The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency (SMEA) has decided to dispatch four teams composed of staff of the Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan (SMRJ) and experts in various fields to the areas affected by the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake. The teams will investigate the actual conditions of the disaster-affected areas, understand the needs, requirements and tasks faced by SMEs, local governments and related agencies and provide necessary on-site advice. And to further reinforce the support system, SMEA has also decided to set up the Center for Support of SMEs’ Reconstruction Activities (provisional name) in disaster-affected areas, Morioka, Sendai and Fukushima, as a local support base that utilizes SMRJ’s Tohoku Branch and its sub-branch.

SMEA will be implementing the following measures to help SMEs, local governments and related agencies located in the affected areas to achieve recovery as soon as possible:

SMEA will dispatch expert teams, made up of SMRJ staff and five to six external experts in business management, production management and some other fields, to disaster-affected areas. The teams will investigate the actual conditions of the areas, understand the needs, requirements and tasks currently faced by SMEs, local governments and related agencies and provide necessary advice. For the moment, SMEA will organize and dispatch four teams to four areas: One team to Hachinohe City (Aomori Pref.) and one team to Ishinomaki City (Miyagi Pref.) on March 30, respectively; one team to Kuji City (Iwate Pref.) on April 6; and one team to a region which is now being examined. After learning the needs and requirements of the disaster-affected areas, SMEA will increase teams as required.

To accurately and properly address various tasks being faced by SMEs located in the affected areas, SMEA will set up Centers for Support of SMEs’ Reconstruction Activities (provisional name) in Sendai (in service on and after March 31 at SMRJ Tohoku Branch), in Morioka (in service on and after March 31 at SMRJ Tohoku Branch’s Iwate Sub-branch), and in Fukushima City (the office location is now being selected). SMEA will make full use of the matters the three offices will be consulted about and improve the activities to be conducted by the expert teams.

Based on the results of the abovementioned consultation services and the on-site investigations, SMEA will recruit new experts or utilize retired engineers or other professionals in the fields where it has no expert available at this moment and create a structure capable of providing practical advice and thus upgrade the activities of the dispatched expert teams.

(Reference)

Places planned for setting up the Center for Support of SMEs’ Reconstruction Activities (provisional name):

1. In Sendai City (in service on and after March 31)
   Office to be located in: SMRJ Tohoku Branch
   Address: 4-6-1, Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture (Sendai Daiichi Seimei Tower Bldg. 6F)
   Phone: 022-399-6111
2. In Morioka City (in service on and after March 31)
   Office to be located in: SMRJ Tohoku Branch Iwate Sub-branch
   Address: 15-20 Morioka Ekimae Dori, Morioka, Iwate Prefecture (Nissei Morioka Ekimae Bldg. 6F)
   Phone (provisional): 090-4097-6989 or 090-5219-5527
   * A dedicated telephone line will be in service by the end of March.
3. In Fukushima City
   Office site is now being selected.

March 29, 2011

Office of Director for Policy Coordination, Director-General’s Secretariat, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency
Business Support Division, Small and Medium Enterprise Agency