Event Report
Highlights of the EU-Japan-Africa Mission 2022
7th EU-Africa Business Forum 2022 (EABF)&EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Africa

14-18 February 2022

© 2022 EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation
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TABLE OF CONTENTSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
CONTEXT ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
OUTLINE ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
NEXT STEPS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 9Annex 1: Event leaflet ........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Annex 2: Virtual workshop “EU-Japan Business Matchmaking in and with Africa” ........................................................ 11
Annex 3: Launch of the Helpdesk supporting EU-Japan Business cooperation with Africa, ASEAN and Latin America . 12
Annex 4: Virtual booth of the EU-Japan Centre of Industrial Cooperation at the EU-Africa Business Forum 2022 ....... 13
Annex 5: Homepage of the matchmaking platform .......................................................................................................... 14
Annex 6: Partners supporting the EU-Japan Centre in the organisation of the EU-Japan Business Matchmaking withAfrica 2022 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 152

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Context
Taking into account important business trends over the last years, and following the signature of the Partnershipon sustainable connectivity and quality infrastructure between the EU and Japan in 2019, and the EU-Japan GreenAlliance, the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation has undertaken business support activities to facilitate
the connection between EU and Japanese companies for joint projects in and with Africa, Southeast Asia andLatin America.
About the EU-Japan Centre’s initiative
The EU-Japan Centre has more than 10 years of experience in supporting business cooperation between EU andJapanese companies via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). It is now extending its expertise to promote new
business opportunities in Africa and with African partners with a helpdesk fully dedicated to support EU-Japanbusiness cooperation with Africa, as well as Southeast Asia and Latin America.
About the EU-Japan-Africa Mission 2022To support EU-Japan-Africa tripartite business cooperation, the EU-Japan Centre organised the EU-Japan-Africa
Mission from 14 to 18 February 2022. This mission included a virtual business matchmaking event organised bythe EU-Japan Centre, as well as virtual workshop and a virtual booth at the 7th EU-Africa Business Forum (EABF).
As part of the Team Europe approach, the EU-Japan Centre worked closely with EU Member States’ Trade
Promotion Organisations and EU Embassies in Japan to organise the EU-Japan business matchmaking with Africa.
While business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in Europe or in Japan is a concept that is widely
understood, the concept of tripartite business cooperation between EU and Japanese companies in Africa andwith African partners is not well known yet and requires active promotion during high-level events like the EABF.
Possible areas of cooperation
African markets offer a lot of business opportunities in various sectors. For example, many infrastructures need
to be built or improved in order to help with the integration of the African market. Like everywhere else,
sustainable strategies need to be put in place to develop durable economy such as durable agriculture, affordable
services and better access to electricity. The “High 5s” set by the African Development Bank help defining thepriority areas for growth in Africa: (1) Light up and power Africa, (2) Feed Africa, (3) Industrialise Africa, (4)Integrate Africa, (5) Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa.
The EU and Japan both agreed to cooperate with partner countries, including in Africa, in improving connectivity
in energy, transport and digital projects, as well as in projects contributing to carbon neutrality and sustainable
development.
Benefits of EU-Japan-Africa business cooperation
In the case of Japan, Africa remains a market that is perceived as remote for many companies, which preferturning to neighbouring Asian markets. Before undertaking a project in Africa, many Japanese companies preferbeing backed up by national funding or a development bank, and partner up with European or Indian companies
that already have experience in Africa. Many EU companies are already well established in Africa and alreadywork together with African businesses and organisations, sometimes supported by EU or their Member States’
funding. The proximity of the EU with Africa as well as common languages in certain cases, can facilitate
partnerships with African businesses and organisations. While some EU companies can see Japanese companies
as competitors in Africa, others have understood that there are many opportunities for collaboration. Each side
can leverage their competitive advantage such as technology, market intelligence, a subsidiary, or existing
partners in Africa in order to have a complementary business relation.
EU and Japan can both contribute to Africa’s growth with their financing and engineering capacities and theirtechnology. On the EU side, cooperation on regulation and standardisation has also been a topic of discussion tofacilitate trade between each region and to offer an alternative to other countries’ activities in Africa, such as
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China. Cooperation with African partners is essential to adapt EU and Japanese technology and expertise to theAfrican context and to benefit African people.
Possible synergies between the EU and Japan: joint funding
Funding is important for both EU and Japanese companies when discussing possible joint projects in Africa. This
is why synergies between EU and Japanese funding entities to create joint funding would facilitate businesscooperation between EU and Japanese companies in Africa and with African partners. Several EU and Japanesebanks or funding agencies have signed Memorandum of Understandings to this effect 1 . However, theimplementation of these MoUs has not been completed yet, leaving possible EU-Japan joint funding in thepipeline.
Lessons learned
The EU-Japan Centre’s business matching support for EU and Japanese companies in and with Africa started in
2021 during the 3rd Japan-Africa Business Forum. With this new mission in February 2022, the EU-Japan Centre
has made progress in better supporting companies and better promoting the concept of EU-Japan-Africa businesscooperation.
Through these events, several lessons learned and key points can be highlighted to better prepare future
activities:
The trilateral dimension of EU-Japan-Africa business cooperation is important. EU and Japanese companies
collaborate in Africa, with African partners from the public and private sectors, and for the African
stakeholders



The workshop organised by the EU-Japan Centre during the 7th EU-Africa Business Forum on the topic of EUJapan business cooperation in and with Africa was the third most attended workshop with 507 participants.
With most of the audience coming from Africa, this could mean that African businesses and organisations
have a strong interest not only for partnerships with EU companies, but also with Japanese partners.

An important lesson learned is that the concept of EU-Japan-Africa trilateral business cooperation is notwidely known yet. Most companies and business support organisations are more familiar with traditional
bilateral cooperation such as exporting goods or raw materials. However, trilateral cooperation can respondto the needs of the African market by using the expertise of international stakeholders from Japan, the EUand Africa. For example, many infrastructure projects are undertaken by international consortia. Therefore,
the concept of tripartite business cooperation needs to be further promoted, explained, and illustrated bysuccess stories. To address this challenge, the EU-Japan Centre plans to organise more events and webinars
to raise awareness on opportunities and success stories.

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A least 4 MoUs were signed on this matter: (1) MoU between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in2019, (2) MoU between the EIB and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 2018, which was extended in 2021 (3) MoU between the EIB andNippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) in 2018, (4) MoU between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and NEXI in 2020.

4CONTEXT
General context
Following the signature of the Partnership on sustainable connectivity and quality infrastructure between the EUand Japan in 2019, and the commitment from the EU and Japan to form a Green Alliance, the EU-Japan Centrefor Industrial Cooperation has undertaken business support activities to facilitate the connection between EUand Japanese companies for joint projects in and with Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Substantial data show that tripartite business cooperation in and with Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America
is a growing trend that opens many business opportunities in untapped markets.
More information on this topic can be found below:
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Overview of the conference “EU-Japan business collaborations in third markets” organised by the EU-Japan Centre in2019.
Report “Analysis of EU-Japan business cooperation in third countries” published by the EU-Japan Centre in 2020.
French Japanese Business Summit 2020 focusing on “Growth opportunities in Africa: towards new partnerships”.
Report “EU-Japan business cooperation in third markets – Focus on the digital economy”published by the EU-Japan
Centre in 2021.
Event report about the involvement of the EU-Japan Centre at the Japan-Africa Business Forum 2021.
Annual report “Economic outlook – German Business in Japan” published by the German Chamber of Commerce andIndustry in Japan (AHK Japan). The chapter “Business in third markets” presents key numbers about businesscooperation between German and Japanese companies outside Germany and Japan. Read the report for 2018, 2019,2020 and 2021.
The one-year matchmaking platform “EU-Japan Business Matchmaking with Vietnam” launched by the EU-Japan Centrein March 2022.

EU-Japan-Africa tripartite business cooperation
To support EU-Japan-Africa tripartite business cooperation, the EU-Japan Centre first took part in thematchmaking event organised during the 3rd Japan-Africa Business Forum (JABF) in 2021. This event wasorganised by the African Development Bank. The aim was to connect EU small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) with Japanese companies to discuss joint projects in and with Africa. The participants also had theopportunity to meet virtually with potential leads from Africa. A report of this event is available here.
Following a successful experience at the Japan-Africa Business Forum, the EU-Japan Centre took part in the 7thEU-Africa Business Forum (EABF) from 14 to 18 February 2022. The 7th EABF (https://www.euafricabusinessforum.com/) was co-organised by the European Commission, the African Union Commission, and EU andAfrican business organisations. The event aims at connecting European and African political and business leaders
to discuss partnership and investment opportunities in the African continent. This year, the EU-Japan Centre wasinvolved in the event to promote a tripartite approach, “EU-Japan business cooperation in and with Africa”,
through a virtual workshop, the launch of a new helpdesk, and an online business matchmaking event.
The EU-Japan Centre has substantial experience in organising matchmaking events between EU and Japanesecompanies via the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) and it is now extending its expertise to promote newbusiness opportunities in Africa and with African partners.

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List of success stories for Africa-EU-Japan trilateral business cooperation
The EU-Japan Centre compiled a list of success stories that is available here.
A short summary is provided below.
Transportation
 Case 1: Construction of two flyovers in Ivory CoastEnergy Case 2: Wind farm in Egypt
 Case 3: Investment platform for renewables in Africa
 Case 4: Pay-as-you-go solar energy solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa
 Case 5: Hydroelectric and geothermal plants in South Africa
 Case 6: Pay-as-you-go solar energy solutions and other services in Sub-Saharan Africa
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Case 7: Smart glasses for remote technical training in Ghana and Zambia
 Case 8: Smart healthcare in Tanzania
 Case 9: Road infrastructure hardware in Uganda
Water & Waste Management
 Case 10: Sustainable city and water supply in AfricaConstruction
 Case 11: Construction projects in Africa
Wholesale & Retail Trade Case 12: Distribution of vehicles in Mauritius
 Case 13: Distribution of vehicles in Africa
 Case 14: Vehicle logistics in Kenya and Egypt
Insurance
 Case 15: Insurance for Japanese businesses in Africa

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OUTLINE OF THE EU-JAPAN-AFRICA MISSION 2022
Activities conducted by the EU-Japan Centre for the EU-Japan-Africa Mission 2022
VIRTUAL WORKSHOP“EU-Japan business cooperation in and with Africa”DAY 1
14 February 2022

Topics covered: Japanese and European activities and investment in Africa; Possible synergies between European, Japanese and Africancompanies, clusters and regions; Tripartite success story between the Finnish SME Augumenta, theSchool of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Zambia and theJapanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in conducting
remote technical trainings in the fields of healthcare andagriculture in Ghana and Zambia.

Link to recording of the workshop: https://www.eujapan.eu/publications/eabf-2022-workshop-eu-japan-businesscooperation-and-africa-video(EABF)

Involvement of the EU-Japan Centre at the EU-Africa Business Forum 2022

With over 500 participants, the workshop was the 3rd most attendedworkshop at the EABF.

LAUNCH OF THE EU-JAPAN BUSINESS COOPERATION WITH AFRICA,ASEAN AND LATIN AMERICA HELPDESK
Following the workshop, the EU-Japan Centre announced the launch ofa new helpdesk supporting EU-Japan business cooperation in and withAfrica, ASEAN and Latin America.
VIRTUAL BOOTH AND NETWORKING
DAY 1 to 5
14-18 February 2022

The EU-Japan Centre was an exhibitor on the EABF’s platform. The EUJapan Centre’s virtual booth showcased several reports and successstories related to EU-Japan business cooperation in and with Africa.
The virtual booth was accessible to all participants. In total, the booth
attracted 112 visitors and made it possible for the EU-Japan Centre tofollow up on individual messages and meeting requests withparticipants.

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BUSINESS MATCHMAKING EVENT“EU-Japan business cooperation with Africa 2022”

Side event organised by the EU-Japan Centre

On 18 February, the EU-Japan Centre organised a virtual businessmatchmaking event, aiming at supporting trilateral partnerships
between EU, Japanese and African companies.
With about 40 participants from the EU, Japan and Africa, several
meetings were conducted to discuss potential partnerships for joint
projects in Africa.

DAY 518 February 2022

About the participants registered for the event:- 21 from the EU (1 from Austria, 15 from Belgium, 2 from France, 2from Germany, 1 from Spain)- 8 from Japan- 10 from Africa (8 from Tunisia, 2 from the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo)- 24 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)- 8 large companies- 7 organisations such as chambers of commerce and research
institutes
Examples of target markets:-Infrastructure-Manufacturing-Water, Sanitation and Hygiene-Waste Management-Energy
Healthcare

Event website: https://eu-japan-africa-2022.b2match.io/8

NEXT STEPSThe EU-Japan Centre will follow up with the participants of the business matchmaking event and provide further
support if requested.
Because the concept of EU-Japan-Africa trilateral business cooperation is not well known yet, it needs to befurther promoted, explained, and illustrated by success stories.
 To address this challenge, the EU-Japan Centre plans to organise more events to foster EU-Japan businesscooperation in and with Africa. The Centre considers the possibility to take part in the 8th Tokyo International
Conference on African Development (TICAD8) on 27-28 August 2022.
 The Centre will also organise webinars to raise awareness on opportunities and success stories.
 The EU-Japan Centre will update the list of success stories for Africa-EU-Japan trilateral business cooperation
available here.
The EU-Japan Centre will keep working on supporting EU-Japan business cooperation in Africa, with African
partners from the public and private sectors, and for the African people.

9Annex 1: Event leaflet

10Annex 2: Virtual workshop “EU-Japan Business Matchmaking in and with Africa”
Moderator:
Fabrizio Mura (Executive Advisor to the EU-side Managing Director, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation)
Speakers:
Phillipe de Taxis du Poët (DG Grow, Delegation of the European Union to Japan / Managing Director of the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation)
Damien Douxchamps (Co-founder and Head of research of Augumenta, Finland)
Katendi Changula (Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Zambia)
Nicolas Becquemin (Senior Consultant at QUINIE Corporation, Japan)
Maximilien Lemaire (Honorary President, Chambre de Commerce Européenne en Côte d’Ivoire; Vice Chair, EBOWWN)
George Musonda (Technical Provincial Officer, Eneri Platforms Limited, Zambia)
Florence Arnu (Business Support Coordinator, Enterprise Europe Network, EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation)11Annex 3: Launch of the Helpdesk supporting EU-Japan Business cooperation with Africa,
ASEAN and Latin America

12Annex 4: Virtual booth of the EU-Japan Centre of Industrial Cooperation at the EUAfrica Business Forum 2022
The EU-Japan Centre’s virtual booth displayed the following elements:- Introduction video and written description of the EU-Japan Centre and its activities related to EU-Japan businesscooperation in and with Africa- Documents:o EU-Japan Centre’s activities: this document presents all the activities undertaken by the EU-Japan Centre forIndustrial Cooperation.
o EEN Japan – 10 years of statistics and success stories: this document presents the achievements made byEnterprise Europe Network Japan (EEN Japan) in its ten years of existence, via the EU-Japan Centre.
o Success stories of Africa-EU-Japan trilateral business cooperation: this document provides information aboutexisting business partnerships between African, EU and Japanese companies for joint projects in Africa.
o Overview of the conference “EU-Japan business collaborations in third markets” organised by the EU-Japan Centrein 2019.
o Report “Analysis of EU-Japan business cooperation in third countries” published by the EU-Japan Centre in 2020.
o Report “EU-Japan business cooperation in third markets – Focus on the digital economy”published by the EUJapan Centre in 2021.
o Event report about the involvement of the EU-Japan Centre at the Japan-Africa Business Forum 2021.
- Social media- Contact information

13Annex 5: Homepage of the matchmaking platform

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Annex 6: Partners supporting the EU-Japan Centre in the organisation of the EU-Japan
Business Matchmaking with Africa 2022

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