JBCE Takes Part in EU-Japan Tech Business Round Table, Publishes Recommendations and Joint Statement

On 5 May 2026, in the context of the 4th EU–Japan Digital Partnership Council held in Brussels, JBCE participated in the EU–Japan Tech Business Roundtable hosted by DG CNECT.

JBCE was represented by its President, Mikihito Saito, and its Secretary General, Michiyoshi Toya. Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy; Hisashi Matsumoto, Japan’s Minister for Digital Transformation; Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communication; and Toshiyuki Ochi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, were also in attendance. Leading digital companies representing both European and Japanese industries also took part in the discussions.

JBCE had the opportunity to deliver remarks as a representative of Japanese industry and conveyed the following messages:

Importance of the ‘Made with Common Values’ approach

• To reduce critical dependencies, ensure verifiable governance, and maintain freedom from external coercion together with trusted partners.
• To establish a ‘Trusted Digital Commons’ framework, in which partner countries are defined based on reliability, transparency, and mutual verifiability, enabling the joint development of digital infrastructure among countries and companies that share common values.

From R&D to competitive business 

• EU–Japan cooperation in R&D has steadily progressed, including Japan’s association to Horizon Europe.
• A common challenge for both the EU and Japan is that, despite possessing world-class technologies, these technologies do not always translate into globally competitive businesses.
• The EU–Japan Digital Partnership should evolve from cooperation focused mainly on research and development into collaboration that also drives commercialisation and business creation.

In the framework of this fourth Council meeting, JBCE also published its recommendations to further develop the Partnership. We called for a decisive shift: from policy dialogue to concrete, outcome-driven implementation, as part of an operational approach aimed at creating trusted, interoperable digital ecosystems, underpinned by the principle of ‘Made with Common Values’.

In addition, JBCE and the European Business Council in Japan (EBC) issued a Joint Statement ahead of the EU–Japan Digital Partnership Council meeting, calling for deeper, industry-driven digital cooperation between the EU and Japan.

JBCE will continue to work to promote cooperation between the EU and Japan.