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Participating Companies Selected for VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE -Japanese SMEs Tackle Social Issues for a Better Tomorrow, an Interactive Exhibition to Be Held at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

May 23, 2025

The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency (SMEA) and the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN will present an interactive exhibition titled VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE -Japanese SMEs Tackle Social Issues for a Better Tomorrow at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, for five days from Friday, October 3 to Tuesday, October 7, 2025. We are pleased to announce that 84 companies have been selected to participate in this exhibition.

1.Outline

SMEA and the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN (hereinafter “SMRJ”) will hold an exhibition at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, for five days from Friday, October 3, to Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

We are pleased to announce that 84 companies have been selected to participate in this exhibition through screening conducted by an expert committee. The selection was based on recommendations from regional support organizations and applications from companies that submitted Messages for the Future (cf. the attached list of participating companies). For an overview of the participating companies, please visit the VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE special website. More details about the exhibition will also be released on the website in due course.

Under the theme “SMEs Taking on Challenges to Solve Social Issues by Making the Most of Their Strengths to Advance into the Future,” we will showcase future-oriented products, services, and technologies developed by SMEs from across Japan through an interactive exhibition.

At the venue, visitors will be able to experience the challenges and values of SMEs working to build a prosperous future society by encountering their various technologies and ideas through the exhibition.

2.VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE special website

A dedicated website for this exhibition has been launched, featuring details about the companies participating in the October exhibition, along with Messages to the Future submitted by around 1,700 SMEs from across Japan.

3.Overview of the exhibition area

  1. Departure Check-in: Starting from the entrance, visitors embark on a journey through the voyage-themed exhibition area, following the numbered sections in order.
  2. Beginning of the Voyage (prologue video):
    • An immersive video experience guides visitors into the VOYAGE TO THE FUTURE that is about to begin.
  3. Voyage of Challenges (future-oriented exhibits by SMEs):
    • Future-oriented products, technologies, and services are presented through actual exhibits, hands-on interactive experiences, and AR/VR content.
    • This exhibition allows visitors to experience the challenges and values of SMEs working to build a prosperous future society, by encountering their various technologies and ideas.
  4. Voyage to the Future (270-degree immersive theater):
    • A powerful video on a large, 270-degree immersive screen shows a vision of a future society where the products, technologies, and services developed by SMEs, as introduced in the Voyage of Challenges section, have been implemented.
  5. Future Port (wrap-up area):
    • Messages to the Future, submitted by approximately 1,700 SMEs from across Japan, are showcased.
    • This exhibition highlights the efforts of many other SMEs across Japan that are tackling social issues with a future-oriented mindset.

4.J-GoodTech Expo Matching Portal

In conjunction with Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, J-GoodTech is launching a series of special websites to connect overseas companies with Japanese SMEs by showcasing their outstanding products and services to the world. Through this initiative, J-GoodTech aims to promote exports and overseas expansion by Japanese SMEs.

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