Japan External Trade Organization to Host Event on February 10 with Keynote by CEO of PARC, a Xerox Company, and Encourages Local Companies To Get Involved

SAN FRANCISCO – January 27, 2014 – Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) today announced the Japan-U.S. Business and Technology Symposium 2014, a free event to explore the economic opportunities driven by technology and enhanced relations between Japan and the United States. The half-day symposium will feature a series of breakout sessions focusing on the impact of technology on high-growth industries including Information Technology, Energy & Environment, and Healthcare & Medical Devices. Additionally, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan will provide an overview of “Abenomics” and government incentives for global companies. The event will take place at the San Francisco Marriott, located near Union Square in San Francisco at 480 Sutter Street on Monday, February 10, from 1:30 pm to 7:00 pm.

Stephen P. Hoover, Ph.D., CEO of PARC, a Xerox company, will headline the event with a keynote presentation titled “Embedding Innovation into Your Business”. Additional panel sessions will gather speakers from various industries to discuss the economic advantages and opportunities created from collaboration between U.S. and Japanese businesses. These speakers represent successful organizations who have experience in Japanese-U.S. business relations and can share perspectives on the economic opportunities, all of which are listed in the panel sessions summary below and on the event page. Event space is limited to 200 attendees, and is tailored to business executives, government officials, entrepreneurs, academics, and press representing both countries.

Panel sessions include:

• Breakout 1: Information Technology – How Technology will Re-define the U.S./Japan Economic Relationship – moderated by the president & CEO of Kauffman Fellows Program / Sozo Ventures, with speakers from Mitsubishi Estate, Opower, Practice Fusion, and Square K.K., with Sozo Ventures as a coordinator.
• Breakout 2: Energy & Environment – The Distributed Energy Economy: Made in Japan and California – coordinated by AGRION with speakers from Bloom Energy, Innovation Core SEI, and more to be announced, with moderation by the managing director of Smart Grid Library.
• Breakout 3: Healthcare & Medical Devices – How We Can Maximize Opportunities in Japan and with Japanese Counterparts – moderation by the chairman and CEO of Mercator MedSystems, with panel participation from Spiracur, Stanford University, Synergy Ventures / Synergy Partners International, and Terumo Medical Corporation.
• Roundtable on Demystifying Japan – a discussion by executives from High Street Partners, Japan Intercultural Consulting, Pacific Reach Advisors, and TransLink Capital, with moderation by the managing director of AZCA.

In addition, all attendees will be treated to a cocktail reception immediately following the symposium, complete with free sake tasting and opportunities to mingle with speakers and attendees.

Members of the press interested in attending and obtaining a press pass should contact: jetro@triplepointpr.com.

For general event information and registration, please visit the Eventbrite page at: http://jetrosymposium2014.eventbrite.com.

About JETRO                                                

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. Originally established in 1958 to promote Japanese exports abroad, JETRO’s core focus in the 21st century has shifted toward promoting foreign direct investment into Japan and helping small to medium size Japanese firms maximize their global export potential. Their six U.S. offices are located in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. Find more information at www.jetro.org.

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