An Invitation to the GRIPS Development Forum Seminar

Germany-Japan Partnership for “Quality Growth”
Sharing Experiences of Industrial Development Cooperationin Partnership with the Private Sector
Organized by GRIPS Development Forum
Supported by JICA, HIDA andEmbassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Tokyo
1. Objective
The main objective of this seminar is to introduce the approach and practices of German
industrial development cooperation, by inviting leading experts from the German
Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the German Confederation of Skilled
Crafts (ZDH). Special attention will be paid to partnerships with the private sector, local
governments and other industry-related institutions toward achieving “quality growth” indeveloping countries. This is a high-priority task in the current Japanese development
cooperation and the globally agreed 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development.
The seminar also invites Japanese experts—the Japan-Thailand Economic Cooperation
Society (JTECS), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Overseas Human
Resource and Industrial Association (HIDA)—in the related area to share their perspectives
and promote mutual learning.
2. Background and Key Issues
Germany and Japan have rich experiences in industrial development cooperation. The twocountries are strongly manufacturing-oriented (monozukuri) and thus possess a wealth ofhuman and institutional foundations for industrial support. Although it is only recent that theinternational community began giving attention to industrialization and economictransformation in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Germany andJapan have been consistently engaged in this challenge for decades. Moreover, Germanyand Japan have shared features in development cooperation—e.g., offering field-based
concrete support to partner countries, taking a human-centered, capacity development
approach. As such, two countries could play a distinctive role in realizing ‘quality growth’ inpartner countries.
A notable strength of German industrial development cooperation is that implementing
agencies have built close partnerships with industrial and business organizations (such as
TVET centers, business associations and Chambers of Commerce, and regionalgovernments). These organizations have accumulated hands-on expertise in the country’s
industrial development, and thus could play a key role in technology transfer to andbusiness matching with partners in developing countries. Such partnerships may also
contribute to strengthening the domestic constituency for development cooperation andforging mutually beneficial economic relationships with partner countries.
As Japan enters into a new era of development cooperation—with the Development
Cooperation Charter (formulated in early 2015) and the initiation of the SDGs (from 2016), itis quite important and valuable to learn German approach to industrial development
cooperation and share mutual experiences to realize ‘quality growth’ in partner countries.

Speakers’ ProfileMr. Thomas Rolf is Product Development Senior Manager at GIZ. For GIZ he also
worked as Programme Manager in Private Sector Development for eight years in Egypt& Ethiopia and was previously involved in different positions in strategy consulting inManila, Rio de Janeiro, Frankfurt & Düsseldorf. In Manila, he was Manager Business
Development in Chamber of Commerce in Philippines and researched strategy &market, also developed network with partners. He graduated at the University ofFrankfurt (Dipl. Kaufmann) and holds an additional MBA.
Mr. Michael Kleinbub is Advisor for Development Cooperation, EZ Scout at theGerman Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH). He worked as a consultant for SME
promotion in the Ministry for Industry and Trade in Aden, Yemen during 2006-09. He
also spent as a project manager for human resource development programs inSouth-Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and Central Asia. His consulting expertise
include information and advice on the tools and offerings of German development
cooperation and exchange of cooperation opportunities in the chambers of skilled crafts
and trade associations of skilled crafts and its member companies, develop new
initiatives of the skilled crafts sector in developing and emerging countries, etc.
Mr. Hiroyuki Yoneda is Executive Director at the Japan-Thailand EconomicCooperation Society (JTECS), which supports the economic and technologicaldevelopment of Thailand and neighboring countries by implementing programs/projects
for technology transfer and industrial human resource development, and promotes
friendship between Japan and these countries. He previously worked at the Association
for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS: currently HIDA) as Head of Representative
Office in Manila, Director of Overseas Training Dept (HQ), General Manager in
Yokohama Training Center, as well as HIDA as Director of the Board.
Mr. Yoshinobu Ikura is Director General, Industrial Development and Public Policy
Department at JICA. He leads JICA operations in industrial development cooperationand public sector capacity development, such as private sector development, trade andinvestment promotion, SME promotion, energy and mining development, public financialmanagement, and legal system reform. Recently, he also supports the networking
between Japanese SMEs and local companies to contribute to “quality growth”, bymaking use of Japanese expertise. His previous positions include Deputy Resident
Representative of JICA Malaysia and Director General of Procurement Dept.
Mr. Yuji Shimo-Osawa is Director of the Board at the Overseas Human Resources andIndustry Development Association (HIDA), which supports industrial human resource
development in the private sector of developing countries by implementing technicalcooperation through training, experts dispatch and other programs. He has richexperiences in managing training programs and networking with HIDA/AOTS Alumni
Societies. He previously worked at AOTS, UNIDO as well as JTECS, and recentlyserved at HIDA as General Manager of General Affairs & Planning Dept. and Secretary
General of the HIDA Research Institute.
Izumi Ohno is Professor of GRIPS. She specializes in international development
strategies, economic development, and Japan’s development cooperation policy. Priorto joining GRIPS (in 2002), she worked at JICA, the World Bank, and JBIC. She has
been engaged in JICA-supported industrial policy dialogue with Ethiopia (since 2009)
and also conducts research on the internationalization of Japanese SMEs at an
Osaka-based Asia-Pacific Institute of Research (APIR). Currently, she chairs theAdvisory Committee for the Japan Inclusive Business Support Center (METI) andserved as a member of the Advisory Panel on the ODA Charter Review (MOFA) in 2014.