News & Updates
Three MOUs Signed with ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC)
Jun 06, 2023
JETRO signed the three MOUs as follows with ASEAN-BAC for cooperation
- To organize the ASEAN-Japan Young Business Leaders’ Summit and Generation Z Business Leaders’ Summit.
- To promote the ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Fast Track Initiative.
- To promote Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) cooperation and ASEAN Net Zero Hub.
The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO, President: Norihiko Ishiguro) signed the following three MOUs with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC, Chairman: Arsjad Rasjid) during the ASEAN-Japan Business Week to further strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.
JETRO will take the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation as an opportunity to build cooperative relations between Japan and ASEAN in this new era through these initiatives under the ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-creation Vision, which will be finalized soon.
1. Cooperation in organizing the ASEAN-Japan Young Business Leaders’ Summit and Generation Z Business Leaders’ Summit
JETRO, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Economy (METI), and the ASEAN-BAC will jointly host the ASEAN-Japan Young Business Leaders’ Summit and Generation Z Business Leaders’ Summit in December this year to build new network between Japan and ASEAN for the next generation. JETRO and the ASEAN-BAC have agreed to closely cooperate in organizing these Summits.
These summit aim to build and strengthen mutual understanding and trust between the future business leaders in Japan and ASEAN by discussing and proposing joint solutions to social issues.
At the ASEAN-Japan Business Week, Co-chair of the Steering Committee of the ASEAN-Japan Business Leaders’ Summit; Mr. Takeshi Niinami, Representative Director of Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives) and President and CEO, and Representative Director of Suntory Holdings Limited, and Mr. Arsjad Rasjid, Chairman of the ASEAN-BAC and President Director of Indika Energy gave their remarks expressing their expectations for the Summit. In addition, young business leaders and Generation Z business leaders discussed expectations for each summit at the panel discussion sessions.
2. Cooperation in Promoting the ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Fast Track Initiative
JETRO and METI have launched the "ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Fast Track Initiative" to generate open innovation through collaboration between startups and leading companies in both ASEAN and Japan by cooperating with the government agencies of ASEAN countries.
Under this initiative, startups will have the opportunity to (1) receive support not only from Japanese organizations such as JETRO, but also from the government agencies of ASEAN countries, and (2) access not only major Japanese companies but also a wide range of startup ecosystems, including leading companies based in ASEAN.
Moreover, finalist startups will receive additional points in the selection process in the ASEAN-Japan DX Promotion Program to support their PoCs (see the website for details(899KB)).
Through the ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Fast Track Initiative, JETRO will promote open innovation for the mutual growth of ASEAN and Japan and lead the creation of global innovation.
(1)Upcoming Events
【Thailand】 Zest Thailand, Thailand-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event 2023
Application deadline: July 2nd 2023
Pitch event by finalists: August 7th 2023 (TBC)
In Thailand, JETRO and METI will hold the “Zest Thailand, ―Thailand-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event 2023―” to be co-organized by PTT Public Company Limited (PTT Group) together with Thailand Board of Investment and Ministry of Energy of Thailand. In this event, four Japanese companies and three PTT Group companies provide challenges and are calling for proposals from startups now. Moreover, at the Zest Thailand, leading Japanese companies and PTT group companies which are keen to generate innovation will speak about their strategies and projects at panel discussion sessions. These sessions will be opportunities to facilitate open innovation with these companies.
Challenge Owners | their Challenges |
---|---|
Novel approaches to reduce environmental impact in food industry in Thailand | |
Creating AGRI-TECH and FARM-TECH that will enhance the better Thai agricultural sector | |
Establishment of the Smart City Solution Business Model | |
Improving QOL during menstruation for Thai women | |
(PTT Group’s challenge is coming soon) | |
(PTT EP’s challenge is coming soon) | |
(IRPC’s challenge is coming soon) |
Companies participating in the panel discussions
Event Website
For details on each company's challenge, please refer to JETRO's special website.
Zest Thailand Thailand-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event 2023
Startups can submit proposals through the website above. The deadline for proposals for the Zest Thailand is on Sunday, July 2nd, 2023 (UTC+7, Thailand time).
Finalist startups selected among the application will pitch their proposals directly to challenge owner companies in Bangkok on Monday, August 7th, 2023 (TBC). The panel discussion session will be held on the same day and venue as well. Details will be announced later on the above website.
【Indonesia】 Indonesia-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event 2023
Application deadline: July 31st 2023
Pitch event by finalists: September 1st 2023 (tentative)
In Indonesia, JETRO and METI will hold the “Indonesia-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event 2023” together with Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. In this event, eight Japanese and Indonesian companies provide challenges and have launched the call for proposals from startups today.
Challenge Owners | their Challenges |
---|---|
Providing new values of consumption experience through digital apps merges with real shopping malls. | |
Hyper-personalized banking on mobile banking platform & Solution for easy and accurate digital assessment vehicle for multifinance | |
Digital Expansion for Bus Shuttle through AI Demand Prediction & Fleet Safety Enhancement with Advanced Surveillance Monitoring | |
Establishing infrastructure to support the healthy growth of MSMEs | |
(Lippo Group’s challenge is coming soon) | |
Toward Car-Lite Society - Promoting Multi-Modal Trip with Public Transport | |
(Sinarmas Land and Living Lab Ventures’ challenges are coming soon) | |
(Pertamina challenges are coming soon) |
Event Website
For details on each company's challenge, please refer to JETRO's special website.
Indonesia-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event 2023
Startups can submit proposals through the website above. The deadline for proposals for the Indonesia challenge is on Monday, July 31st, 2023 (UTC+7, Jakarta time).
Finalist startups selected among the applications will pitch their proposals directly to challenge owners in Jakarta on Friday, September 1st, 2023. Details will be announced later on the above website.
(2)Past Events
【Singapore】Singapore-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event
Pitch event by finalists: April 20th, 2023
In Singapore, the first "Singapore-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event" was held on April 20th, co-organized with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Enterprise Singapore, and Singapore Economic Development Board.
For more information on the Singapore-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event and the challenges, please refer to JETRO Topics and the special website below.
Singapore-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event(Event Report)
Singapore-Japan Fast Track Pitch Event(Special Website)
3. Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and ASEAN Net Zero Hub
In this March, Japanese government held the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo by inviting ministers of various countries such as ASEAN member states and Australia. The participants launched AZEC as a platform and agreed to AZEC joint statement including the three following common views:
- Advancing cooperation towards carbon neutrality/net-zero emissions while ensuring energy security,
- Promoting energy transition while achieving economic growth, and
- Recognizing there are various and practical pathways toward carbon neutrality/net-zero emissions depending on the circumstances of each country.
The ASEAN BAC, on the other hand, established ASEAN Net Zero Hub as one of the new legacy projects this year. The initiative will support private firms in ASEAN region to achieve net zero emissions through developing decarbonization plans and green finance and will share accumulated knowledge.
To promote those initiatives toward decarbonization, JETRO and the ASEAN-BAC have agreed to closely cooperate with each other. The concrete collaboration items are going to be:
- Support for private sectors to develop climate transition plans and deploy decarbonization technologies including high energy efficient facilities/actions and renewable energy,
- Collaboration in research, networking development and business matching not only in each country but also across ASEAN member state, and
- Development and operation of online knowledge platforms for best practices.
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- 1.Cooperation in organizing the ASEAN-Japan Young Business Leaders’ Summit and Generation Z Business Leaders’ Summit
- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Singapore office (ISHIKAWA(Mr.), YOKOI(Mr.))
Hong Leong Building, #38-04 to 05, 16 Raffles Quay, SINGAPORE 048581
Tel: +65-6221-8173 E-mail: SPR@jetro.go.jp - 2.Cooperation in Promoting the ASEAN-Japan Co-Creation Fast Track Initiative
- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Business Development Division, Innovation Department (ISHIZUNA(Ms.), YAMADA(Ms.), HIROTA(Mr.))
Ark Mori Building 6F, 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6006, Japan
Tel: 03-3582-8347 E-mail: DXPT@jetro.go.jp - 3.Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) and ASEAN Net Zero Hub
- Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Jakarta office (OZAKI(Mr.))
Summitmas I, 6th Floor, JI. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62, Jakarta 12190, INDONESIA
Tel: +62-21-5200264 E-mail: jktjetro@jetro.go.jp