For Immediate Release

O-BIC Helps 20 Foreign Companies Invest in Osaka in 2020
Case Numbers Down Due to Covid-19, but Investment Sentiment Remains Constant

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April 28, 2021 Osaka, Japan The Osaka Business and Investment Center (O-BIC) has
announced that it facilitated 20 cases of investment in Osaka by foreign companies in FY2020.
This is around half of the normal annual figure, but is still a significant achievement as Covid 19 continues to hit economies hard. Due to Covid-related travel restrictions, most of thosecases involved locally-based business partners or others assisting with administrative
procedures on behalf of the foreign companies.
Sentiment toward investing in Osakaremains high despite the Coronavirus, as
FDI Cases Handled by O-BIC
illustrated by the number of inquiries from
46603 650
42 42
foreign companies: 176 in FY2020, only 50600
38385503635
narrowly behind the 193 received in 40500
3332 32 32 30450
28400
FY2019. Already, five companies have 3025242420 350
19300
completed their Japanese corporate 20250
13 14200registration and obtained visas for their150
10100executives, and are waiting for travel
5000restrictions to be lifted.
Once again, a majority of theinvesting companies ten of 20 wereNew investments
Cumulative total
from China (includes Hong Kong); fourwere from South Korea, and 15 were from four countries across the broader Asia region. The
recent trend toward investors from an increasingly diverse range of countries continued in
FY2020, with companies from the USA, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Australia setting up inOsaka. O-BIC believes Osaka will maintain its high global profile through upcoming events
such as the Osaka, Kansai Expo 2025.
Since its inception in 2001, O-BIC has facilitated investment in Osaka by a total of 603
companies, including 251 from China (includes Hong Kong), 102 from South Korea, and 48
from the USA.
Manufacturers Prominent, Focus on Domestic Markets, Eye on Post-Covid Recovery
in FY2019 to four, a new record. The newcomers were makers of products with high relevanceand utility in daily life, including detergents for export markets and false teeth. One company,a food tech business from Singapore, seeks to reduce food loss by using discarded bread tobrew beer in partnership with local companies. In doing so, they are contributing to the effort
to achieve the SDGs, which are a major focus of Osaka, Kansai Expo 2025.
Significantly, although Covid-19 caused a precipitous drop in inbound tourism, which had
been growing since around 2015, overseas companies were clearly drawn to the potential ofservice, trade, and manufacturing sectors that target Japanese consumers and businesses, suchas dining, apparel, and IoT.
-Osaka-Koberegion as part of its Startup Ecosystems initiativeexpansions or relocations from Tokyo and other cities in Japan.
Amid a flurry of large-scale projects, Osaka has its eye on the post-Covid recovery. Ithopes for a solid rebound in new inbound investments and secondary investments by thosealready operating in Japan, particularly in cutting-edge sectors such as carbon reduction,
digital health, smart cities, and others in keeping withconcept ofOsaka, Kansai Expo 2025.

Singapore Company Brings New Approach, Innovative Drinks to theJapanese Market Via Osaka

The Crust Group is a food tech company establishedin Singapore in 2019. Aiming to drive a morecircular food movement by upcycling food waste,percent by 2030. Crust develops technologies thatallow food waste to be upcycled into unique beers,
teas, ciders, and other drinks, providing momentum
sustainability and contributing significantly to theSDGs.
When the Crust Group participated in Hack Osaka, the global innovation conference, inFebruary 2021, their advanced technical capabilities,
their eagerness to work toward achieving the SDGs,
and their huge potential in Osaka and the Kansai
region earned them the O-BIC Prize. With support
from O-BIC and the Osaka International Business
Promotion Center for tasks such as PR andconnecting with local businesses, the Crust Group
incorporated in Japan and set up an office in Umeda,
central Osaka.
As a foretaste of what the Crust Group will bringto the Japan market, the Crust Pilsner, which wasbrewed from left-over bread scheduled for disposal,
was released on March 4 via crowdfunding site Jim Huang (left) of Crust Japan and theMakuake, and the company is looking forward to Hack Osaka 2021 O-BIC Prize committee.
collaborating with Osaka businesses.
Crust Japan
Parent company: Crust Group Pte Ltd in Singapore
Representative: Jim Huang, commercial director
Business:
Development of food waste upcycling technologies
URL:
crust-group.com
Established:
February 2021

2

For inquiries regarding this release, please contact:
Osaka Business and Investment Center (O-BIC),
Email: o-bic@osaka.cci.or.jp
About O-BIC
The Osaka Business and Investment Center (O-BIC) was established in 2001 jointly by the
Osaka Prefectural Government, the Osaka Municipal Government and the Osaka Chamber ofCommerce and Industry as a one-stop support hub to promote foreign direct investment inOIn 2020, O-BIC continued to promote foreign
investment in partnership with the Osaka
International Business Promotion Center andthe Japanoffice. Despite the turmoil caused by Covid-19,
profile and promoting its advantages as wellas its selection as host of the world expo in2025 by moving most operations online.
O-BIC fielded 176 inquiries from overseas
companies and provided assistance to thoseseeking to invest in Osaka, including
individual consultations and providing
information regarding setting up locally.
O-BIC also worked to retain existing investor
companies amid Covid-19 by ensuring they
had real-time access to information about
grants and other support from central and local
governments, and helping them apply for these.
Interviews with representatives of six foreigncompanies operating in Osaka in these Covidconstrictedwebsite and SNS accounts, to further promote
those companies and Osaka.
O-BIC invested particular effort in promotions,participating (online) in 15 events in Japan andaround the world. The center sought to sow theseeds of post-Covid recovery and growth by
spreading the word about the advantageous
investment environment in Osaka and Kansai,
as well as O-

Investments Handled by O-BIC

20012002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

300
273
164141
158
175
139
117
137
101
123
94
97
113
137
118
135
167
193
176

13
14
33
2425
24
36
28
1932
32
32
30
38
46
38
42
42
35
20

Support
Program*users
11
1218
15
13
14
25
23
24
23
23
16
9

Total

3,058

603

226

FY Inquiries FDIs handled*Support Program: An incentive program
offered by O-BIC to encourage investment inOsaka by alleviating the burden of some costs(e.g., incorporation, obtaining visas) up to amaximum of ¥150,000 .

Further Reading(1) List of investments handled by O-BIC in FY2020 (Japanese)(2) Matrix of investments handled by O-BIC in FY2020(3) Investments handled by O-BIC between FY2001 and FY2020

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Osaka Business and Investment Center (O-BIC)
Matrix of Investment cases in FY2020

Cases of New Entry : 20
Industry
R&D

Manufacturing

Wholesaleand Retail(Export)

Wholesaleand Retail(Import)

1

2

Finance andinsurance

Transportation

Information andCommunications

Publicagencies/organizations

ServiceTOTAL

Country/Region
China

2

(2)

(1)

Hong Kong

1

Taiwan
Korea
AsiaSingapore

(1)

1

(5)

(2)

(1)3

1(1)

(1)

(1)

(2)

31

Vietnam

(4)

8(16)

(1)

2(1)

0(2)

(2)

4(5)

(1)

1(1)

(1)

0(1)

India

(1)

0(1)

Indonesia

(1)

0(1)

15(28)

1(3)

0(1)

1(4)

1(0)

1(1)

1(1)

3(2)

1(0)

0(1)

1(1)

20(35)

Asia/Total

3(2)

0(1)

3(3)

3USA

0(0)

0(2)

0(1)

(1)

NorthCanada
America
N.A./Total

(10)

6(9)

1(2)

0(0)

(1)
0(0)

0(0)

0(0)

0(2)

0(0)

0(0)

0(0)

1Germany

1Italy

1(2)

0(0)

(1)

EuropeSpain
EU/TotalAustralia

(1)
0(0)

0(0)

0(0)

0(1)

10(0)

0(0)

1TOTAL

2(0)

0(1)

1

Oceania New Zealand
Oceania/Total

(0)

(1)
14(0)
(2)

00(0)
(1)

03(0)
(3)

0(0)

03(13)

0(0)
(0)

00(0)
(2)

01(1)
(2)

0(0)

09(11)0(0)(1)

ACHIEVEMENTS in the last 20 years(April 2001 - March 2021)
Country/Region

Industry
Manufacturing

R&D

6Wholesale and Wholesale andRetail (Export) Retail (Import)

Finance andInsurance

Transportation

Information andCommunications

ServicePublicagencies/organizations

315

124617225

3519293102226186415

Others

Total

Asia
China

6Hong Kong

2Korea1Shingapore

214476791145

26India

5Indonesia

1Sri Lanka

1114

1

Taiwan1

Thailand

320

111183335Myanmar111

Vietnam

114

Mongolia

1

Pakistan
Macau

1Malaysia

1

Philippines

31723111212
1111Hong Kong/Singapore

11IsraelAsia/Total

2611869167

631USA22219

North America Total

22222

100000142France

1153Germany

2172035109

250450

North America
Canada131941814805212057

00

1001310South America
ChileSouth America Total

11Europe
UK

Ireland1125151Italy

1

Switzerland

5121

2

1125

16Spain3

Denmark

33Finland

11Belgium

1

The Czech Republic

1

Sweden114121212

Norway1

1

Slovakia
Netherland

11122Malta

21Russia
Europe Total

11PolandPortugal

111430361708204183

Oceania
New ZealandAustralia

1Oceania Total

100

Africa Total

00Total181311233293004300

1110000000172228

142052154311603AfricaCote d'Ivoire

11