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- J-Bridge U.S. Digital Sector Launch Webinar to Be Held
J-Bridge U.S. Digital Sector Launch Webinar to Be Held
May 27, 2022
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will hold the "Solving Urban Issues through Digitalization, aiming at realizing smart cities (J-Bridge U.S. Second Launch Webinar)" together with the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy in Japan on June 3. This webinar is to commemorate the "Japan Innovation Bridge," (commonly called "J-Bridge"), a platform designed to facilitate collaborations between Japanese companies and foreign startups, expanding into the U.S. digital sector. Speakers at this webinar will include Minister Hagiuda, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo, Japanese companies making progressive efforts toward achieving smart cities, promising American startups with innovative technologies, and so on.
1. Overview
METI and JETRO launched J-Bridge in 2021 as a platform to create international open innovation by supporting collaborations and M&As between Japanese companies and foreign startups. In the U.S, J-Bridge has facilitated collaborations between Japanese U.S. companies in the carbon neutrality sector and is seeing tangible results.
In November 2021, METI Minister Hagiuda Koichi and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo established the Japan-U.S. Commercial and Industrial Partnership (JUCIP) to move Japan and the U.S. partnership forward in various fields, including expanding high-quality mutual investments and facilitating cooperation between private companies.
To further develop these collaboration projects, METI and JETRO have started to provide support in the "digital sector" in addition to the existing carbon neutrality support. To commemorate this, METI is working with JETRO and co-organizers, namely the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy in Japan, to hold a webinar on smart cities.
This webinar will focus on companies with advanced digital technologies which are essential to realizing smart cities, that can also contribute to common issues between the U.S. and Japan, such as serious traffic congestion and climate change in the field of "smart cities using digital technologies." Through a dialogue and panel discussion between Japanese and U.S. companies on collaboration and cooperation in this field, the webinar will show the potential for collaboration between Japanese and U.S. companies.
- J-Bridge was launched in February 2021 as a platform to create international open innovation by supporting collaborations and M&As between Japanese companies and foreign startups.
- It is operated by JETRO, who provides J-Bridge member companies with information on promising startups in digital and green priority fields within Asia, Israel, Europe, and the United States, and hands-on assistance from individual interview support to forming projects.
- Note: For more information, see JETRO's website.
2. Outline of the event
Theme: "Solving Urban Issues through Digitalization, aiming at realizing smart cities"
(1) Date and time:
June 3, 2022 from 9:00 to 11:00
(US West Coast: June 2, from 17:00 to 19:00)
(2) Format:
Online Language:
Japanese/English (simultaneous interpretation)
(3) Target audience:
Japanese and American businesspeople and government officials
(4) Organizers:
METI, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO),
(5) Co-organizers:
U.S. Department of Commerce, Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy in Japan
(6) Program
1) Opening remarks by organizers
- Mr. HAGIUDA Koichi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (5 min.)
- H.E. Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, United States of America (5 min.)
2) Explanation to J-Bridge
- Ms. KAWADA Mio, Director-General, Invest Japan Department, JETRO (10 min.)
3) [Dialogue] Case Studies of Collaboration and Best Practices of Japanese and U.S. Companies for Realizing Smart Cities through Digital Implementation
Dialogue 1 (25 min.): The Road Towards Decarbonized Smart City (in Florida)
- Mr. Hicham Abdessamad, Chairman & CEO, Hitachi America, Ltd.
- Mr. Kyle Royal, Sr. Director Strategy and Operations N.A., Hitachi Environmental Business Division, Hitachi America, Ltd.
- Mr. Bala Krishnapillai, Sr. Director, IoT Solutions, Business Incubation Lab, Hitachi America, Ltd.
- Mr. Juan Fernando Santos, SVP Brand Experience and Innovation, Tavistock Group
Dialogue 2 (25 min.): Unlock the Value of Private 5G and AI for the Smart City (in Washington, DC)
- Mr. IKENO Masahiro, President and CEO, NEC Corporation of America
- Mr. Adam Rashid, Senior Vice President, Head of Smart Cities and Digital Infrastructures, JBG Smith
- (Moderator) Dr. Mike Mollenhauer, Division Director of Technology Implementation, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)
4) [Panel discussion] Japanese and U.S. companies talk about how the city of the future should be - cutting-edge digital technology and business in the smart city field. (45 minutes)
Moderator:
- Mr. Jon Metzler, Lecturer, Business & Public Policy, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley
Panelists:
- Mr. Lee Smith, VP - Strategic Marketing, Advocacy and Application Development, Daikin U.S. Corporation
- Mr. William Fugate, Overseas Business Developer, SkyDrive Inc.
- Mr. Dean Drako, Founder and CEO, Eagle Eye Networks, Inc.
- Mr. Alden Bushnell, Business Development, Near Earth Autonomy, Inc.
5) Closing remarks
- Mr. SASAKI Nobuhiko, Chairman and CEO, JETRO (5 min.)
3. How to participate
If you wish to participate, please refer to the event URL for more information.
4. About press coverage
If you are a member of the press and wish to cover the event, please contact the following by email or phone.
<Contact for press coverage>
Miyazaki and Mizuno, JETRO DX Promotion Team
Phone:
Email:
DXPT@jetro.go.jp