Closed-Door Policy Workshop: "The EU-Japan Digital Partnership: Going Forward"
April 02, 2025-09:00to14:00(GMT+9, Tokyo)
The International House of Japan (IHJ), Tokyo, Japan
This event is by-invitation only. If interested, please contact Dr. Eva Pejsova (eva.pejsova@vub.be).
The EU-Japan Digital Partnership (DP), en force since 2023, underscores the shared commitment and political willingness of both partners to join forces on key areas, including semiconductors, AI, high-performance computing and quantum, Beyond 5G, data governance and Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), digital connectivity platforms, and cybersecurity. To support the ongoing process, the workshop will address several critical questions:
‘Drivers of Technological Innovation, Economic Security, and Sovereignty’: How can the EU and Japan sustain their technological edge and sovereignty amidst the intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China.
‘Emerging Technologies and Security Cooperation’: What role do dual use emerging and disruptive technologies play in shaping EU and Japan’s evolving security postures and bilateral cooperation?
‘Domestic Challenges and Policy Coordination’: What domestic priorities and challenges must be addressed to advance technological collaboration and digital connectivity?
‘Promoting Global Governance’: How can the EU and Japan champion responsible, human-centred, and sustainable global governance frameworks bilaterally and within existing multilateral frameworks?
This event will convene a balanced group of 30 to 40 representatives from the EU and Japan, including policymakers, academia, think tank experts, and industry leaders. The multistakeholder representation ensures diverse perspectives and practical insights into advancing digital cooperation and innovation.
Agenda
09:00-09:10 Opening Remarks
09:10-09:30 Keynote Address
09:30-11:00 Panel I: Towards Policy Alignment in Emerging and New Technologies: AI, Quantum, Advanced Semiconductors
11:00-11:30 Break
11:30-13:00 Panel II: From Space to Under the Sea: Critical Digital Infrastructure for Sustainable Global Connectivity
13:00-14:00 Networking lunch
Expected outcomes
The workshop will produce policy recommendations that emphasise the removal of political, regulatory, and technological barriers, reinforce multistakeholder engagement between the two partners, and promote responsible, human-centred global governance of digital emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs). These recommendations will serve as a roadmap for enhancing EU-Japan digital cooperation moving forward.
Methodology
The event will follow a closed-door, roundtable format to encourage candid dialogue. Participation is by invitation only, ensuring a balanced representation of stakeholders from the EU and Japan. Discussions will focus on practical solutions and pathways for policy alignment and innovation.
Confirmed speakers
Kazuto Suzuki, Director, Institute of Geoeconomics
Taro Kono, Member, House of Representatives; Former Minister for Digital Transformation
Kota Umeda, Visiting Research Fellow, IOG
Antonio Calcara, Head of Technology and Geopolitics Programme, CSDS
Kazumi Nishikawa, Principal Director, Trade and Economic Security Bureau, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan
Hiroki Habuka, Research Professor, Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University; CEO, Smart Governance
Harald Kümmerle, Principal Researcher, German Institute for Japanese Studies
Sebastien Lechevalier, Visiting Researcher, German Institute for Japanese Studies
Eva Pejsova, Japan Chair, CSDS
Raluca Csernatoni, Professor, Brussels School of Governance; Fellow, Carnegie Europe
Koichiro Komiyama, Deputy Director, Global Coordination Division, JPCERT/CC
Participants will include high-level representatives from the EU and Japanese research institutions, government agencies, think tanks, and industry leaders.
The EU-Japan Digital Week is an initiative under the EU-Japan Digital Partnership and is supported by the following projects and organisations: partners.png760 KB
