Japan Business Day – Gateway to Growth: Economic Cooperation Between Japan and Hamburg

In light of growing geopolitical and economic tensions, Germany and Japan face new challenges as business hubs. The war in Ukraine, the growing rivalry between the United States and China, and uncertainties in the Indo-Pacific region are fundamentally altering the global landscape for export-oriented economies such as Germany and Japan. Hamburg, in particular, as a key hub for trade and logistics, is directly affected by these developments.

We cordially invite you to Japan Business Day – Gateway to Growth: Economic Cooperation between Japan and Hamburg, on May 28, 2026. The event will explore how companies in Hamburg and Japan are responding to current challenges such as supply chain uncertainties, energy issues, and technological competition. At the same time, it will highlight opportunities for cooperation—ranging from renewable energy and hydrogen to life sciences and digital innovation. Furthermore, the event will explore how Hamburg and Japan can strengthen each other as complementary business hubs.

The event is organized by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Ministry of Economics, Labor, and Innovation, Hamburg Invest, OAV, Nihonjin-kai e.V., DJW/Japamburg, the Consulate General of Japan in Hamburg, and JETRO.

Take this opportunity to gain valuable insights. We look forward to welcoming you to Japan Business Day in Hamburg.

program

• 8:30–9:00 a.m. Registration
  

• 9:00–9:15 a.m. Opening Remarks
  Philip Koch, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
  Kolja Harders, Ministry of Economics, Labor, and Innovation
  Koichi Tashiro, President, Nihonjin-kai e.V., Hamburg
  

• 9:15–9:25 a.m. Opening Remarksby Shinsuke Toda, Consul General of Japan in Hamburg, at the "
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• 9:25–9:45 a.m. Keynote: Japan’s Economic Challenges and Strategic Responses
  Prof. Dr. Rolf J. Langhammer, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
  

• 9:45–10:30 a.m. Panel I: German-Japanese Economic Relations in a Changing Global Landscape
  Heiko Willenberg, Head of Government Relations, RWE AG
  Prof. Dr. Rolf J. Langhammer, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
  Moderator: C. Michael Illies, President & CEO, C. Illies & Co., Member of the Executive Board, OAV
  

• 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. Panel II: Japan as a Target Market for Innovative Hamburg Startups
  Claudio Flores, CEO, Mimotype Technologies GmbH
  Dr. Mazen Rizk, CEO, Infinite Roots
  Florian Birner, MD, Planeteers
  Moderator: Jan Korte, Speaker, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
  

• 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Networking Lunch