As Germany’s most populous and industrially powerful state, North Rhine-Westphalia plays a crucial role in Japan’s economic relations. Consul-General Setsuko Kawahara outlines the potential for further collaboration in innovation and sustainable industries.
How does the consulate support the Japanese community in NRW, and how do Japanese businesses contribute to enhancing bilateral ties?
The Japanese business community in NRW has been playing an incredibly important role in strengthening the bilateral relationship. About 650 Japanese companies established offices in NRW which constitutes the biggest Japanese business community in the European continent. They greatly contribute to economic growth as well as innovation in the region, by creating jobs and conducting R&D activities. The local government and cities greatly appreciate the precious roles and valuable contributions of Japanese companies. They also assist the Japanese community in a variety of ways, including hosting “Japan Day” in Dusseldorf. One of the most important roles of our Consulate-General is to provide an environment in which all Japanese residents, including businessmen and their families can smoothly settle down and conduct their works and lives without any concern. We make efforts to facilitate procedures on labor-and-stay permits as well as networking with the local business community.
How have recent collaborations between Japanese and German companies in NRW contributed to economic growth and innovation?
There are a number of remarkable examples which demonstrate how the collaboration between the Japanese and German industry can contribute to economic growth and innovation. One of such examples is a recent collaboration in expanding the electricity network in Germany by utilizing the world’s top quality electricity cables of a Japanese company, which will constitute an essential part of the infrastructure for realization of the energy transition. In addition, many Japanese companies established R&D centers in NRW and create, for example, lithium-ion batteries of the next generation. These efforts will bring about enormous benefits for the German industry in general, especially for production of electric vehicles in the automotive industry.
The presence of the Japanese industry in NRW continues to be strong and stable, based on the wonderful infrastructure for connectivity with other countries/regions and historical partnership between NRW and Japan.
Setsuko Kawahara, Consul-General of Japan
Looking ahead, what strategic sectors or initiatives do you foresee for enhancing Japanese presence and investments in NRW in the coming years?
The presence of the Japanese industry in NRW continues to be strong and stable, based on the wonderful infrastructure for connectivity with other countries/regions and historical partnership between NRW and Japan. A great variety of industrial sectors are available in NRW and the potential of further investment is quite open. In view of the great need in Germany and the EU to promote sustainability continuously and rapidly, I presume that related industrial sectors such as renewable energy, energy saving or recycling will have especially great potential for creating a win-win situation.
What are the primary challenges and strategic opportunities in strengthening bilateral ties between Japan and NRW, and how is the consulate addressing them?
In view of the current geopolitical situation, it is evident that Japan and Germany need to work closer with each other to overcome common challenges, such as economic security, cyber security as well as the tendency of protectionism. NRW as the most populous State with the biggest industrial power in Germany is an essential partner for Japan and I see a great potential of further strengthening the bilateral economic relations. One special feature of NRW is the fact that top class universities and academic institutes such as RWTH (Aachen University of Technology) and Fraunhofer Institute are eager to work with Industry and the collaboration to date seems to be very successful. As many Japanese companies in NRW established R&D centers in this region and promote cutting-edge technology, I am very hopeful that more bilateral collaboration in this field will bring benefits for both sides. Our Consulate-General supports these efforts by information sharing and promoting networking.
