The Diplomat
The Japanese city of Kyoto will host from tomorrow until October 6 the twenty-second edition of the Spain Japan Forum, which resumes its activities after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in which the possibilities of business collaboration in sectors such as green hydrogen or 5G networks will be discussed.
The Forum is jointly organized by the Spain Japan Council Foundation and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries. It is the main platform for dialogue between representatives of civil society and the Administration of Spain and Japan. The last face-to-face edition of the Forum took place in 2019 in Castellón. A hybrid format edition was held at the end of 2021.
The Kyoto Forum, whose theme is Spain-Japan relations at a point of transformation in the international community, will host a Spanish delegation composed of almost 50 people, with representatives from the Administration, companies, associations and universities, as well as independent professionals.
Among the Spanish participants in the Forum will be the Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ángeles Moreno Bau; the President of the Spain-Japan Council Foundation and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Josep Piqué; the President of Gestamp, Francisco J. Riberas; and the CEO of Fujitsu in Spain, Ángeles Delgado. Representatives from companies such as Iberdrola, Telefónica, Bergé, NTT Data or Mitsubishi will also travel; and from institutions such as Casa Asia, the Real Instituto Elcano, the universities of Valladolid and Salamanca, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce or the Basque Culinary Center.
The Forum’s working sessions will take place on October 5 at Keihanna Science City, an important technological center located 38 kilometers from Kyoto. These meetings will discuss issues of interest to both countries in different areas, such as the role that Spain and Japan should play in the current global geopolitical framework, the security of value chains and the possibilities for business cooperation in sectors such as green hydrogen, 5G networks or artificial intelligence. There will also be space for topics such as the economy of language, the reactivation of tourism or the importance of gastronomy in the projection of the country’s image.
The Forum will also host the presentation of the IX Awards of the Spain Japan Council Foundation, which this year recognize the soccer player from La Mancha Andrés Iniesta, who has been playing for Vissel Kobe since 2018; and the Japanese company Fujitsu. Receiving the award at Keihanna Science City will be Iniesta himself and Fujitsu’s global CEO, Takahito Tokita.
The Spain Japan Forum
The Spain Japan Forum is the main public diplomacy meeting between representatives of civil society and the Administration of both countries. It has been held every year since 1997, alternating between Japan and Spain, around an agenda of strategic issues for bilateral relations. Its main objective is to build a solid network of contacts between professionals, companies and institutions and to provide a platform for reflection on current issues.
The Spain-Japan Council Foundation is the main Spanish entity dedicated to public diplomacy with Japan. Founded in 2002, its Board of Trustees is made up of some of the main Spanish companies and entities with a presence in Japan, senior officials of the Spanish administration and the respective embassies of the two countries. It is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
