Investment seminar for Japanese companies in Tokyo

The Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) in cooperation with the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Tokyo organized an investment seminar entitled Developing your business in Slovakia which took place on 12th September 2023 in Tokyo on the premises of the EU Delegation — Europa House.

The seminar focused on the automotive, electronics, and ICT sectors of Slovakia in order to present investment opportunities to potential Japanese investors.

Roman Hauser, the Deputy Head of Mission of the Slovak Embassy in Tokyo, introduced the activities of Japanese companies in Slovakia, and at the same time, emphasized the continuous development of mutual relations between Japan and Slovakia.

Simona Jurkovičová and Stanislava Plascencia Lubinová, Senior Consultants of the Department of Investment Projects of SARIO, presented to the representatives of approximately 40 Japanese companies the Slovak business environment with a focus on investment opportunities, investment incentives, and other governmental support mechanisms, together with the success stories of Japanese companies established in Slovakia, as well as the services of SARIO agency. 

Ryo Koba, Senior Director for Global Strategy (Europe) at JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) brought up trends of Japanese investors established in Europe (e.g. restructuring of supply chain, transformation towards green technologies), as well as challenges that Japanese investors are currently facing in Europe, and highlighted the comparative advantages of Slovakia from a perspective of Japanese investors.

Manuel Hubert, Managing Director of the EU-Japan Center for Industrial Cooperation, presented the services that this organization provides to Japanese companies while entering the European market (e.g. internationalization of Japanese SMEs, participation in fairs and exhibitions, searching for business partners).

Takashi Kamioka, Director of Quality Assurance of MinebeaMitsumi, closed this event with an excellent example of a success story of Minebea Slovakia. The company has been successfully operating in Slovakia since 2016 and currently employs approximately 1,400 people in Košice. 

Takashi Kamioka stated that the company is extremely satisfied in Slovakia, he specifically highlighted the strong support from the Slovak government, the quality and expertise of the Slovak labour force, and among the positives he also mentioned the membership in the Eurozone and the transport infrastructure within Slovakia.

Thanks to the investment seminar, the participants of the event had the opportunity to get a comprehensive overview of investment opportunities in Slovakia and establish new contacts during a networking session.

In addition to the investment seminar, Simona Jurkovičová and Stanislava Plascencia Lubinová attended additional meetings in Tokyo with 5 Japanese companies that are successfully established in Slovakia.

During the meetings, several topics were discussed, such as strategy and potential expansion plans in their Slovak entities, fruitful cooperation with the SARIO agency, as well as continuous support from the state.

Last but not least, among other meetings, SARIO representatives met a potential investor who is looking for a technology supplier in Slovakia for his European production plant, and also a Japanese bank that is currently establishing an investment fund in Europe.

Photo Credit: Stanislav Kogiku