EU Business Hub @ Smart Energy Week Spring 2025

Thanks to EU Business Hub @ Smart Energy Week Spring 2025, 50 European SMEs, including start-ups in the renewable energy sector will visit Japan and kick-start their internationalisation journey. Participants will join Smart Energy Week held in Tokyo at Tokyo Big Sight (the 2023 Spring exhibition was visited by more than 65 000 participants).

This business mission presents a unique opportunity for European SMEs including start-ups to establish valuable contacts, exhibit their solutions at the EU pavilion, build long-lasting relationships with Japanese enterprises and explore new business avenues together. 
 

Target audience

• European SMEs and start-ups involved in the renewable energy sector, including technologies such as:
  o    Hydrogen and fuel cells.
  o    Solar power.
  o    Rechargeable batteries.
  o    Smart grids.
  o    Wind power.
  o    Biomass.
  o    Zero-emission thermal power generation.
• Japanese Business Operators, notably buyers, distributors and R&D partners in public and private sectors, and Japanese investors.
   

Overview of the business mission

The business mission to Tokyo will last five days in total, including three days of exhibiting, business matchmaking and networking, as well as sector insights and a study tour.  

The business mission agenda is as follows:

• Day 1: arrival in Tokyo, welcome and networking gathering.
• Day 2: industry intelligence, sector briefs, and study tour.
• Day 3:  exhibition, networking and business meetings   at Smart Energy Week , networking reception.
• Day 4:  exhibition, networking and business meetings at Smart Energy Week.
• Day 5:  exhibition, networking and business meetings at Smart Energy Week, debriefing session.
   

Services/benefits the EU participants will be receiving

• Business matchmaking: pre-arranged in-person meetings with carefully selected Japanese enterprises.
• Market intelligence information.
• Cultural and linguistic support.
• Financial support to benefit from a menu of additional customised services co-funded by the programme (e.g. interpretation, legal advice, booth decoration, etc.) – in total, up to €1000 is covered by the programme.
• Hotel accommodation (Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba) for four nights – in total, up to €1000 for accommodation is covered by the programme.
• Coverage of the exhibition fee at Smart Energy Week.
   

Key market insights

Participating to EU Business Hub @ Smart Energy Week Spring 2025 represents a unique opportunity for European SMEs and start-ups because:

• The Japanese renewable energy market total revenue was €36.4  billion in 2022, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.1% between 2017 and 2022. 
• The Japanese government established several initiatives and regulations to encourage the use of renewable energy sources and minimise carbon emissions from industrial activities. 
• Japan presented its new Green Growth Strategy in line with Carbon Neutrality in 2050 which identifies 14 sectors (including solar/geothermal power, hydrogen/fuel ammonia, offshore wind power, etc.) with high growth potential toward the 2050 ambition. The government counts on an ambitious expansion of renewables and on the deployment of new technologies, including low-carbon hydrogen, safer advanced nuclear reactors and carbon recycling to decarbonise the electricity sector.  
• Hydrogen is expected to play a central role in Japan’s clean energy transition. In fact, Japan was among the first countries to launch a national hydrogen strategy, which aims to make hydrogen cost-competitive with respect to natural gas.