EU-JAPAN DIGITAL WEEK 2025

March 31- April 7, 2025
Tokyo, Japan

The EU-Japan Digital Week is organised as part of the EU-Japan Digital Partnership

ABOUT
Overview

The EU-Japan Digital Week will bring together stakeholders from the EU and Japan to focus on key priority areas for both the EU and Japan: 6G, Data Spaces, Smart Connectivity and Computing and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI). A policy workshop will also be organised in close consultation with the Delegation of the European Union to Japan to ensure that it reflects the shared priority of both regions and aligns with the strategic objectives of the EU-Japan Digital Partnership.

The EU-Japan Digital Week has been built around the EU-Japan Digital Skills Workshop, following a request from the Delegation of the European Union to Japan. The workshop on Data Spaces will operate under the umbrella of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan and will contribute to the aim of promoting interoperability among EU and Japan data spaces as agreed at the second Digital Partnership Council. This workshop has been designed in a way to create a clear pathway towards and to facilitate industry data space pilots.

By fostering dialogue on these critical themes, the EU-Japan Digital Week contributes to a more connected, innovative, and sustainable future for both regions.

Audience

The EU-Japan Digital Week will bring together representatives from academia, research, industry, business and policymaking, mainly from Japan and the European Union, but also from other Indo-Pacific countries.

How to attend

Registration coming soon! Register here to be informed when the registration opens.

General contact

For inquiries: [email protected]

SCHEDULE
09:00-17:30 local time
Dr. Giacomo Inches
Dr. Giacomo Inches Martel Innovate, Switzerland, in collaboration with NexusForum.EU project
Kiyoshi Murata

Prof. Kiyoshi Murata
Meiji University

The Smart Connectivity and Computing Workshop aims to bridge the gap between the European Union and Japan in the fields of cloud-edge computing and smart connectivity. This one-day, in-person event will bring together industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss the current landscape, share best practices, and explore collaboration opportunities in open-source technologies, industry verticals, and cross-cutting topics.  

Cloud Edge IoT experts and stakeholders, c.a. 150-200 attendees expected.

Identify and exploit new or existing collaboration opportunities in Cloud Edge IoT between partners from EU and Japan, removing barriers and filling the gaps.

Agenda

Opening Remarks

  • Welcome address by Meiji University representative
    Dr. Andrew Adams
  • Introduction by NexusForum.EU Coordinator
    Sachiko Muto, Senior Researcher, RISE 

Keynote Address

  • Topic: “The Future of EU-Japan Collaboration in Smart Connectivity”

Session 1: Innovations in Japan’s Cloud-Edge Landscape

Moderator
Dr. Giacomo Inches, Senior Innovation Consultant, Martel Innovate

Presentations on latest developments and best practices in industries and academia, with a particular emphasis on the Japanese market, emphasizing the role of open-source technologies.  

Session 2: Advancing Cloud-Edge Computing Through Cross-Cutting Innovations

Moderator
Dr. Monique Calisti, CEO, Martel Innovate

Objective: Expert panel discussion on cross-cutting research topics and innovations that transcend specific industries, with an emphasis on open-source initiatives and collaborative efforts.

  • Yuki Nobekawa, COO of Japan Data Exchange
  • Koki Mitani, Senior Research Engineer of NTT  

Session 3: Shaping the Future – NexusForum.EU Roadmap Presentation

Moderators

 

Objective: To present the NexusForum.EU roadmap, disseminate its key objectives, and gather valuable feedback from participants. This session also aims to recruit interested parties for future Working Groups focusing on EU-Japan and EU-ROK collaborations as well as public consultations.

Session 4: The EU-Japan Nexus

Moderator
Sachiko Muto, Senior Researcher, RISE

Objective: To highlight the existing policies, initiatives, and funding mechanisms that support and foster collaborations between the EU and Japan in the field of cloud-edge computing and smart connectivity via panel discussion.

  • Dr. Monique Calisti, CEO, Martel Innovate
  • Dr. Raluca Csernatoni, Professor, Centre for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy, Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel 

Speakers
Dr. Andrew Adams
Dr. Andrew Adams
Deputy Director of the Centre for Business Information Ethics (CBIE) at Meiji University in Tokyo
Chiara Zincone
Chiara Zincone
EU Digital Policy Analyst, OpenNebula Systems
Koki_Mitani
Koki Mitani
Senior Research Engineer of NTT
Monique Calisti
Dr. Monique Calisti
CEO, Martel Innovate
Raluca_Csernatonia
Dr. Raluca Csernatoni
Professor, Centre for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy, Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Sachiko Muto
Sachiko Muto
Senior Researcher, RISE
Thomas Ohlson Timoudas
Thomas Ohlson Timoudas
Researcher at RISE
Yuki Nobekawa
Yuki Nobekawa
COO of Japan Data Exchange
09:00-17:30 local time
Adam Kapovits

Adam Kapovits
Eurescom, Germany

Akihiro Nakao

Prof. Akihiro Nakao
ASPIRE, Japan (funded by the Ministry of Education)

The University of Tokyo

The 6G Workshop aims at fostering and deepening collaboration and partnership between the EU and Japan (and other Indo-Pacific countries) regarding 6G development.

6G experts, mostly from Japan. 120 participants are expected.

The big question – and the ambition of the workshop – should be to explore whether we are correctly perceiving and assessing, and subsequently addressing and responding to the major trends, social and business needs from a broad set of industries in the 6G research and development, considering the rapidly unfolding disruptive trends such as generative AI.

Agenda

Presentations / report from ongoing collaboration activities

  • Presentation from 6G IA – Dr Colin Willcock, chairman of the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association Governing Board
  • Presentation from SNS JU 6G MIRAI (from the EU-JP call) – Ericsson Research Japan
  • Japanese projects ASPIRE and HARMONY
  • SNS JU 6G ARROW (from the EU-ROK call) – professor Emilio Calvanese–Strinati (CEA-LETI, France)
  • Survey of the Japan-German collaboration projects, Dr Kentaro Ishizu, NICT
  • Some highlights from Japan-German collaboration projects  

Contributions from industry, challenges for 6G as perceived by industry, also presenting opportunities for joint investigation and solution

  • Collaboration opportunities regarding non-terrestrial networks between Japan and Europe – ESA
  • Results from the European SNS JU research project 6G-NTN – professor Alessandro Vanelli-Coralli, ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – Università di Bologna
  • Developing a Holistic Sustainability Framework for Future Communication Systems – SUSTAIN-6G, the European sustainability lighthouse project – Dr Alessandro Bassi, Eurescom GmbH 
  • 6G standardisation challenges from a Japanese perspective
  • Core network and architecture issues and challenges (Dr. Ing. Marius Corici, Fraunhofer FOKUS)
  • European industry views regarding 6G challenges  
  • Japanese industry presentations, both from technology and solution providers, but also from industries using and relying on 6G

Pre-6G demo plans, what Europe can learn from Japan and the Republic of Korea, best practices

  • Research infrastructures for joint collaboration
  • Pre-6G demo plans concerning the Osaka expo
  • Korean presentation regarding the pre-6G demo plans for 2026
  • Panel discussion regarding what Europe can learn from Japanese (and Korean) approaches towards 6G R&D

Speakers
Akihiro Nakao
Prof. Akihiro Nakao
head of Nakao-Lab, University of Tokyo, Japan, co-chair of the XG Mobile Promotion Forum (XGMF), Japan
Dr. Colin Willcock
Dr. Colin Willcock
Chairman of the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association Governing Board, Belgium
Emilio Calvanese-Strinati
Emilio Calvanese-Strinati
Scientific and Innovation Director of Smart Devices, Telecommunications and Security, EA-Leti, France
Prof. HyeonWoo LEE
Prof. HyeonWoo Lee
Professor on Mobile System Engineering, DanKook University and vice chair of the Executive Committee of the 6G Forum Korea, Republic of Korea
Dr. Ing
Dr. Ing. Marius Corici
Deputy Head of the Software-based Networks Division, Fraunhofer FOKUS, Germany
Dr. Kentaro Ishizu
Dr. Kentaro Ishizu
Director, Beyond 5G Design Initiative, NICT, Japan
Maria Guta
Dr. Maria Guta
European Space Agency
Szabolcs Malomsoky
Szabolcs Malomsoky
Head of Ericsson Research Japan
09:00-14:00 local time

Institute for Geoeconomics (IOG), Japan 

The EU-Japan Digital Partnership (DP), en force since 2023, underscores the shared commitment and political willingness of both partners to join forces on key areas, including semiconductors, AI, high-performance computing and quantum, Beyond 5G, data governance and Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), digital connectivity platforms, and cybersecurity. To support the ongoing process, the workshop will address several critical questions: 
  • ‘Drivers of Technological Innovation, Economic Security, and Sovereignty’: How can the EU and Japan sustain their technological edge and sovereignty amidst the intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China?
  • ‘Emerging Technologies and Security Cooperation’: What role do dual use emerging and disruptive technologies play in shaping EU and Japan’s evolving security postures and bilateral cooperation?
  • ‘Domestic Challenges and Policy Coordination’:  What domestic priorities and challenges must be addressed to advance technological collaboration and digital connectivity?
  • ‘Promoting Global Governance’: How can the EU and Japan champion responsible, human-centred, and sustainable global governance frameworks bilaterally and within existing multilateral frameworks? 

This event will convene a balanced group of 30 to 40 representatives from the EU and Japan, including policymakers, academia, think tank experts, and industry leaders. The multistakeholder representation ensures diverse perspectives and practical insights into advancing digital cooperation and innovation.

The workshop will produce policy recommendations that emphasise the removal of political, regulatory, and technological barriers, reinforce multistakeholder engagement between the two partners, and promote responsible, human-centred global governance of digital emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs). These recommendations will serve as a roadmap for enhancing EU-Japan digital cooperation moving forward. 

Agenda

Opening Remarks

  • Keynote Address
  • Panel I: Towards policy alignment in emerging and new technologies: AI, Quantum, Advanced Semiconductors
  • Panel II: From space to under the sea: critical digital infrastructure for sustainable global connectivity

Speakers

Around 10 to 15 speakers will contribute across the keynote sessions and the two roundtable panels. Speakers will include high-level representatives from the EU and Japanese research institutions, government agencies, think tanks, and industry leaders. Final speaker confirmations will be shared closer to the event date. 

09:00-18:30 local time
Antonis Ramfos

Dr. Antonis Ramfos
Athens Technology Center, Greece

Delegation of the European Union to Japan

The objectives of the workshop are to introduce participants to the concept of data spaces, their architecture, stakeholders, and role in digital transformation, with a focus on addressing interoperability challenges. It aims to explore business models for data spaces, highlighting best practices and successful case studies. The workshop will discuss regulatory and ethical considerations for data sharing, emphasizing trust, standardization, and governance of data flows between EU and Japanese data spaces. It will also provide practical guidance on interoperability, encouraging joint EU-Japan pilot projects. Finally, the workshop seeks to foster EU-Japan collaboration and facilitate cross-border networking among industry, manufacturing, and technology leaders.

The target audience includes industry leaders, decision-makers, data scientists, IT professionals, business strategists, consultants, regulatory officers, academics, researchers, and government officials from the EU and Japan. Key participants also include representatives from initiatives and projects like Catena-X, Manufacturing-X, AgDataHub, and Green Deal Data Space, as well as organizations such as IDSA, GAIA-X, DSA, DSSC, RRI, IPA, and JEITA. The event aims to attract 200 registrations with an expected attendance of 130.

The expected outcomes include an enhanced understanding of data spaces and their implementation, knowledge of business models in the EU and Japan, and awareness of regulatory and standards considerations for data sharing. Participants will gain insights from demonstrations of implemented data spaces and practical guidance on establishing joint data spaces within organizations. Additionally, the workshop aims to scope pilot projects and foster cross-border collaboration and networking among data space stakeholders.

Agenda

In the era of digital transformation, the efficient and secure sharing of data is critical for innovation, competitiveness and fostering a circular economy. Data spaces provide a robust legal and technical framework for such data sharing, enabling organisations to leverage data for strategic advantage and improved decision-making.

DAY 1

Opening Remarks and Workshop Overview

  • Ambassador of the EU to Japan

Keynote Speech: The Role of Data Spaces in the Digital and Circular Economy

Session 1: Introduction to Data Spaces with a joint EU-Japan approach

  • Definition, architecture, cybersecurity, components and examples (technical, business, governance, stakeholders)
  • Presentation of the the reference architecture – Data Spaces Support Centre (DSSC)
  • Introducing EU and Japanese Data Spaces in domains relative to the Digital Partnership

Demonstration Session: Hands-on demonstration session of a practical implementation of a data space by a company

Session 2: Business Models in Data Spaces 

  • Overview of Different Business Models. Which roles and expertise are needed? Which business sectors are promising lead innovators? 
  • Case Studies of Successful Business Models from the EU and Japan
  • Revenue Generation and Value Creation

Session 3: Regulatory Landscape for Data Flow with Trust

  • The EU Data Strategy with a focus on Data Governance Act and Data Act. Implementation services (intermediate services, data altruism organisations)
  • Japanese Data Strategy
  • Differences and similarities between the EU and Japan
  • Data Sharing Practices
  • Risk Management
  • Standardisation

Regulatory Landscape for the specific UCs

DAY 2

Cooking with Ulrich – A recipe for how to get started and make data spaces a success”
by Ulrich Ahle, CEO of GAIA-X Focus on interoperability of Data Spaces

by Ulrich Ahle, CEO of GAIA-X Focus on interoperability of Data Spaces

Session 4: Challenges of Selected Joint Data Spaces between Europe and Japan: (DSSC, FIWARE, SIEMENS, JBCE/OURANOS) 

  • Technological Requirements and Solutions
  • Cybersecurity and Data Spaces
  • Standardisation
  • Open Source and reuse of components in times of SBOMs
  • Organisational Readiness and Change Management 

Services fostering data flow with trust

Panel Discussion: Opportunities for Joint Data Spaces: how to incentivize data sharing among companies and stakeholders in complex value chains?  

  • Potential joint pilot projects proposed by EU and Japan Data Spaces projects  
  • Panellists (project representatives) from the EU and Japan 

Interactive Workshop: Designing a joint EU-Japan Data Space pilot project: a joint approach by design. Rapid Prototyping (Design Thinking) or Serious play as method? 

  • Group activity and case study analysis 
  • Presentation of Group findings
  • Follow-up actions

Future Trends and Innovations in Data Spaces

by Tuomo Tuikka, Technical Board Member of the Big Data Value Association (BDVA)

  • What will the future look like? 
  • Moderated discussion with the audience to collect views and predictions.

Speakers

The workshop will feature a lineup of experienced professionals and experts in data management, business strategy, digital transformation, and regulatory compliance from both the EU and Japan.

10:00-17:30 local time
Sebastian Engell

Prof. Sebastian Engell
TU Dortmund (Germany) and ENRICH Global (France)

Liro-Harjunkoski

Prof. Iiro Harjunkoski
Aalto University (Finland) and Hitachi Energy (Japan)

HITACHI

To exchange on good practices and challenges in the development of critical AI applications where the reliable correct function is of predominant importance. 

Developers of AI solutions, methods and tools in areas as industrial production, robotics, cars, trains, healthcare systems

Understanding of the state of the art and open issues, triggering collaborations, input to shaping future funding programs in Europe and Japan

ORGANISERS

The EU-Japan Digital Week is an initiative under the EU-Japan Digital Partnership and is supported by the following projects and organisations