Save-the-date! BJA x BLCCJ Webinar: The Japanese Government’s Growth Strategy 2026
In the framework of 160 years of Belgian-Japan diplomatic and friendship relations, the Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce (BJA) and the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BLCCJ) are thrilled to invite you to an exclusive webinar dedicated to the Japanese government’s recent economic policies and their impact on EU-Japan business.
Last November, the Takaichi administration designated 17 strategic fields -including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, shipbuilding and quantum technology- to fuel economic growth through public-private investments focused on economic security. In addition, 8 “cross-cutting issues” to be tackled, including human resource development, labor market reform and reducing the burden of caregiving and child-rearing, were listed. These initiatives will form a central pillar of her administration’s economic policy.
This webinar will explore the impact of these measures on EU-Japan business with insights from policy experts and industry representatives.
Join us for this engaging discussion!
Program (in JST):
17:50 Opening of the online event
18:00 Welcome words by the Moderators:
- Sofie Pattyn, CTO, IQVIA Laboratories Belgium & BJA IPT Committee Co-Chair
- Jo Anseeuw, Freelance, BLCCJ Director & member of the BLCCJ webinar task force
18:05 Presentations by:
- Keynote speaker: Daniel Ayres, Director, Kreab Worldwide Tokyo
- Testimonial: Nobuyoshi Kan, Managing Director Japan & South Korea/President and Representative Director, Barry Callebaut Japan Ltd.
- Testimonial: xxx , IQVIA
followed by a Q&A session
19:00 Event adjourns
About the keynote speaker
Daniel Ayres is a Director at Kreab Worldwide Tokyo, a Swedish-based public and government relations firm with a large presence in Asia. He works on projects involving lobbying, policy making, and public affairs for private companies as well as providing communications advice to the Japanese government itself. He helps a range of clients, including those in the energy, pharmaceutical, and defense industries.
Prior to joining Kreab Tokyo, he worked for a local government in southern Nagano. He holds a MS (social sciences) from Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University and dual BAs (summa cum laude) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a native of Boston, Massachusetts and holds an N-1 level certification in Japanese.
Event Details
- Date: Wednesday 9 September 2026
- Time: 18:00 – 19:00 JST (11:00 – 12:00 CET)
- Venue: online (Zoom Meeting)
- Fee: free for members / JPY 2,000 non-members
- Language: English
To register, please send your full name, company name and position to info@blccj.or.jp by Thursday 3 September 17:00 JST, and we will send a confirmation email.
Payments by bank transfer have to be confirmed by 3 September 17:00 JST. We will send the payment details in the confirmation email.
This webinar will be conducted via Zoom Meeting.
If your registration is accepted, you will receive the Zoom invitation link, meeting ID and passcode the day before.
We look forward to welcoming many of you at this exciting webinar!