies in Val d’Oise and will have GNI seminar in Paris. Val d’Oise is located in the north west of Paris and has Charles de Gaulle International Airport. The area has many global enterprises with leading-edge technologies and is famous for having one of the best industrial estates in Europe. GNI seminar will be held on November 23, Friday in Paris for the promotion of Greater Nagoya region. If you would like to know more information, please contact GNIC for further details.
North Rhine-Westphalia: http://www.nrw.co.jp/ (Japanese Language Only)
Val d’Oise : http://www.ceevo95.fr/heading/heading3865.html
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5. Watching Soccer (Football) in Greater Nagoya
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Greater Nagoya offers a variety of leisure facilities where people enjoy playing sports or enjoy them as spectators. Today, soccer has become one of the popular sports in Japan. The first professional soccer league in Japan, the “J. League”, was established in 1993. The J. league consists of a 31 teams. Each J. League club is based in a hometown and has its roots in a specific community. Soccer club based in Greater Nagoya is called, “Nagoya Grampus Eight.” Grampus Eight was originally founded as the company team of Toyota Motor Corp in the 1950s. Grampus Eight makes its home at Toyota Stadium in Greater Nagoya. Toyota Stadium, built in 2001, was designed exclusively for soccer and other ball sports with capacity to seat up to 45,000 people. High-tech state of the art equipment such as convertible roof, automated retractable seats, the world’s first movable large video screen are installed. It has also barrier-free environments for wheel chair users and disabled persons. The stadium was designed by Kisho Kurokawa, who is a native of Greater Nagoya and internationally known architect. Kurokawa’s best-known architectural works include the Kuala Lumpur International Airport of Malaysia, the New Wing of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the National Art Center in Tokyo. Toyota stadium is known by its futuristic design. The stadium receives good reputations from experts and professional players that its quality is the best in the world. Grampus Eight is not merely sports team but part of people’s lives which enjoy local support. Sports culture rooted in the regional community is another factor to attract peoples’ attention to Greater Nagoya.
J-League Official Site: http://www.j-league.or.jp/eng
Nagoya Grampus Eight: http://www.so-net.ne.jp/grampus/ (in Japanese only)
Toyota Stadium: http://www.toyota-stadium.co.jp/english/index.html
Kisho Kurokawa: http://www.kisho.co.jp/index.php
