Cluj-Napoca, Romania, June 21, 2023 – Cluj IT Cluster supported, as a co-organizer, the first edition of the Romanian-Japanese Innovation Forum, an event that took place in Cluj-Napoca between June 19 and 20.
According to a release from the organizers, last month, on the occasion of the Cluj Innovation Days event, Cluj IT Cluster prefaced this Forum, organizing a panel dedicated to the cooperation between Romania and Japan and thus bringing an intercultural perspective on the cooperation between the two countries that are united, starting from this year, through a strategic partnership focused on the innovation component.
On June 19, the first day of the Romanian-Japanese Innovation Forum, during the “TechCo for a Digital Sunrise” Conference, several panel discussion sessions took place, in which actors from the political or institutional regulatory field debated, together with representatives of companies and those of the academic environment, different topics of interest, such as 5G technologies, smart cities or support for startups.
The second day, June 20, was one of maximum interest for companies from Romania, entrepreneurs being interested in opening business opportunities with companies and organizations from Japan. For this purpose, with the help of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a business matchmaking took place between companies from the two countries, followed by a start-up pitch session in which companies at the beginning of the journey supported their ideas in front of an audience of potential Japanese partners.
Over 160 1-to-1 interactions between technology companies from Romania and Japan took place throughout the day, laying the foundations for future partnerships and collaborations.
“I can only be happy that the event was such a great success, especially among companies and the academic environment. It is a national premiere of which we are very proud that it took place in Cluj. As a result of the two days, it turned out that there is an enormous potential for collaboration between Romania and Japan, especially in the direction of innovation and technology. I noticed an open, direct desire for rapprochement between those present which, I hope, will also lead to concrete projects, as soon as possible. It is important for Romania’s economic and innovation environment, let’s keep the moment alive and take advantage of a favorable context of collaboration with Japan, one of the world’s great economies”, said Andrei Kelemen, CEO of Cluj IT Cluster.
During both days of the event, an exhibition space was organized that allowed the exposure of some prominent Romanian companies, alongside Japanese companies, thus aiming to intensify commercial relations through the realization of future economic partnerships.
The Romanian-Japanese Innovation Forum represented an opportunity to facilitate interactions and the exchange of information and best practices between representatives of Japanese institutions and companies and those from our country, aiming at strengthening relations in the field of innovation and digitization, promoting cooperation between the two states in fields such as information and communication technology, respectively supporting interactions between private companies, including startups.
The Romanian-Japanese Innovation Forum is the first major action organized after the signing of the Romanian-Japanese Strategic Partnership, assumed on March 7, 2023 through the Joint Declaration signed by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis and the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, and was organized together with Cluj City Hall -Napoca, the National Authority for Communications Administration and Regulation, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, the Embassy of Romania in Tokyo, the Embassy of Japan in Bucharest, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan (MIC) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
The Romanian-Japanese Innovation Forum was an event organized in the context of the Romanian-Japanese Strategic Partnership, assumed on March 7, 2023 by the Joint Declaration signed by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis and the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida.
This Strategic Partnership represents the advancement of Romanian-Japanese collaboration relations at the highest level and the transition to a higher stage of capitalizing on bilateral potential, on three key dimensions: foreign policy and dialogue on security issues, economic cooperation and cooperation in the field of assistance for development, with a focus on the fields of culture, science and technology, innovation, research and development.
