GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE Monthly newsletter Issue No.9 February 2007
Greater Nagoya Means Greater Business Opportunities
******************************************************************************
GREATER NAGOGYA INITIATIVE
Monthly newsletter Issue No.9 February 2007
******************************************************************************
———————————————————————
1. Event: GNI Invitation Program for Taiwanese IT Companies
(Jan 30 – Feb 2, 2007)
2. Event: GNI Invitation Program for Chinese Manufacturing Companies (Feb 2 – Feb 8, 2007)
3. Event: GNI Invitation Program for European and US Companies (in Mid Feb)
4. Event: GNI Invitation Program for Chinese Medical Device Companies (Feb 28, 2007)
5. Report on GNI Symposium (Jan 19, 2007)
6. Report on GNI Ubiquitous Cluster Symposium (Jan 30 & 31, 2007)
7. Greater Nagoya, a Place for International Conferences
8. Greater Nagoya, Ocean’s Bounty
============================================================
1. Event: GNI Invitation Program for Taiwanese IT Companies
(Feb 1 – Feb 2, 2007)
============================================================
During this invitation program, the Taiwanese IT corporations will be visiting Greater Nagoya’s IT and technology centers, Softpia* Japan and Technoplaza**. Its seminar will be held at Softpia Japan on February 1, 2007. Softpia Japan is a hub for IT industry, and Technoplaza is for science and technology. Topics at the seminar will include: the current situations of foreign investment to Greater Nagoya; and advantages in investing in Japan for Taiwanese corporations (please note that topics are subject to change). We will arrange business-partner-matching meetings and a reception along with the seminar.
*Softpia Japan :URL:http://www.softopia.or.jp/en/
**Technoplaza :URL:http://www.itbusiness-gifu.jp/e/shisetsu6.html
============================================================
2. Event: GNI Invitation Program for Chinese Manufacturing Companies (Feb 2 – Feb 8 2007)
============================================================
Greater Nagoya Initiative will be inviting Chinese Corporations in manufacturing industry to Greater Nagoya. There will be business-partner matching meetings to find potential business partners in Greater Nagoya for the companies, which will be the program’s primary focus.
============================================================
3. Event: GNI Invitation Program for European and US Companies (in Mid February, 2007)
============================================================
European and US Corporations will be invited to Greater Nagoya as a GNI invitation program in mid February, 2007. Since Greater Nagoya has a high concentration in automotive industry including Toyota, Denso, and Aisin, the foreign-affiliated corporations chosen for this program are specialized in manufacturing related to automotives and industrial robots. The program (such as business-partner-matching meetings, site tours, seminars, etc.) will be customized individually depending on the company’s needs and interests.
============================================================
4. Event: GNI Invitation Program for Chinese Medical Device Companies (Feb 28, 2007)
============================================================
Chinese corporations in medical, health and welfare industry will be invited to Greater Nagoya as GNI Invitation Program. Greater Nagoya is focusing on the development of medical care, health care, and public welfare industry and is pursuing a project called Mie Medical Valley Project*. This project is led by the integrated network of the industrial cluster organized by industry, academia, administration, and private sectors. By promoting foreign-affiliated corporations in medical related industry, it will help pursue and develop the project further in Greater Nagoya. On February 28’s program includes presentations by the Chinese corporations,, business-partner-matching meetings, and a reception.
*Mie Medical Valley Project: http://www.mvp.pref.mie.jp/e/
============================================================
5. Report on GNI Symposium (Jan 19, 2007)
============================================================
On January 19, Friday, Greater Nagoya Initiative held the Greater Nagoya Initiative Symposium hosted by Cabinet Office, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Greater Nagoya Initiative Center.
The purpose of the symposium was to further develop the Greater Nagoya’s economy by promoting foreign investment in the region. There were discussions on the importance to work with GNI to understand the advantages and promoting foreign investment. There also were discussions on continuous improvement for accepting foreigners into the region as well as to improve working and living environment for foreigners. Panelists were executives of the world’s leading corporations, overseas corporations, and administrations in and outside Greater Nagoya, as well as the central government’s special advisor. About 200 people from corporations, academia, and administration attended the symposium. We received excellent feedbacks from many of the participants especially on the discussions. The participants were able to understand the benefits of the investments in Japan. We also received feedbacks encouraging us to increase these types of events, which will help spread the importance of foreign investments in Greater Nagoya.
============================================================
6. GNI Ubiquitous Cluster Symposium in Tsu City (Jan 30)
============================================================
GNI Ubiquitous Cluster Symposium was held in Greater Nagoya (Tsu City, Mie Prefecture) on January 30, Tuesday. Experts, professionals, and corporations specialized in this field and discussed topics on “Applications of sensor network for resolving issues on the current situations with food, agriculture, and education”. The symposium was sponsored by Greater Nagoya Initiative Center (GNIC), and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). The symposium was supported by academia (such as Mie University), research institutions, and local corporations.
This symposium was designed to develop a local sensor network project. The project was originally launched as an industry-academia project by Mie University and local ICT (Information and Communication Technology) companies in Tsu City. Since Greater Nagoya plays an important role in terms of food and environment and serves as a hub of monozukuri (the Japanese art of creating and making things), the goal of this project was to create a global-collaborative ubiquitous industry cluster by taking advantage of its geographical advantage. Presenters were university professors, researchers from IT research institutions, and executives of overseas leading IT corporations. Dr. Alan Kay, who is a world famous computer scientist as well as a president of Viewpoints Research Institute was invited, and gave presentation on “Toward the Ubiquitous Computing Era”. About 250 people from corporations, academia, and administration attended the symposium. We received great feedback from the participants that they found the presentations very informative and inspiring.
============================================================
7. Greater Nagoya, a Ideal Place for International Conferences
============================================================
The Japanese government proposed Japan as a host country for the tenth conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity （CBD） (COP10) which will be held in 2010. Greater Nagoya was nominated by the government as Japan’s candidate city for the conference. The CBD was adopted in May, 1992 under the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and is setting down rules and agreements on environmental protection as well as conservations for genetic resources. There are 188 countries (as of February, 2006) which entered into this convention. The conventions are held annually in different countries and ministerial-level meetings are held during the convention. The latest CBD (COP8 – the eighth conference) was held in March, 2006 in the city called Curitiba (Brazil) where 4,100 people from 160 countries and organizations participated. Curitiba is a city with urban-environmental design and has a great reputation in the world as one of the best places to live in South America. .
Greater Nagoya’s local government and business communities are also working together to promote Greater Nagoya for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in 2010, since Japan has been designated as a host country for the summit. APEC is organized by 21 countries and economic regions (ASEAN countries, United States, Mexico, China, Russia, Australia, Hong Kong, etc.) and is held annually since 1989. The organization was set up for sustainable development (such as trade liberation and economic cooperation) of the Asia-Pacific region.
Greater Nagoya is dedicated to environmental projects following the 2005 World Exposition whose theme was ‘Environmental protection with the development of new technologies and harmonizing human life with nature’. We have a large conference center called Nagoya Congress Center with capacity of 3,120 people. The center is going to be renovated and installed with the latest visual, audio, and lighting equipments. We also have a new international airport, Centrair, with many direct flights to cities including Asia, Europe, and the United States. These factors are one of the few advantages in Greater Nagoya, which makes it an ideal place for international conference.
CBB: http://www.biodiv.org/default.shtml
APEC: http://www.apecsec.org.sg/
Nagoya Congress Center: http://www.ncvb.or.jp/ncc_e/index.html
============================================================
8. Greater Nagoya, Ocean’s Bounty
============================================================
Greater Nagoya has an ideal living environment where you can enjoy high standard of living in an urban environment, yet surrounded by ocean and mountains. The treasures from the ocean are one of the great aspects of living in Greater Nagoya.
Greater Nagoya is famous for its ocean’s bounties. The peninsula called, Shima Peninsula in Greater Nagoya is famous for its landscape. The coastline along with the peninsula is deeply-indented and has different bays, which is called “Rias coast line”. These coastlines are unique since many of those do not usually have a flat beach and are led directly to steep mountains. Such coastlines are formed naturally over the years and are famous for its beautiful scenery.
The area is not only famous for its scenery, but also for its seafood. Matoya Bay in Shima Peninsula is famous for its fresh oysters – well known in Japan called Matoya Oysters. Essential nutrients (plankton) for oysters run from the rivers into the bay, which help grow oysters with outstanding taste with high quality. With its supreme quality, Matoya Oysters are shipped to all over Japan including about 700 restaurants and Hotels in Tokyo and Osaka. Lobsters, called Ise Lobster, and abalones (ear shells) grown in this area are also famous for its taste and quality (abalone is a single-shelled shellfish often served at fancy Chinese restaurants). The market share for Ise Lobster is the second largest in Japan (14.6% for 2002). The area is also the best place for abalones to grow because of many rocks under the sea for seaweed which abalone eats.
Access to Shima Peninsula is very easy. It will only take about an hour and a half from Nagoya by car. You can also take a train from Nagoya and takes about an hour or two. At Shima Penninsula, you will be able to enjoy beautiful scenery, nature, and fresh seafood.
Shima Peninsula: http://www.city.shima.mie.jp/kanko/e-guide/index.html
Fresh seafood:http://welcome.kankomie.or.jp/english/search/spot.php?category=6_7
