Unlocking Opportunities in Japan’s Clean Energy Market: EU Business Hub Insights from Smart Energy Week Autumn 2025

From 15 – 19 September 2025, 46 selected EU SMEs and start-ups participated in the EU Business Hub @ Smart Energy Week Autumn 2025 business mission in Tokyo. EU companies showcased pioneering solutions in clean energy technologies and circularity solutions – with a spotlight on hydrogen, solar, wind, and thermal power, as well as smart grid, decarbonisation, fusion power, and supply chains - with the opportunity to understand the Japanese market, exhibit at the EU Pavilion at Smart Energy Week, and expand their network through dedicated matchmaking sessions and events.

Supporting EU Companies Entering Japan’s Renewable Energy Landscape

Before the exhibition at the EU Pavilion, the selected participants received cultural training and market intelligence briefings to equip them with the tools needed to maximise their engagement and build meaningful connections during the exhibition.

Following these seminars, participants had further opportunities to explore the local business environment. The programme organised study tours to the CO-CREATION Park – KAWARUBA, a collaborative innovation hub showcasing cutting-edge hydrogen applications and Japan’s drive towards a decarbonised society; and to the Resonac Kawasaki Plant, where advanced circular economy practices demonstrate how industrial players are rethinking resource use and recycling to achieve sustainability at scale.

EU Presence at Smart Energy Week: Pavilion Spotlight

From the third to the fifth day of the mission, EU participants exhibited at the EU pavilion at Smart Energy Week Autumn 2025, which gathered 42,000 visitors and around 500 exhibitors. The exhibition served as a high-visibility platform for EU companies to meet with potential partners, explore business opportunities, and showcase European innovation in the Japanese market.  
 

Thanks to expert interpreters, booth support, and the B2B matchmaking provided by the programme, our participants held over 1300 meetings with local counterparts, offering EU companies extensive opportunities to connect with relevant stakeholders and boost their market prospects.

Here is what participants have to say about the business mission:

"The mission helped us connect with key players, understand the Japanese market, and gain valuable insights. The organisation was incredible - I'd recommend it 100%." Daniel Vázquez, Sales Technician at DTBird & DTBat. 

"It's a fantastic opportunity to expand out network and enter the Japanese market - an experience that would be much harder to achieve on our own." Susanne Kovar, Business Development Manager at Primo Marine. 

"The organisation was excellent - from carefully arranged visits to supportive social events that made our stay comfortable and productive." Emilio Vicente Yepes, Business Development Manager for Japanese Market at Methanol Reformer. 

Looking Ahead: Join Us in Spring

Following the success of the Smart Energy Week Spring and Autumn 2025 editions, the EU Business Hub is organising the upcoming EU Business Hub @ Smart Energy Week Spring 2026 edition, from 15 – 19 March 2026, in Tokyo!

Interested companies can apply until 28 November 2025 through our website.
 

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EU Business Hub – Japan and the Republic of Korea is an EU-funded programme launched in 2024 to support EU SMEs and start-ups in the Green and Low-Carbon, Digital, Healthcare and Medical Equipment sectors in expanding into the Japanese and Korean markets. Between 2024 and 2027, the programme is organising 20 sector-focused business missions – 10 in each market – with services including strategic coaching, matchmaking, local interpretation, and full logistical support. The EU Business Hub is the successor programme of the EU Business Avenues / EU Gateway to Japan.