The Lithuanian Robotics Association and its members – Elinta Robotics, Integrated Optics and Rubedo sistemos – participated in the business mission in Japan held in October. According to representatives of Lithuanian high-tech companies the official mission to Japan helped to make acquaintances that would have been difficult to make individually in the country which is generally considered as a particularly closed one.
The Lithuanian-Japanese high-tech business forum was also held during the business mission. Welcome speeches were given at this forum by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė and the Deputy Minister of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania Karolis Žemaitis. In her speech, the Prime Minister highlighted prospects for closer Lithuanian-Japanese business cooperation in the fields of lasers, life sciences, engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence and space technologies.
During the forum, companies presented their products and met with Japanese corporations: Nippon Electric Glass, Mitsubishi Logisnext, FANUC Corporation, Komatsu Industries Corp., Laser Systems, Sojitz Aerospace, IHI Aeospace, Amada, KIOXIA, etc.
‘Although Japan ranks 37th overall among Lithuania’s trading partners, in the fields of biotechnology and innovation, this country is one of the main directions both in terms of exports and scientific cooperation. The notion that it is particularly difficult to establish contact with the Japanese is not wrong, but having assembled an official delegation and having strong political support, we easily knocked on the doors of strategically important Japanese organizations,’says Romualda Stragienė, Director of the Innovation Agency.
The delegation visited Ibaraki Prefecture, where the city of Tsukuba is famous for its high-tech science and innovation institutions and research institutes that study aspects of technology and science’s practical application in industry. The participants visited Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), National Institute of Materials Research (NIMS), Panasonic, Shimizu corporation, Cyberdyne, inc, Japan Management Association and JETRO (Japan external trade organization).
The head of Elinta Robotics, Aurelijus Beleckis, who was one of the delegates, confirms that the official visit was particularly effective in building new relationships and renewing old acquaintances.
‘The Asian market is complex and closed, but going there while having a strong state support, opened doors to meeting our partners. The acquaintances made during this visit will not instantly turn into long-term partnerships, but this is a great start,’ says A. Beleckis.
However, it was possible to achieve quick results. ‘During the visit, we presented the partner’s product – a metal bending automation robot. One of the companies was very interested, expressed a desire to represent it in Japan, plans to visit Lithuania and get to know the products up close’, comments A. Beleckis.
The visit of delegation participants Elinta Robotics, Integrated Optics and Rubedo sistemos to Japan was funded by the project ‘Smart Inotech for Industry’ financed from the European Union structural funds. Project no. 01.2.1-LVPA-V-842-01-0004. More information about the project here.
The visit of other participants of the delegation was financed by the state budget.