BJA & BLCCJ Webinar: The Japanese Government's Growth Strategy 2026

Wednesday 9 September 2026

In the framework of 160 years of Belgian-Japan diplomatic and friendship relations, the Belgium-Japan Association & Chamber of Commerce (BJA) and the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BLCCJ) are thrilled to invite you to an exclusive webinar dedicated to the Japanese government recent economic policies and their impact on EU-Japan business.

Last November, the Takaichi administration designated 17 strategic fields -including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, shipbuilding and quantum technology- to fuel economic growth through public-private investments focused on economic security. In addition, eight “cross-cutting issues” to be tackled, including human resource development, labor market reform and reducing the burden of caregiving and child-rearing, were listed. These initiatives will form a central pillar of her administration’s economic policy.

This webinar will explore the impact of these measures on EU-Japan business, with insights from policy experts and industry representatives.

Join us for this engaging discussion!

Program (times are in CET/JST)

10:50/17:50	Opening of the online event
11:00/18:00	Welcome words by the Moderators:
	Sofie Pattyn, CTO, IQVIA Laboratories Belgium and BJA IPT Committee Chair, and
	Jo Anseeuw, Freelance, BLCCJ Director & member of the BLCCJ webinar task force
11:05/18:05	Presentations by:
	Keynote speaker: Daniel Ayres, Director, Kreab Worldwide Tokyo
	Testimonial: Nobuyoshi Kan, Managing Director Japan & South Korea/President and Representative
	Director, Barry Callebaut Japan Ltd.
	Testimonial: Alan Thomas, Thought Leadership, IQVIA Japan Group
	followed by a Q&A session
12:00/19:00	Event adjourns

About the keynote speaker

Daniel Ayres is a Director at Kreab Worldwide Tokyo, a Swedish-based public and government relations firm with a large presence in Asia. He works on projects involving lobbying, policy making, and public affairs for private companies as well as providing communications advice to the Japanese government itself. He helps a range of clients, including those in the energy, pharmaceutical, and defense industries.

Prior to joining Kreab Tokyo, he worked for a local government in southern Nagano. He holds a MS (social sciences) from Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University and dual BAs (summa cum laude) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is a native of Boston, Massachusetts and holds an N-1 level certification in Japanese.