|
Ukraine, Japan start to negotiate free trade agreement
Ukraine has started negotiating a free trade agreement with Japan with the aim of abolishing most import duties to strengthen their economic ties. “The scale of the financial assistance provided by the Japanese government since the declaration of independence is impressive. As of today, it is more than $3 billion,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin at a forum titled “Asia Strategy in Action. The Role of Ukraine-Japan Cooperation.” The Ukraine-Japan forum took place in Kyiv on Feb. 16 with speakers mostly participating remotely because of the coronavirus. “But I would like to note,” Yenin went on, “that Ukraine would like to consider itself not only a recipient of assistance. We have something to offer our Japanese partners.” Yenin thinks Ukraine and Japan can help each other: Japan is more advanced in the scientific and technological spheres, while Ukraine has natural resources and closeness to the European Union. It’s unknown, however, when exactly the two countries will sit at the table to discuss the concrete conditions of such an agreement. The latest free trade agreement Ukraine has ratified was with Israel. It came into force in January 2021. According to the agreement, Israel canceled 80% of import duties for Ukrainian industrial goods and over 9% for agricultural products. In turn, Ukraine dropped 70% of import duties for Israeli industrial products and over 6% for agricultural products. In 2020, the trade between the countries amounted to $1.3 billion. Ukraine imported goods worth $1.1 billion, while it exported only about $200 million worth of products. Transport-related equipment takes the lion’s share of what Ukraine imports from Japan — Ukraine bought $700 million worth of such equipment last year. Ukraine’s biggest export good to Japan is tobacco products — $84 million. For five years, Ukraine has also been trying to start selling more agricultural products to Japan. For that, it has received permits for exporting dairy products, meat and fresh eggs. According to the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan, Japanese companies are actively interested in participating in privatization in Ukraine and to invest in numerous economic sectors of Ukraine, including the construction of new infrastructure and modernization of power plants. Japan, a a G7 member of industrial democracies, is also a strong supporter of sanctions against Russia and has made major political and financial commitments to Ukraine since the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014. Yenin is confident that Japan will maintain the sanctions against Russia until Russia returns the Ukrainain territories it invaded in 2014 — parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as well as Crimea. Sergiy Korsunsky, Ukrainian ambassador to Japan, said that Ukraine and Japan “are constantly maintaining dialogue on a wide range of issues” including sanctions over the Russian war in eastern Ukraine. Source: Kyiv Post Ukraine wants to intensify military cooperation with Japan
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin says Ukraine wants to intensify military and security cooperation with Japan. "The scale of the financial assistance provided by the Japanese government since the declaration of independence is impressive. As of today, it is more than US$3 billion. But I would like to note Ukraine would like to consider itself not only a recipient of assistance. We have something to offer our Japanese partners, and, first of all, we would like to be a stable partner in the field of security, in the field of countering new threats that have arisen to mankind today: this is the COVID pandemic, this is global warming, this is also countering the aggressive actions of individual players in the international arena. First of all, I mean the Russian Federation, but I would not like to mention only this country," he said at the forum "Asian Strategy in Action. The role of Ukrainian-Japanese cooperation" organized by the New Europe Center, an UNIAN correspondent reported. Thus, Ukraine wants to "fill military and security cooperation with deeper practical content," the official said. Yenin said the issue of intensifying consultations between the Defense Ministries of two countries had been discussed at one of the last meetings with Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Takashi Kurai. "We also talked about the extremely great prospects for cooperation and mutually beneficial exchange of experience on countering cyber threats, and I am very happy that all these things find a sincere response in the hearts of the Japanese government," Yenin said. The diplomat also expressed confidence in the possibility of combining different potentials of Ukraine and Japan, in particular, the scientific, technological and financial potential from the Japanese side, as well as a favorable geographical position (proximity to the European Union) and natural resources from the Ukrainian side. Yenin thanked the Japanese government for the continued support of Ukraine in the international arena, support for the sanctions regimes, as well as assistance in reform issues. Source: UNIAN Toyoto buys out French Peugeot in Czech Republic
The company is preparing production of the hybrid Toyota Yaris in the Czech Republic. As of 1 January 2021, Toyota will become the sole owner of the Kolín car factory that it previously co-owned with the French concern PSA. The plant will bear the new name Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic and, based on the example of other European plants, will operate under the trade name TMMCZ. The joint enterprise was established in 2002. Since 2005, it has been manufacturing Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1 compact cars, production of which will continue. At present, the company is investing more than CZK 4 billion in the expansion and modernisation of the plant. Production of the Toyota Yaris, which with its hybrid technology is a new product for the factory, will begin in 2021. “Today our factory is fully becoming a part of the Toyota Motor Europe group, which is currently well represented on the continent with eight plants, a development centre and several logistics centres. Rising demand for our vehicles and preparations for the production of the new model will lead to the introduction of three-shift production by the end of February 2021,” said Koreatsu Aoki, president of TMMCZ. Valued at CZK 26 billion, the Kolín factor was the largest investment in the Czech Republic in its time. CzechInvest assisted with its construction and Toyota’s entry into the Czech Republic from the beginning. The agency sought out a suitable location for the plant and administrated the initial investment incentive. Toyota also cooperated closely with CzechInvest on the most recent investment in the start of production of the new hybrid Toyota model in the Czech Republic. More than 3,500 people currently work at TMMZ, which is one of the biggest exporters in the Czech Republic. More information is available on the TMMCZ website. Hungarian Pork Cleared for Export to Japan
Japan has agreed to again allow imports of pork from Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said . After months of negotiations, Hungary became the first European country to reach a regionalisation agreement on pork exports with Japan’s food authorities, Szijjártó said on Facebook. This means that Hungary has been exempted from restrictions related to African swine fever (ASF) and will be the first European country whose pork products can return to the Japanese market, he said. Hungary's FM Szijjártó: Japanese Companies Key to Hungary Economic Growth
Japanese companies play a key role in Hungary’s economic growth, with 19 Japanese companies having invested 21 billion forints (EUR 58.5) and created over 13,000 jobs since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday. Szijjártó said on Facebook that he had met Japanese Ambassador Masato Ohtaka for an introductory meeting and thanked his country for giving Hungary the opportunity to buy 2 million favipiravir pills to help the recovery of coronavirus patients. “Hungary has a vested interest in open and free global trade and we support the signing of an EU-Japan investment protection agreement,” he said. He added that Hungary “observed with admiration” a free-trade agreement signed by China, Japan and Korea which he said created the largest free trade zone in the world. Szijjártó said it was an important development that Hungarian pork products could return to Japanese markets after a ban due to African swine fever had been lifted for specific regions. Japanese companies invest 150 mln USD in digitalisation projects in Kazakhstan.
KAZINFORM «Japan DX» and «Land Management Co. Ltd» signed an agreement at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Japan on investment of 150 million USD in the economy of Kazakhstan. The parties reached a deal to set up a joint company - «Japan DX KZ» to carry out information and communication infrastructure projects in Kazakhstan, the Kazakh MFA’s press service reports. According to Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Japan Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev, the involvement of Japanese companies in the digital transformation of the Kazakhstan’s economy aims to implement advanced Japanese digital technologies. «Japan DX KZ» plans to build a «data centre» in Kazakhstan to store and process data, allowing for uninterrupted access to information and security against cyber threats. Based at the Astana International Financial Centre, «Japan DX KZ» invests in creating a digital platform for investment projects by issuing security tokens that are analogous to traditional shares or property rights. The transfer of rights to the asset into a digital token based on blockchain technology will enable investment projects in Kazakhstan to be offered directly to Japanese investors. «Japan DX KZ» intends to invest in the construction of wind farms, as well as the generation of electricity from associated gas, within its «decorbonisation» strategy in near future. «Japan DX» Chairman Soji Suzuki stated that Kazakhstan has a favorable legal environment, including the AIFC platform, which provides capacity in implementing and promoting advanced technologies. «Japan DX» and «Land Management Co. Ltd» are expected to visit Kazakhstan in March 2021 to discuss the implementation of the project. Reference: Under Law No. 347-VI of 25 June 2020 on Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan Regulating Digital Technology, the concept of digital assets has been introduced into Kazakhstan law and a legal regime for their circulation has been established. Source Hydrogen: ‘Low hanging fruit’: Eastern EU states eye existing gas network for hydrogen
Existing gas networks should be repurposed to transport hydrogen and help boost demand, said Michał Kurtyka, Polish Minister of Climate and Environment at an online event about hydrogen in Central and Eastern Europe on Friday (12 February). “We need to adapt the networks. We need to make sure that the already existing gas infrastructure will be adapted to also transport decarbonised gases, including hydrogen,” he said. Hydrogen provides a way for coal-reliant Central and Eastern European countries to shift their industry away from fossil fuel. Analysis from the European Commission shows that every €1 billion of investment into renewable hydrogen leads to around 10,000 jobs along the supply chain, said Kadri Simson, the EU’s energy commissioner who spoke at the conference. Poland is already the third largest producer of hydrogen in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. It has just adopted its energy plan for 2040 and wants one third of its electricity capacity to be green by 2030. Poland has also launched a hydrogen strategy while Bulgaria has announced it will develop a national roadmap for hydrogen. Slovakia has established a centre for hydrogen technologies and Croatia is preparing a national programme for hydrogen market development. “Already, we are seeing hydrogen buses in Riga, and there are promising projects on the horizon for hydrogen applications in the maritime sector and even in aviation. So it’s clear the opportunities are there for Central and Eastern Europe,” Simson said. But the Commission needs to do their homework on regulatory aspects, said Milan Sedláček, head of EU affairs and strategy at Eustream, the gas transmission system operator in Slovakia. “Please do not be too rigid from the very beginning. These blending and low carbon gases are a low hanging fruit and it has to be for the benefit of everybody,” he added. Although it is important to develop production for decarbonised hydrogen, the most important thing is to increase the volume and drive down costs, said Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński, Poland’s Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Speakers at the online event called on policymakers in Europe to set aside the debate about the sources of hydrogen production – whether from natural gas or renewable electricity – and focus instead on scaling up production. That means moving away from referring to hydrogen by its colour – grey, blue or green depending on its source – and focusing more on CO2 emissions. “We shouldn’t be looking at this colours definition, but we should be looking at the CO2 content, which is necessary for the production return,” said Kurtyka, adding that the EU should adopt a technology neutral approach which also embraces low-carbon hydrogen produced from nuclear electricity. Source: Euractiv Poland minister seeks Japanese partners for nuclear project
JCoal-dependent country to build six plants by 2040 to curb carbon output. Polish Climate and Environment Minister Michal Kurtyka says Japanese companies are "the most innovative and technologically advanced" in the world when it comes to nuclear power and stressed the possibilities for Japanese participation in Poland's first nuclear power project.Kurtyka spoke with Nikkei in an online interview. Poland's environment ministry announced in September plans to spend $40 billion to build six nuclear reactors by 2040. The country has no nuclear power plants at present. The first reactor is scheduled to go online in 2033, with construction of the other five to run through 2040. The plan calls for the six plants to provide 6 GW to 9 GW of generating capacity. Nuclear power emits no carbon, although critics fault it on economic and safety grounds, particularly after the disaster in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. But with the world moving more quickly away from fossil fuels, Poland, Europe's biggest coal producer, hopes to decarbonize and ensure its energy security through nuclear power. Poland relies on coal for about 80% of its power supply at present. The country is also heavily dependent on Russian gas. Kurtyka said the nuclear project will present "lots of new possibilities [for] cooperation between Japanese and Polish companies." In October, Poland and the U.S. Department of Energy struck an agreement that involves an $18 billion transfer of nuclear technology from a U.S. company for Poland's reactors. However, the details of the deal are not clear, and Japanese companies may also take part. Exports of nuclear power plants were a key part of the Japanese government's growth strategy during the previous government of Shinzo Abe. But those plans evaporated after Hitachi announced in September that was pulling out of a project in the U.K. Separate from the six reactors, Kurtyka indicated that Poland plans to work with Japan on next-generation nuclear reactors called high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency announced in September last year that it will work with Poland on reactor design and human resource development related to HTGR. Poland expects to build a research HTGR in the 2020s, and a commercial reactor in the 2030s. The Polish and Japanese governments are working toward an agreement on the next-generation reactor, Kurtyka said, adding that they intend to deepen their cooperation as they move toward commercialization. He also expressed hope for stronger cooperation with Japan in offshore wind power. Poland plans to increase the share of renewable energy in its total electricity consumption to 21% by 2030. The Baltic Sea, to the country's north, is known for its windy climate. Kurtyka said, "Japanese companies also are very strong in this value chain, including the wind turbines, which is the most advanced, but also the most valuable component of offshore wind." The European Union agreed in December last year to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. Because of its heavy dependence on coal for electricity, Poland was the only EU country not to take part in the agreement. Kurtyka said Poland is "creating conditions and moving forward in order to contribute positively to these agreed targets for 2050." But, he added, the transition would be "a much bigger challenge than, for example, for our French colleagues, where 75% of [the total electricity] is already provided by nuclear," and he called on the EU to provide financial support to address employment issues as the coal industry shrinks. Source: Nikkei Toyo Tire hires Takenaka to build its factory in Serbia's Indjija
Japan's Toyo Tire Corporation has hired Japanese engineering and construction company Takenaka to build its factory in Indjija, in northern Serbia, Indjija mayor Vladimir Gak said. Takenaka was selected as the leading contractor in the project and construction works will start on December 15, Gak said in a video file posted on the website of Tanjug news agency on Wednesday. "A total of 367 million euro will be invested in the first phase of the project development and 537 employees will be hired, according to the investor," Gak said. Construction works are planned to be completed within 17 months and the factory will produce five million premium tires per year, with its entire output to be exported, he added. Last month, Serbia's state aid commission approved the allocation of 41 million euro in government financing to Belgrade-based Toyo Tire Serbia, the fully-owned subsidiary of Toyo Tire Corporation, for the construction of the factory in Indjija. Earlier this year, Toyo completed the acquisition of a 63 hectare land plot in the northeastern industrial zone of Indjija where it will build the factory with a footprint of 300,000 square metres. Source: SeeNews Nidec: 200 bln yen Serbia investment
Japan's group Nidec Corporation will invest 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion/1.6 billion euro) in the construction of an electric vehicle motor factory in Serbia, Japanese media reported. Nidec Corporation apparently is in the final stages of talks with Serbian authorities on plans for the construction of the factory and an accompanying research centre, as it looks to expand its foothold in Europe, whose electric vehicle market rivals that of China, financial newspaper Nikkei reported, without citing sources. The Serbian facility will become one of the company's largest production hubs in Europe and will reach annual output between 200,000 units and 300,000 units by 2023, Nikkei reported. In September, the Serbian president's office said Nidec is considering a 100 million euro ($116 million) investment in the construction of a factory in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, which may start operations in 2021. Nidec would open about 100 jobs in Serbia if it decides to build a factory in Novi Sad, the president of the Japanese company, Jun Seki, said during a meeting with president Aleksandar Vucic in September. A delegation of Nidec led by Seki visited in September the Sever 4 area of Novi Sad industrial zone to explore the potential site for the project. Source: SeeNews Nordic Ninja invests in scooter-sharing company
The electric kick-scooter sharing company Voi Technology has completed its Series C financing round. The Swedish mobility company was able to raise $160 million to accelerate the company’s expansion. Voi Technology says that the capital raised is the equivalent of around 133 million euros and will be used in Germany to build parking stations for e-scooters and to invest in safety and user comfort. To this end, the company intends to continue working on its parking station model, which was first tested in Stuttgart in the summer. In addition, a new model of the e-scooter called Voiager 4 is going into development. Among other things, the model should feature high-quality brakes, while signalling and suspension should be more durable. With the rapidly changing micromobility environment Voi will further adapt and develop hardware and software, riders should be able to benefit from helmet technology, better lights, improved location accuracy. The round is led by US investor Raine Growth, and according to Voi, the new financing “has secured the industry’s first asset-backed debt facility at scale, which will be directed towards scooters and e-bikes in 2021.” Existing investors VNV Global, Balderton, Creandum Project A and Nordic Ninja who are also expected to participate in the C financing round. Other investors include the shipping company Stena Sessan, Amazon and the founders behind Delivery Hero and Klarna. Source: Electrive Poland minister seeks Japanese partners for nuclear project
Coal-dependent country to build six plants by 2040 to curb carbon output. Polish Climate and Environment Minister Michal Kurtyka says Japanese companies are "the most innovative and technologically advanced" in the world when it comes to nuclear power and stressed the possibilities for Japanese participation in Poland's first nuclear power project. Kurtyka spoke with Nikkei in an online interview. Poland's environment ministry announced in September plans to spend $40 billion to build six nuclear reactors by 2040. The country has no nuclear power plants at present. The first reactor is scheduled to go online in 2033, with construction of the other five to run through 2040. The plan calls for the six plants to provide 6 GW to 9 GW of generating capacity. Nuclear power emits no carbon, although critics fault it on economic and safety grounds, particularly after the disaster in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011. But with the world moving more quickly away from fossil fuels, Poland, Europe's biggest coal producer, hopes to decarbonize and ensure its energy security through nuclear power. Poland relies on coal for about 80% of its power supply at present. The country is also heavily dependent on Russian gas. Kurtyka said the nuclear project will present "lots of new possibilities [for] cooperation between Japanese and Polish companies." Full Story: Nikkei Asia. $460 billion Japan fund hunts for bargains in emerging bonds
For Japan’s Asset Management One Co., the sell-off in emerging-market bonds is overdone and the time is ripe to hunt for bargains, with Polish bonds hitting their radar screen. The $460 billion money manager is bullish on debt in developing nations, particularly in Mexico. That’s even as Moody’s Investors Service, S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings have all recently downgraded Mexico’s sovereign rating. It is also overweight on Polish bonds. “We are very positive about emerging markets as a whole and there is more chance to raise profits by investing in EM bonds this fiscal year in the situation where yields in developed economies are falling,” said Yusuke Ito, a Tokyo-based fund manager at Asset Management One, said in an interview. The firm’s bullish call is at odds with global heavyweights such as Goldman Sachs Group and JPMorgan Chase & Co. that are trimming risk exposure within their developing-nation debt portfolios amid warnings of a surge in sovereign defaults. Ito said EM bonds will be bought back as global investors reassess economic fundamentals. “Emerging countries have been hit hard even as their economic fundamentals remain pretty good,” he said. Past crises have seen EM economies raise interest rates to protect their currencies, but this time they have room to lower rates and support their economies, Ito said. The extra yield offered by developing-nation sovereign bonds over Treasuries has fallen to 572 basis points after surging above 700 basis points in late March, according to a JPMorgan index. Ten-year notes in Mexico and Poland yield 6.02 percent and 1.46 percent, respectively, compared with minus 0.005 percent in Japan. “Mexico’s economic fundamentals tend to be underestimated,” Ito said, adding that the nation’s economy is versatile and its industries are competitive. Ministry-level Summit from Hungary to Japan includes Prime Ministers
The December delegation to Tokyo included the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and other top diplomats and business leaders. As a result, Hungary agreed to expand economic and security cooperation in the summit meeting as they celebrated 150 years of diplomatic ties. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó underlined the importance of the continued advancement of ties between Hungary and Japan. Fully 170 Japanese companies operate in Hungary, employing 35,000 people, Szijjártó said, noting that the government has signed strategic partnership agreements with six of them. Japan is the largest investor from Asia in Hungary. Japanese firms have brought advanced technologies to Hungary that contribute greatly to the economy’s ongoing dimensional shift which places greater emphasis on the role of R+D and value-added, he said. Bilateral trade turnover is at an annual 2.2 billion dollars, said Szijjártó, adding that there was room for improvement in this area. He said Japan has agreed to lift its restrictions on Hungarian poultry imports, adding that the two countries were also close to reaching a deal on the resumption of pork exports to Japan. Szijjártó also said Hungary and Japan would sign multiple financial agreements aimed at boosting bilateral economic relations. Hungary’s Eximbank has opened a 1.2 billion dollar credit line to help finance bilateral business cooperation, he added. As regards education relations, Szijjártó said a Hungarian lectureship will be established at a Japanese university. There are 100 Japanese students studying in Hungary with scholarships and 600 Japanese students enrolled in Hungarian universities, he noted. At a joint news conference with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Japan’s success was important to Hungary since the country is its largest Asian investor. Japan, too, has an interest in Hungary’s success and has brought cutting-edge technology investments to the country. Orbán said their talks covered the world’s defence, security and economic changes. Hungarian-Japanese ties, he said, were “special”. Whereas many countries doubted Hungary’s ability to succeed in the initial stages of its post-communist transformation, Japan had never wavered in its belief in the country, bringing improvements to Hungary and helping it to ride out a tough period, he said. Hungarians, he added, had not forgotten this and were grateful. On the topic of North Korea, he said that Hungary understood the nuclear threat and its impact on Japan’s security. Hungary is insistent that North Korea should disarm its nuclear capability and act as a reliable partner for Japan in preserving peace in the region, he said. The prime minister said there was one area in which Japan and Hungary competed fiercely, albeit peacefully. “This is in the race for Olympic gold medals,” he said, adding that Hungary also wishes Japan all the best for the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, Orbán invited Abe to visit Budapest. A Japanese premier has not visited Hungary since 1990, he noted, adding it would be fitting to celebrate the friendship of the two nations together. Abe said Japan wants to further broaden its economic ties with Hungary and backs the Asian country’s efforts to encourage industries with advanced technologies and high value-added. Japan is keen to boost cooperation in science and technology and strengthen ties with the Visegrad Group, and cooperation in education, culture and sport is on the agenda. Orbán said Hungary should act as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Polish tech start-up Cosmose raises $12 million, opens Tokyo office
Polish-Chinese tech-startup Cosmose, which has software tracking the exact location of a massive 1.1bn people around the world, has closed a $12m seed funding round to expand its operations into Japan and open a new office in Europe. The company has also attracted a key board member, who is also a Toshiba board member. The little-known company, which is based between Warsaw and Shanghai boasts leading luxury brands as clients such as LVMH, Richemont, Kering, Estée Lauder and L’Oréal — companies which are eager to understand customer behaviour in their shops. It could be described as Poland’s answer to Foursquare, the US company that started out as a social check-in app before moving into footfall analytics. Cosmose’s technology is able to tap into people’s location data via their smartphones — something that people opt into by downloading one of a number of apps. According to Cosmose, there are 400,000 apps in Asia that can provide this kind of consent, including Weibo and various taxi apps. From the moment someone downloads one of these apps they become part of Cosmose’s tracking ecosystem. This means that when they enter a shop that is part of Cosmose’s network their movements will be traced accurately within a 1.6m range. The customer doesn’t need to connect to wifi or bluetooth, or even open the app for the tracking to begin. This level of accuracy means the system can reveal shopping habits with a high-level of detail, such as the specific aisles that people spend time in or the number of people that take a trip to the fitting room but choose not to buy anything. Full Story: https://venturebeat.com/2019/12/09/cosmose-ai-raises-12-million-to-track-brick-and-mortar-purchasing-habits/ Japanese Bank to tokenize Real Estate in Estonia Japanese Merchant Bank MBK Co. Ltd., has signed a partnership with BitOfProperty (BOP), an Estonia-based platform in order to collaborate on security tokenization (STO) of Estonian real estate. "We're happy to announce that we've agreed to work together with the Estonian cryptoccurrency exchange Angoo Fintech," states the announcement. Thanks to the partnership, BOP will purchase the real estate, while MBK will convert the assets into the blockchain-based tokens, which will then be traded via Angoo Fintech. MBK has been active in the crypto-related and blockchain space since 2017. Back then, the bank formed a joint product with BtcBox, a Japanese exchange that was established in 2014 and registered with the Kanto Finance Bureau. Hungary seeks closer ties with Tokyo Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has indicated that his country wants to boost economic ties with Asian nations, including Japan. Szijjarto told NHK in Tokyo in early November that Japanese investors are the number one investors from Asia in Hungary, and there are 170 Japanese companies operating in the country that employ 33,000 Hungarians. He said these firms play an important role, and he hopes they will further improve or enhance their investment. Szijjarto also said China is becoming the world's largest economy, and it has initiatives that definitely have an impact on Europe. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is scheduled to lead a high-level delegation to Japan in early December, including several Ministers and HIPA president Robert Esik. Japan's JBIC may launch investment fund in Serbia Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) is considering the launch of an investment fund in Serbia, prime minister Ana Brnabic said. Serbia plans to soon start talks with JBIC for the launch of an investment fund to support the development of economic ties between the two countries, Brnabic said in early November. The governor of JBIC, Tadashi Maeda, will visit Serbia for talks, said Brnabic during her official visit to Japan. JBIC is a public financial institution and export credit agency, wholly owned by the Japanese government. It operates in 18 countries with 21 offices. Toyota Motor starts production of new 2.0-liter gasoline engine in Poland The engine manufactured at the plant in Jelcz-Laskowice will be used for the RAV4 compact SUV assembled in Europe and also for a hybrid version of the Corolla sedan, according to Toyota Motor Europe. The company is also planning to start the production of a 1.5-liter gasoline engine at the same Polish factory in spring 2020. At its plant in Walbrzych, Toyota kicked off the production of a continuously variable transmission system in November 2018 and will begin manufacturing a new CVT system in 2021. The two CVT systems will be introduced in combination in hybrid vehicles. The proportion of hybrid vehicles in Toyota's total vehicle sales in Europe reached 52 pct in the first half of 2019, on the back of a heightened awareness for environmental issues among European people. Asahi rejects Polish fossil fuels with wind-energy deal An Asahi-owned Polish brewery has signed a power purchase agreement with Innogy to supply all of its operations with clean electricity. From 2021 Innogy’s Nowy Staw wind farm in Poland will cover all the power needs of the 3 breweries owned by Kompania Piwowarska, which is part of Asahi Europe. The PPA will run for 10 years, to 2029. From 2020, Innogy’s 73MW Nowy Staw wind farm, near Gdansk, will supply 30 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy annually to Kompania Piwowarska, covering about 40% of the breweries’ electricity needs. From 2021, the wind farm will cover 100% of Asahi’s Polish breweries’ power requirements through the planned expansion of the existing wind farm by up to 11MW. Innogy plans to start building the Nowy Staw extension in 2020 and to bring online the following year. From then on Nowy Staw will supply up to 80GWh a year to the three Polish breweries. The deal marks the first PPA in Poland in which the wind asset is not benefiting from any state subsidy. Innogy renewables chief financial officer Holger Himmel said: “This deal is exemplary for the modern, competitive renewable energy world. It allows Asahi to run their production business in Poland in a climate-friendly manner by significantly cutting carbon emissions. It also enables us to expand our wind farm based on a PPA, meaning that no state subsidies will be involved. Together, we are demonstrating how climate protection is possible under market conditions.” Asahi Breweries chief executive Paolo Lanzarotti said: “I am excited that as soon as in 2021, we will be brewing a third of our volume in Central Europe with 100% renewable electricity. This is the equivalent of three billion beer bottles every year. In Poland, we will thus be able to reduce our carbon footprint by 66% compared to 2019. This deal is a significant commitment that not only helps us come closer to the Asahi Group ambition of becoming carbon neutral across whole supply chain by 2050, but also lays the ground for Innogy to invest in a new onshore construction project that will support Poland’s transition towards renewable energy.” US-Japanese firm MonoSol announces new manufacturing plant in Poland Indiana-headquartered MonoSol, part of Tokyo-based global specialty chemical company Kuraray Group, is expanding its operations with the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Poland. The new manufacturing plant in Poland is expected to create about 90 jobs. Ukraine PM in Tokyo discusses Infrastructure projects with PM Abe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had a four-day working visit to Japan (October 21-24) during which he attended Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony. During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, Zelenskiy thanked him for his continued support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The two leaders discussed Japan's investments in infrastructure projects in Ukraine, noting that Japan's financial assistance to Kyiv had reached $1.8 billion since 2014. Zelenskiy also raised the issue of introducing a visa-free regime for Ukrainians ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Japan already eased travel-visa requirements for Ukrainians in 2017. During his visit, the Ukrainian president held talks with the leaders of Japan’s two legislative chambers, members of the Parliamentary Friendship Association with Ukraine, the management of Japan’s International Development Agency, and the Japan Association of New Economy, as well as business executives. Japan has given Ukraine $50 million in humanitarian assistance meant for war victims, plus nearly $2 billion in grants and loans since the Maidan pro-democracy movement ousted former President Viktor Yanukovych from power in February 2014. It said Japan has also donated some 1,500 cars for Ukraine's revamped police force and provided money and advice for the country’s beleaguered health-care system. Marubeni Corporation urged to invest in Ukraine President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has invited the Japanese Marubeni Corporation to invest in projects in Ukraine, including the construction of waste recycling plants and roads. A meeting of the President of Ukraine with the Marubeni management was held in Tokyo in October. “We are determined to carry out reforms. We are strengthening at the legislative level the protection of business from misconduct or inaction of permitting bodies,” the Head of State said, noting that a law had been signed in Ukraine in early October to stimulate investment activity, which should improve the investment climate. The President also stressed that Ukraine was entering the final stage of large-scale privatization. “We will prepare the legal framework for the privatization of more than 500 state-owned enterprises. Our priorities are: deregulation with the transition to online state services for business; liquidation of the shadow economy and corruption schemes; infrastructure development; optimization of the tax system; implementation of European standards in Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelensky stressed. In addition, the President of Ukraine urged the representatives of the Japanese company to invest in waste recycling plants and road construction in Ukraine. “The government has recently estimated the length of roads of national importance - it is 44,000 kilometers. We will consider proposals for the construction of modern roads, ambitious concession projects,” Volodymyr Zelensky noted. Representatives of Marubeni Corporation noted that they had already been supplying grain and dairy products from Ukraine to Japan and were looking to expand the list of agricultural products. They also implement environmental projects in Ukraine, such as supplying solar panels. Ricoh finalizes acquisition of Bulgaria-active DocuWare Ricoh has completed the acquisition of Germany-based document management and workflow automation solutions provider DocuWare, which holds a stake in software developer Nemetschek Bulgaria, the Bulgarian company. "We expect the cooperation with Ricoh to open new horizons, and to further strengthen our participation in projects on a global level potentially leading to the expansion of our team," said Georgi Brashnarov, founder of Nemetschek Bulgaria. Nemetschek has been working with DocuWare since 1998, according to the statement, and currently employs nearly 300 people in Bulgaria. According to Bulgarian commercial register data, DocuWare controls a 20% stake in Nemetschek Bulgaria. GB Soft owns 60% interest in Nemetschek Bulgaria, while Germany's Nemetschek holds the remaining 20%. GB Soft is fully owned by Nemetschek Bulgaria's founder - Georgi Brashnarov. Bulgarian President woos Japan Bulgaria highly appreciates its relations with Japan and its friends who work to develop and strengthen them. This is what President Rumen Radev said at the ceremony held in the Bulgarian Embassy in Tokyo in late October, at which Japanese statesmen were awarded high Bulgarian state honors for their contribution to strengthening the bilateral relations and partnership between Bulgaria and Japan. At the ceremony Rumen Radev emphasized that in the past decades the relations between Bulgaria and Japan have grown into a shared friendship and are developing on the basis of mutually-beneficial cooperation. Japan is among the countries that offered the greatest support to Bulgaria during the transition period. The President also voiced his gratitude for the support offered by Japan for the training of Bulgarian sportsmen that will represent our country at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. The Head of State awarded the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class to Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Chairman of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Representatives (lower house) of the National Diet, for his great contributions to strengthening and developing the relations of friendship and cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan. Hiromi Yoshida, former Chairman of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Councillors (upper house) of the National Diet, also received the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class. The Order of the Madara Horseman, Second Class, was presented to Kazunori Tanaka, Minister of Reconstruction and Secretary-General of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Representatives of the National Diet and Junichi Ishii, MP and Secretary-General of the Japan-Bulgaria Friendship Group in the House of Councillors of the National Diet. Akiko Igaya, Director-General of the Japanese-Bulgarian Association for Friendship and Cultural Relations and Director-General of the Japan-Bulgaria Foundation was awarded the Order of Stara Planina, Second Class, for her great contribution to strengthening and developing the bilateral friendly relations and cooperation with Japan. Bulgaria and Japan have a great potential for developing their economic relations and also for strengthening the contacts among the people regarding the forthcoming biggest sports forum in 2020 – the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said, for his part. October News: Nordic Ninja invests in autonomous, electric transport system NordicNinja VC ( a JV between JBIC IG Partners and BaltCap) has made another investment. In October, NN announced a series A investment in Einride, a Swedish company developing an autonomous, electric transport system, together with EQT Ventures fund (“EQT Ventures”). Other investors joining the round include Ericsson Ventures, Norrsken Foundation, Plum Alley Investments and Plug and Play Ventures. Einride was founded in 2016 by Robert Falck, Filip Lilja and Linnéa Kornehed. Einride develops intelligent transportation solutions – sustainable, cost-effective and safe – and has gained global recognition for the Pod, the first truck specifically designed for electric propulsion and autonomous driving. This March, the Swedish Transport Agency concluded that the Einride Pod is able to operate in accordance with Swedish traffic regulations and approved Einride’s application to expand the pilot to a public road, which it did in May in collaboration with its customer and partner DB Schenker. Einride has ambitious plan to expand their business globally. “Our ambition is to disrupt the transport industry and closing our series A brings us one step closer to that goal. The funding will allow us to start expanding in the US, deliver on our technology road map and to meet rapidly increasing customer demand”, says Robert Falck, CEO & founder of Einride. “Einride’s solution in transportation solves the environmental, safety and manpower problems that have haunted the industry for years. Moreover, their fleet system has a unique potential to make long distance ground transport as reliable as water. This is truly revolutionary.” says Marek Kiisa, the Managing Partner of NordicNinja VC. “Nowadays the road freight industry faces a lot of difficulty including driver shortage and it is forced to be disrupted. We are deeply impressed with what the team of Einride has achieved and we believe that their solution is essential in this industry all over the world.” says Tomosaku Sohara, the Managing Partner of NordicNinja VC. NordicNinja VC started with over 100 million euros in January 2019 and is backed by Japanese blue-chip companies, Honda, Omron, and Panasonic, as well as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. It aims to support scale-up goals in the Nordic and Baltic region through supporting the region’s startups expand into and develop business opportunities in Japan. GS Yuasa invests Euro 27 million in lithium battery plant in Miskolc, Hungary The company will start production with 51 people. The Hungarian government supported the investment with a HUF465mn grant. GS Yuasa started the construction of its Hungarian factory last year. It chose the northeastern industrial town close to the Slovakian border due to its developed infrastructure, the availability of renewable energy sources, mainly geothermal heating, and skilled workforce. The company has more than 15,000 employees at 37 sites across 17 countries and recently began the switch-over from lead-acid to lithium-ion batteries, making major investments in the area. It is a major supplier of hybrid and electric cars (EVs). Japan is the seventh-largest equity investor in Hungary, with 160 Japanese companies employing 34,000 people. Bilateral trade reached $2.2bn last year. JTEKT to invest Euro 125 million in Romania bearing plant Japanese group JTEKT will invest EUR 125 million in expanding production at its bearing factory, Koyo Romania, located in Teleorman (southern part of the country). The factory will thus become a supplier for the Toyota plant in Czech Republic. On October 16, Stefan Radu Oprea, Romania’s minister for entrepreneurship and business environment, will meet Tetsuo Agata, President of JTEKT Corporation Japan, Hiroaki Ueda, President of JTEKT European Operations, and Francis Szabo Bush, President of JTEKT European Bearing, Ziarul Financiar reported. Koyo Romania is currently the largest company in Teleorman county, with a turnover of EUR 77.7 mln in 2018 and almost 1,500 employees. The investment is the biggest one announced this year in the local auto sector, surpassing the EUR 55 mln project announced in Oradea earlier this year by the Italian group Sogefi Suspensions Eastern Europe. |
Romanian startup joins Startupbootcamp accelerator in Osaka
Romanian startup Questo, which developed a marketplace and travel platform for gamified, self-guided tours, has been selected for the Startupbootcamp Scale Osaka accelerator, Startupcafe.ro reported. This will allow it “to expand its business in Japan and help in transforming the smart city revolution,” Alex Govoreanu, one of the Questo founders, explained in a Facebook post. “In other words, we will work together with some top Japanese partners in building amazing quests around Japan. The city exploration revolution takes over the world!” Ten companies from six countries were selected to join the Scale Osaka program, which begins on November 24, 2020, and concludes in a Demo Day on February 26, 2021. This summer, Questo raised EUR 300,000 to continue its international expansion. The financing round was led by Sparking Capital with participation from Early Game Ventures. The funding was meant to help Questo expand into more cities through local storytellers and tour operators. SBC Scale Osaka is an innovation program focused on growing the Smart City sector in Osaka. Startupbootcamp is a global network of innovation programs with locations in many key strategic hubs around the world. It runs over 20 accelerators every year, providing growth-stage startups with direct access to an international network of the mentors, partners, and investors in their industry. Source: RomaniaInsider JETRO CEE offices to host springtime briefing for Japanese executives
The various JETRO offices across CEE, including Poland, Czech, Austria, Hungary, and Romania, plan a ZOOM-style briefing for Japanese executives across the region, and Japan-based execs overseeing the CEE region. Hungarian Pork cleared for Export to Japan
Japan has agreed to allow imports of Hungarian pork from areas of the country that have not been affected by African swine fever (ASF), the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday. The agreement was reached on December 16, after two years of negotiations involving Hungary’s chief veterinarian, Lajos Bognár, and supported by the Hungarian embassy in Tokyo. Hungary is the first country in the world affected by ASF to reach a regionalisation agreement on pork imports with Japan, the ministry noted. State secretary for food oversight Norbert Erdős said the agreement puts local hog farmers at an advantage and is an acknowledgement of the work of Hungarian veterinary professionals to contain the spread of ASF. Source: HungaryToday Japanese agency R&I rates Poland A with stable outlook - Fin Min
A Japanese rating agency has rated Poland at the level of A with a stable outlook, the minister of finance, funds and regional policy announced on Friday. R&I expects the Polish economy to return in 2021 to levels seen prior to the coronavirus pandemic. "Japanese agency R&I confirmed Poland's rating at the level of A with a stable outlook," Tadeusz Koscinski said, adding he was pleased with "this positive signal." "It's a sign that we are well perceived by that market," he said. The minister said that despite the growth in indebtedness, debt would remain at a low level in comparison to other EU countries. "As R&I underscored, a large role in supporting the economy is played by the government's stimulation package," he added. "It is expected that the (Polish- PAP) economy will return to the path of growth recorded before the pandemic in 2021 and in the coming years," the Rating and Investment Information agency wrote in a report. "Indicators of government debt will grow but remain at a low level in comparison to other countries of the European Union,” it continued. “Bearing the above in mind as well as the country's external account and the financial environment remaining stable, R&I has confirmed Poland's rating in national currency and also foreign at the level of A." The rating scale in R&I's methodology runs (from the highest): AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B, CCC, CC, D. From the levels AA to CCC a '+' or '-' can be added depending on the strength of assessment on a given level (AA+, AA, AA- etc.) Ukraine, Japan to enhance bilateral economic cooperation
Ukrainian Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Ihor Petrashko and Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Takashi Kurai discussed these issues during a meeting on May 28, the Economy Ministry’s press service reported. “The purpose of the event was to discuss trade and economic cooperation and exchange experience in the fight against COVID-19,” the report says. Over three months of 2020, the volume of bilateral trade exceeded USD 273 million, which is 20.7% more than in the same period of 2019. In particular, about USD 51 million worth of goods and services were exported to Japan. “Ukraine is ready to further intensify a constructive dialogue on expanding the range of Ukrainian food products on the Japanese market,” Petrashko said. Ukraine’s interest in attracting Japanese investment in promising sectors such as IT, infrastructure, agriculture, space industry, environmental protection, solid waste management, renewable energy sources and others was also noted. As reported, as of December 31, 2019, the volume of Japanese investments in the Ukrainian economy amounted to USD 139.86 million. Yusin Logistics opens in Slovenian port
Yusen Logistics, a Japanese supply chain logistics company, has opened its subsidiary in the coastal town of Koper (Slovenia). thus becoming the first Japanese freight forwarder in Slovenia. The launch is an important step for the port operator Luka Koper as well since it promotes the transport route via Koper. The first Japanese logistics subsidiary in Slovenia will also help popularise Slovenia's sole maritime port among Japanese logistics providers, who still prefer the ports in northern Europe. Yusen Logistics, employing more than 24,000 workers and managing a global network of subsidiaries, has been so far providing services for Slovenia from their Budapest division. The opening was attended by Luka Koper CEO Dimitrij Zadel as well as Takeshi Kondo, chief regional officer of Europe region at Yusen Logistics, and Japanese Ambassador to Slovenia Masaharu Yoshida. Japan is one of Luka Koper's priority target markets overseas, particularly in terms of containers and vehicles, said the operator. Last year, Luka Koper transshipped from or to Japan almost half a million tonnes of goods, including about 40,000 vehicles and 27,000 container units. The operator pointed out that Japanese companies also owned industrial plants in other Asian countries, which transshipped even larger amounts of goods through the Slovenian port, highlighting that the move would help further tap into the potential of the Japanese market. Luka Koper also drew attention to last year's merger of three Japanese container shipping lines into a single business - the Ocean Network Express (ONE), which ranks sixth in terms of global ranking by vessel capacity. ONE is not coming to Koper with its own direct shipping line, but it will operate as part of the Intra Mediterranean service, said Luka Koper, adding that setting up a direct commercial maritime link with Japan would definitely vastly increase transshipment business. Referring to a milestone trade agreement between the EU and Japan which entered into force in February, Luka Koper said that the deal had opened up new possibilities in trade and service exchanges. Moreover, in the wake of Brexit, Japan, coming up with an alternative to its plants in the UK, could opt for exporting goods, which would enable Luka Koper to capitalise on its own geo-strategic advantage. The opening is another sign that Japanese companies are increasingly interested in the port of Koper. At the start of August, a delegation from Nagoya, the largest Japanese port in terms of transshipment, visited the port, expressing interest in strengthening the economic cooperation. Japan’s Yaskawa invests up to 30 million euros in Slovenia
Japanese electrical manufacturer Yaskawa will invest between 20 and 30 million euros in an electric motors and electronic components factory in Slovenia. “Yaskawa’s investment is evidence that the ministry of economy is achieving concrete goals in the field of internationalisation of the Slovenian economy, attracting foreign investments,” said Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek, after the Japanese company purchased land in the city of Kocevje, southern Slovenia. By the end of 2022, Yaskawa’s plant will create 155 new jobs, an important number for a town such as Kocevje where the unemployment rate stands at 25 per cent. Furthermore, Yaskawa is starting a training programme in mechanical engineering in order to create concrete opportunities for young and highly educated people. “Such investment puts Slovenia on the world map of state-of-the-art robotics,” added Mr Počivalšek. “It also brings the knowledge of smart factories to Slovenia, and such high technology brings added value to Slovenian employees. It is a strong message to potential foreign investors that Slovenia provides a stable, stimulating and development-oriented environment, thanks to the reputation of the investor: Japan is considered to be synonymous with quality and high technology.” In 2018, trade between Japan and Slovenia amounted to more than 220 million euros (up 1.6 per cent on 2017) and Japanese investments in Slovenia amounted to 41 million euros. NordicNinja’s first investment into Sweden
NordicNinja VC, has made a series A investment in Einride, a Swedish company developing an autonomous, electric transport system, together with EQT Ventures fund. Other investors joining the round include Ericsson Ventures, Norrsken Foundation, Plum Alley Investments and Plug and Play Ventures. Einride was founded in 2016 by Robert Falck, Filip Lilja and Linnéa Kornehed. Einride develops intelligent transportation solutions – sustainable, cost-effective and safe – and has gained global recognition for the Pod, the first truck specifically designed for electric propulsion and autonomous driving. This March, the Swedish Transport Agency concluded that the Einride Pod is able to operate in accordance with Swedish traffic regulations and approved Einride’s application to expand the pilot to a public road, which it did in May in collaboration with its customer and partner DB Schenker. Einride has ambitious plan to expand their business globally. “Our ambition is to disrupt the transport industry and closing our series A brings us one step closer to that goal. The funding will allow us to start expanding in the US, deliver on our technology road map and to meet rapidly increasing customer demand”, says Robert Falck, CEO & founder of Einride. “Einride’s solution in transportation solves the environmental, safety and manpower problems that have haunted the industry for years. Moreover, their fleet system has a unique potential to make long distance ground transport as reliable as water. This is truly revolutionary.” says Marek Kiisa, the Managing Partner of NordicNinja VC. “Nowadays the road freight industry faces a lot of difficulty including driver shortage and it is forced to be disrupted. We are deeply impressed with what the team of Einride has achieved and we believe that their solution is essential in this industry all over the world.” says Tomosaku Sohara, the Managing Partner of NordicNinja VC. NordicNinja VC started with over 100 million euros in January 2019 and is backed by Japanese blue-chip companies, Honda, Omron, and Panasonic, as well as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. It aims to support scale-up goals in the Nordic and Baltic region through supporting the region’s startups expand into and develop business opportunities in Japan. 日銀、エストニアの不動産をトークン化
日本の商業銀行、MBK Co., Ltd.はエストニアに基盤をもつプラットフォーム、BitOfProperty (BOP)と同国の不動産のセキュリティトークン化の分野での協業の為協定を結んだ。「エストニアの暗号通貨取引所Angoo Fintechとの協業を発表することができ非常に嬉しく思います」。このパートナーシップにより、BPOが購入した不動産の資産を MBKはブロックチェーンに基づいたトークンに変換し、Angoo Fintechを通して、取引が行われます。MBKは2017年よりこの分野を強化しており、当時には2014年に設立され、関東財務局に登録をされているBtcBoxとの共同プロジェクトを立ち上げていた。 ハンガリーが東京に向ける熱い視線 ハンガリーの外務大臣 Peter Szijjarto氏は日本を含むアジア諸国との経済連携を教会したい旨を述べた。11月の初旬に執り行われた東京のNHKの取材に対し、Szijjarto氏は日本の投資家ハンガリーでのアジアからの投資第一位であり170社の日本企業が進出をしていると述べた。日本企業の雇用創出数は33,000人である。Szijjarto氏はさらに、これらの日本企業企業がはたしている役割は重要であり、さらなる投資の拡大と強化を期待していると述べた。日本だけでなく中国も世界最大級の経済圏となってきており、彼らのイニシアティヴも見逃すことのできないインパクトをヨーロッパに有しているとも述べた。 Viktor OrbanA首相は12月初旬に複数の大臣とHIPA代表のRobert Esik氏を含むハイレベル代表団の日本訪問を率いる予定だ。 国際協力銀行、セルビアに投資か セルビアのAna Brnabic首相は国際協力銀行はセルビアでの投資基金の設立を視野に入れていると述べた。11月初旬にAna Brnabic首相は両国間の経済連携を強化するための国際協力銀行との投資基金に設立についての協議を近く開始すると発表した。 国際協力銀行の前田 匡史代表取締総裁が協議の為セルビアを訪問予定である旨を、Ana Brnabic首相は日本への公式訪問中に明かした。 トヨタモーター、新型2.0Lガソリンエンジンの生産をポーランドで開始 Toyota Motor EuropeによるとJelcz-Laskowiceにある工場で清算されたエンジンはヨーロッパで組み立てられるRAV4 compact SUV に使用されるほかハイブリッド型のカローラにも使用される。2020年春には、同工場にて1.5lのガソリンエンジンの生産も開始予定。 Walbrzychの工場では、2018年11月に無段変速機の生産を開始しており、2021年には新たなCVTシステムの生産を開始予定。これらの2つのCVTシステムは、ハイブリッド車にて結合されて使用される予定。 ヨーロッパにおけるトヨタのハイブリッド車の売り上げは 2019年前期で52 pctに達しており、ヨーロッパの人々の環境に対する意識の向上に支えられている。 |
Media and News Partners:
|
|
|
|