Thanks to EU Business Hub @ Japan IT Week Spring 2025, 50 European SMEs in the digital sector will visit Japan and kick-start their internationalisation journey. Participants will join Japan IT Week held in Tokyo at Tokyo Big Sight (the 2024 Spring exhibition was visited by around 54,000 participants).

This business mission presents a unique opportunity for European SMEs to establish valuable contacts, exhibit their solutions at the EU pavilion, build long-lasting relationships with Japanese enterprises and explore new business avenues together.
Target audience

European SMEs involved in the digital sector, including technology/services such as:

• Software, application development, data, IT operation and management
• Cloud, AI, Business automation 
• Embedded and Edge computing 
• Metaverse 
• Information security 
• Sales digital transformation, marketing, advanced e-commerce and retail

Overview of the Business Mission

The business mission to Tokyo will last five days in total, including three days of exhibiting, business matchmaking and networking, as well as sector insights and a site visit.

The business mission agenda is as follows:

• Day 1: arrival in Tokyo, welcome and networking gathering.
• Day 2: industry intelligence, sector briefs and site visit.
• Day 3: exhibition, networking and business meeting at Japan IT Week, networking reception.
• Day 4: exhibition, networking and business meeting at Japan IT Week.
• Day 5: exhibition, networking and business meeting at Japan IT Week, debriefing session.

Services/benefits the EU participants will be receiving

• Business matchmaking: pre-arranged in-person meetings with selected Japanese enterprises.
• Market intelligence information including sectoral briefings providing insights on market structure and opportunities.
• Cultural and linguistic support such as briefings on doing business in Japan, and support for interpretation and translation.
• Financial support to benefit from a menu of additional customised services co-funded by the programme (e.g. interpretation, legal advice, booth decoration, etc.) – in total, up to €1000 is covered by the programme
• Hotel accommodation (Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba) for four nights – in total, up to €1000 for accommodation is covered by the programme.
• Coverage of the exhibition fee at Japan IT Week.

Key market insights 

• Participating to EU Business Hub @ Japan IT Week Spring 2025 represents a unique opportunity for European SMEs and startups because:
• The Japan IT services market size was valued at 65 billion € in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8% from 2024 to 2030.
• The country’s focus on artificial intelligence, cyber security, digital technology, robotics, and healthcare IT drives market expansion and creates key opportunities for European companies to engage with Japan’s digital transformation markets with consumer products, services, equipment, etc.
• The increasing deployment of IoT-based devices across various industries, such as consumer electronics, agriculture, construction, and military, is also driving the growth of the IT services market in Japan.
• Japan is rapidly adopting cutting-edge technologies, driving the widespread use of IoT devices across various industries. The country is an emerging hub for major corporations, opening up new opportunities for European companies.
• The Japanese government is prioritising key digital technologies and strengthening collaboration from a global perspective, and enhancing competitiveness while ensuring safety and security in the field of AI.