Japan - CEE Europe Investment Summit & Awards
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Japan - Central Europe
Investment Awards
 9 September, 2021
(7:30am CET - 2pm CET)
Krakow, Poland InPerson, and
online via Hopin


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Short-List Announced: 53 Companies in final contest in 12 Categories:

Top Japanese Employer in Central Europe
  • JTI (Japan Tobacco International)
  • Fujitsu Poland Global Delivery Centre (Lodz)
  • NTT Data Global Shared Services (Romania)

Top Japanese Female Exec in Europe
  • Yoko Dochi, SoftBank Investment Advisers (London)
  • Sayaka Yamashita, Moore Czech Republic (Prague)
  • Laura Bonamici, Fujitsu (Munich)
  • Akiko Kusama, JAC Recruitment (Germany)

Top Japanese Financing deal related to Central Europe
  • Hitachi Capital/MHC Mobility
  • Hungary Samurai bonds issuance (500 million euros, Q4 2020)
  • NordicNinja: investment in DappRadar in Lithuania

Top Automotive Investor in Central Europe
  • Toyota buys out French Peugeot in Czech Republic
  • Magyar Suzuki produces 112,475 vehicles in 2020 (30 year anniversary)

Top Automotive Supplier Investor in Central Europe
  • Yaskawa: 30 million euro investment in Slovenia
  • NordGlass (and AGC Flat Glass Czech) expansion throughout CEE
  • Nidec: 1.5 billion euro investment in Serbia
  • Toyo Tire: new factory investment in Serbia's Indjija
  • Yagi: 18 million euro expansion of car-parts factory (Żarów, Poland).
  • Denso Czech: Continued expansion of electric motors and wiper systems production

Top Manufacturing Investor in Central Europe
  • Nippon Seiki Poland (NSPL)
  • SNK GmbH
  • NordGlass
  • Daikin Airconditioning Central Europe

Top Business Services Investor in Central Europe
  • Nippon Seiki (Gdansk, Poland)
  • JTI (Warsaw, Poland)
  • Hitachi Vantara (Krakow Shared Services)

Top Infrastructure or Energy Partner in Central Europe
  • Zoltek: carbon fiber production expansion (Nyergesújfalu, Hungary)
  • Asahi Breweries: long-term Power Purchase Agreement (wind energy, Innogy) for Polish breweries
  • Hitachi ABB Power Grids: Substations for 3 Wind Farms (Poland)
  • Marubeni and Mizuho: 29% stake in Latvian gas distribution company
  • Mitsubishi Power: sulfur removal project for new-build Polish coal-fired CHP project

Top Banking/Insurance Company in Central Europe
  • SMBC Leasing: 50% stake in the fibre networks business of Orange Poland (pending)
  • Mizuho Bank: Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Serbia's development agency RAS to support Japanese companies investing in Serbia.
  • MUFG Bank (Europe) N.V. Poland Branch: Established in 2001 as the first Japanese bank operating in Poland, MUFG provides banking solutions to its corporate clients, mainly Japanese investors in Poland.

Top M&A Deal in Central Europe
  • NEC buys Danish KMD Holding ApS, a major IT services provider and custom software developer for public safety and government agencies.
  • Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. buys ITR (Poland tire distributor)(May 2021).
  • Kajima Europe and Griffin Real Estate Partners buy Student Depot (60 million euro, May 2019)
  • Nipro PharmaPackaging buys Croatia's Piramida (pharmaceutical glass packaging)
  • Daikin buys Austrian AHT Cooling Systems (881 million euro)
  • AURELIUS acquires Panasonic’s European Consumer Battery Business (March 2021)
  • Asahi Kasei Medical: acquisition of Austrian contract research firm ViruSure (Austria)(2020).

 Top CEE Digital Partners in Japan  
  • RTB HOUSE JAPAN 
  • ESET
  • Comarch
  • Q-Loc
  • Eleks
  • Vasco Translator
  • Cosmose raises $12 million, opens Tokyo office

Top Japanese Consumer Products Brand in Central Europe
  • Ajinomoto
  • Japan Tobacco International
  • Asahi
  • Uniqlo
  • Wedel (Lotte)
  • Nissin Foods Kft
Background on 2021 event:
The 2nd annual “Japan – Central Europe Investment Awards and Summit” will be held 9 September, 2021, in Poland.

The Awards Gala aims to distinguish the top Japanese companies across key sectors, who have brought expertise, capital, and technology to central Europe, including Germany, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Baltic States.

In the "challenging" environment of 2020-2021, we have strongly embraced a Hybrid model for this year's Summit & Awards: Attendees will join us online (via Hopin platform) or In-Person in Poland (limited to just 100 VIP attendees). (To get a feel for the robust and highly-interactive Hopin platform, see this 9-minute video.)

More than 4,500 Japanese companies have invested in the fast-growing economies of Central Europe. Japanese investors are the 3rd largest foreign investors in CEE (preferred sectors include manufacturing, automotive and automotive suppliers, and business services). And the CEE region continues to provide excellent access to the large and wealthy European economy, and M&A transactions are on the rise.

We are limiting the number of In-Person guests to just 100 VIP executives.  We expect another 200+ to attend OnLine via Hopin, including guests from Japan, and across western Europe.

The Awards (Luncheon Reception) will be preceded by a half-day Summit of discussion panels covering key investment factors and case-studies of Japanese firms in Europe.

Time Zones:
We start very-early on 9 September, with a breakfast reception at 7:30am (CET), so as to accommodate guests in Japan attending online.

Why such an Investment Summit & Awards event?
The countries of Central Europe are a primary location for investment by Japanese companies, in areas such as automotive, manufacturing, high-tech, business services, and energy. With Germany the powerhouse location in Central Europe, other countries such as Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia are important investment destinations for Japanese firms.

Who will attend "Japan – Central Europe Investment Awards and Summit"?
  • In 2021, we expect total attendance of 200+ (only 100 at VIP In-Person; 200+ via online Hopin).
  • More than 50 Japanese executives who have decision-making authority over investment decisions in Central Europe.
  • International top execs from CEE who are keen to expand their relationships with Japanese firms.
  • Investment Promotion Agencies from Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and the Baltics – as well as investment advisory firms and service providers.
Summit & Awards Schedule 2021:
  • 8 September - Jury & VIP Dinner (18:30 - 21:00 CET)
  • 9 September:
    • Summit (7:30 breakfast reception - 13:00)
    • VIP Awards Luncheon (13:00 - 14:30)
2021 Event News:
  • Join our Open ZOOM call on 10 August at 8am CET (3pm JST), or 5pm CET for 30-minutes update and Q&A about Nominations process, logistics, insights into our Hopin Hybrid format, etc.)
  • ZOOM Details: 
    Time: Aug 10, 2021 08:00 AM (CET); 3pm JST
    Join Zoom Meeting:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81448194747?pwd=MVBMcnJPMmVENUNrWVBFdC9LVERJQT09
  • Meeting ID: 814 4819 4747; Passcode: 044803

Nominations are open: 15 Categories (deadline: 12 August, 2021):
  • Date set for 9 September, 2021.
  • Location: Krakow, Poland.
  • 6 New Award Categories for 2021:
    • Top Japanese Employer in Central Europe
    • Top Japanese Financing deals related to Central Europe
    • Most Innovative Japanese firm in Central Europe
    • Top Japanese Luxury Goods Brand in Europe
    • Top Japanese Consumer Products Brand in Europe
    • Top Japanese Female Exec in Europe
Investment Summit Agenda
17 Speakers on topics such as:
  • Political and Economic Briefings of the Central Eastern Europe region
  • Entry Options: M&A. Case studies of acquisitions of CEE-based firms by Japanese investors. Economic Incentives in CEE countries
  • New regulations on Special Economic Zones
  • Cross-border opportunities between Japan and Central Eastern Europe in the areas of Technology, IT, Gaming, SoftDev and Digital.
  • Click here for Full, detailed Agenda
News - Japan and Central Europe Investment:
  • Japan courts Eastern Europe with eye on EU Indo-Pacific strategy
  • Georgian Wine Marketing campaigns target Poland and Japan
  • Nissin Foods announces 12 million euro expansion in Hungary
  • Japan's JGC invests in NuScale Power
  • Hungary’s Green Samurai Bond Issue wins special Award
  • Nidec's 1.5 bln euro factory in Serbia
  • JTI invests another EUR 60 mln in its Romanian tobacco processing plant
  • Serbia's development agency, Mizuho Bank to support Japanese investors
  • Japan’s largest credit card brand enters Ukraine to rival Visa, Mastercard


CEE Business Media has organized more than 25 Summits & Awards events in Central Eastern Europe, United States, and Japan.  This is an original event by CEE Business Media, with support of the following Speakers, Jury Members, Sponsors, Media Partners, Associations, and Strategic Partners:
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2019 edition:
22 Winners in 9 categories at 2019 Japan – CEE Investment Awards

145
top execs representing cross-border investment between Japan and Central Eastern Europe attended the 1st annual Japan – CEE Investment Summit & Awards, held April 25th, 2019 in Tokyo at the iconic Palace Hotel.

The 49 Japanese companies on the Short-List account for more than $15 billion of direct investment into Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia – as well as Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia. Nearly 1,000 Japanese companies in CEE currently employ more than 50,000 people in the region.

The evening Awards Gala was preceded by the Investment Summit, with 14 top Speakers and Panelists. See full Agenda here:
This 1st annual event, MC’ed by Thom Barnhardt of CEE Business Media and Mina Takahashi of GRJapan, was supported by a wide range of sponsors, media, associations, Ambassadors, and speakers: JETRO, Japan Airlines, CEC Government Relations, Finnair, FCA/Fiat, Hakkaisan Sake, Investment Agencies and Commercial Counsellors from across the CEE region (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Bosnia-Hercegovina), and GRJapan.

Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, Former State Minister of Foreign Affairs and a member of the House of Representatives, greeted guests with a Keynote Welcome. And the Investment Summit included a keynote presentation by Mr. Masanori Tsuruda, Director the Europe Division, METI.

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Keynote Welcome to Awards Gala Guests:
Yasuhide Nakayama, Former State Minister of Foreign Affairs and a member of the House of Representatives. He also served as policy secretary to former LDP House of Representatives members, Yuriko Koike (now Governor of Tokyo) and his father, Masaaki Nakayama. His past senior positions include Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs (2007-2008), State Minister for Foreign Affairs (2014-2015), Director of both the Economy, Trade and Industry Committee and Foreign Affairs Comittee in the House of Representatives, Deputy Secretary-General of the LDP, and Deputy Chair of the LDP Special Committee for the Promotion of Data Health.


Top Automotive Investors in CEE:
Magyar Suzuki Motors
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland

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Top Financial Services Investors:
Mizuho Bank
ORIX Corporation


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Top CSR Initiatives in CEE:
Bridgestone (Poland)
Fujitsu Technology Solutions (Poland)
Sumi Agro (Bees Protection)


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Top Infrastructure Investors:
Itochu (Serbia)
Marubeni


Our 19-member VIP Jury distinguished
the following
22 companies:

Top CEE Investors in Japan:
Comarch
ESET
RTBHouse

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Top Automotive Supplier Investors:
Mabuchi Motor Co Ltd.
NSG (Pilkington Automotive Poland)
Sohbi Craft Poland


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Top Manufacturing Investors:
Bridgestone (Poland)
Nidec
TDK Electronics Hungary Ltd. (Epcos)


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Top Business Services Investors:
FUJIFILM Europe Business Services
Fujitsu Global Delivery Center Poland
Takeda SCE


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Top M&A Deals in CEE:
Asahi buys 5 Eastern European beer brands for €7.3 billion
Daikin completes AHT acquisition
Kansai Paint acquisition of Helios Coatings Group (Slovenia)


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Top Business Execs

c.200

VIP Jury Members

25

Speakers/Panelists

17

We have deep connections throughout Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. We can connect to the resources you need for your expansion in CEE.
Biznespolska.pl©  2017 CEE BUSINESS MEDIA 
  • Home
  • Summit & Roundtables
  • Awards & Nominations
    • Top Employer in Central Europe
    • Top Female Exec in Europe
    • Top Financing Deals (Japan and Central Europe)
    • Automotive
    • Automotive Supplier
    • Business Services
    • Top Consumer Products Brand in Europe
    • Infrastructure or Energy Partners
    • Financial Services
    • M&A Deals
    • Manufacturing
    • Top Consumer/FMCG Brand in central Europe
    • Top CEE Digital Partners in Japan
  • VIP JURY
  • Tickets 2021
    • Pay Tickets Credit Card
  • Venue
  • Sponsorship
  • Photos 2019
  • News (Japan-CEE)
  • More & FAQs
    • Venue
    • Japanese Investors in CEE
    • Contacts & Organizer
    • 2019 Summit & Awards >
      • Videos 2019
      • Gala 2019
      • Awards Finalists 2019
      • Summit 2019
      • VIP Jury
      • Nominations