Issue 3 Geneva Newsletter June 2009 Japan’s current economic situation Positive signs are noticed Japan's Consumer confidence crease. This is further- in Japan’s economy for index (April 2008 - April 2009) more the second time run- Special points of interest: Source: Japan’s Cabinet Office the first time since the be- % ning that Japan’s total ex- · Japan’s consumer confidence ginning of the world eco- ports increased. Total ex- 35.0 index rose 3.5 points in April nomic crisis. ports raised 1.9% in April Japan’s governments and 33.0 2009 from March to April, · The Insight: the successful Bank of Japan (BoJ) both whereas it fell 39.1% in a Honda’s hybrid car 31.0 raised their overall assess- year. · JETRO Geneva helped Snow- ments. On May 25th, BoJ 29.0 According to the monthly flake Co. Ltd., a Switzerland monthly report stated that consumer confidence sur- based company, to open a the “pace of deterioration 27.0 vey (excluding one-person new office located in Chiba, in Japan’s economics con- households), which is 25.0 Japan. ditions is likely to moder- based on overall liveli- Apr Jun Oct Apr ate gradually, leading to a Aug Dec Feb hood, income growth, em- · Interview. Dr. Hannes Bleuler, leveling out of the econ- difficult situation, the ployment and willingness EPFL full Professor omy”. Mr. Masaaki Shira- tempo of worsening has to buy durable goods, Ja- kawa, BoJ Governor, ex- become moderate”: ex- pan’s consumer senti- pects “the GDP figures in ports and industrial pro- ment rose 3.5 points from the April-June quarter to duction “are nearing the 28.9% in March to 32.4%. improve sharply from the bottom”. The stimulus plans January-March period". Industrial production rose launched by Prime Minis- BoJ experts estimated 5.2 % in April from the pre- ter Taro Aso in April ($154 that “exports and produc- vious month showing the billion fiscal stimulus) and tion are expected to level sharpest pace in over half rising stocks likely have an Inside this issue: out and start recovering, a century. Electronic parts impact on consumers’ per- mainly due to progress in and devices, such as sili- ception. As a conse- inventory adjustments con wafers and mobile- quence, sales of flat-panel Japan’s current economic 1 both at home and phone memory, as well as television sets jumped situation abroad”. Cabinet office chemicals and transporta- 60% and those of large also considered that tions equipment mainly refrigerators soared 120% Mr. Taguchi presents Honda’s 1-2 contributed to the in- green values “while the economy is in a in May. A Swiss IT company expands 2 in Japan Mr. Taguchi presents Honda’s green values A successful business semi- 3 H ONDA AUTOMOBILES acceded to the Throne”, he also made his European nar in Solothurn (SUISSE) S.A. is located in said. debut at EBACE the Satigny industrial area Based on his personal ex- (European Business Avia- Interview. Dr. Hannes Bleuler 3 (Geneva canton). Ap- perience, he presents tion Convention and Exhi- pointed President of this Honda’s values and the bition) in Geneva last Honda’s Swiss subsidiary most successful car, the year. Japan invents the future of 4 in April 2008, Mr. Taguchi Insight. Honda is divided in three television started to work for Honda Founded in September functions: Sales, Engi- 21 years ago, the same 1948, Honda notably sells neering (Factory and Lo- year as “His Imperial Maj- cars, motorcycles and gistics) and R&D. esty the Emperor Akihito power products. Honda Jet Continued on page 2 Page 2 JETRO Geneva Newsletter Mr. Taguchi presents Honda’s green values Continued from page 1 chance to succeed. Even “Insight”: the success of the highest market share- Honda’s hybrid car Mr. Taguchi explains that holder has only around there are always internal 10%. Around 3,000 hybrid cars tensions among those First main reason is the are annually sold in Swit- functions, because of their absence of a national zerland. Insight is selling different viewpoints and automobile manufacturer. well in Switzerland: more Mr. Taguchi and the Honda responsibilities. However, But there is another rea- than 600 units are already Insight they never stop discussing son. According to Mr. Ta- sold in two months. In- until they reach a consen- guchi, the Swiss market is sight is sold from CHF sus to create something. like a small Europe, as 28,900, an affordable One success out of 100 “only one Swiss person price for a hybrid car. It failures is wonderful. This can speak many European consumes 4.4L / 100 km is Honda way. languages and represents and emits 101 CO2 g/km. by himself Europe”. In Insight is designed rather Honda’s values Switzerland there are dif- for a “green” way of driv- ferent languages, geogra- ing. If you push the “E- Honda’s philosophy is to phies and cultures. People con” button, the car will remain in close touch with live together in respecting automatically reduce the the consumer. It wishes to others. This background energy consumption of create the joy of buying or makes Swiss market very various functions, espe- using the car. Honda also “fair”. cially heating and cooling. wants to be a leading Mr. Taguchi would like to Moreover, the Insight’s company in protecting promote smart choice in speed meter light on futur- earth environment. car buying. He believes istic dashboard changes Honda’s market share is that purchasing should be from green, when your 3.6% as of May 2009 in based on an economical- driving maximizes fuel the Switzerland. In fact, ecological way of life. economy, to blue when it Switzerland is a small but “Swiss people can like it, is wasteful. In the Insight, an attractive market. Eve- because they are fair- ecology and economy go ryone can have a big minded”, he explains. with pleasure. A Swiss IT company expands in Japan Sowflake Co. Ltd. supports JETRO Geneva to have By the end of April he business companies and support in exploring Ja- opened the office in Ja- organizations in assess- pan’s market. He took part pan, located in Chiba City ment, design, development in October 2006, 2007 (Chiba Pref.), Japan. and implementation of and also 2008 Makuhari “JETRO Tokyo, JETRO Websites using an open- (Chiba Pref.) JETRO’s Chiba and Chiba Prefec- source Web-browser called CEATEC stand (Combined ture supported us for for- View of Makuhari Messe (Chiba “Typo3”, well-known to de- Exhibition of Advanced malities during the start- Pref., close to Tokyo) from Snow- flake office sign dynamic WebPages. Technologies). He also ob- up phase”, says Mr. Created in 1999, Snow- tained complementary Schläpfer. The company flake now includes 35 staff support from the OSEC has been registered with a members in Bern’s and in (Swiss Office for Trade Ex- ¥10 Mio. initial capital. Zurich’s offices. pansion). Three staff members now He traveled in Japan early work in Japan and they JETRO experts supported 2009. He was allowed to would like to hire a prod- efforts to explore Japan stay for free at the JETRO uct specialist. Office cost market Business Support Center, also is lower in Chiba than located in Akasaka (Tokyo in Tokyo and it only takes In 2006, Thomas city center) for about three 30 minutes to travel from Schläpfer, CEO, contacted months. Chiba to Tokyo by train. Issue 3 Page 3 A successful business seminar in Solothurn JETRO Geneva organized dependent liaison engi- tacts. Tight relationships a business seminar, held neer, also explained from were developed between in Solothurn on 12th May his personal experience the two regions that 2009, in cooperation with how to build up a confi- share common features. the Solothurn Economic dent relationship between The Suwa region, known development agency. The Japanese and Swiss com- as "The Oriental Switzer- seminar was attended by panies. In addition, land" in Japan, includes companies from the Solo- Suwa’s delegation pro- manufacturing and re- Seminar in Solothurn thurn Canton and from the moted the Desk Top Fac- search enterprises spe- Japanese Suwa region tory (DTF) concept, which cialized in ultra precision, (located in Nagano Pref.). is based on the future- optics, and micro tech- Five Japanese companies oriented idea that small nologies. The Solothurn and three Swiss compa- products, such as elec- Canton has a strong tradi- nies presented high tech- tronic chips, can be made tion in precision engineer- nological products, such in small facilities. Thanks ing, machinery and manu- as nano-imprinting tech- to the DTF concept, com- facturing. nology, injection molding panies would not only For further information, machine, high precision save space, but money please contact Mr. Imai: positioning systems, pe- too. [email protected] ripherals for automation During the seminar, par- industry… Mr. Siedler, in- ticipants also made con- Interview. Dr. Hannes Bleuler “Students and researchers benefit from respective cultural differences” Dr. Hannes Bleuler is a full close touch with the DTF trical engineering, but also Professor at EPFL (Swiss consortium. The Desk Top information systems, ma- Federal Institute of Tech- Factory is a subject close terial sciences, basic sci- nology, Lausanne) on mi- to our heart. The first ences etc. They learn in cro-robotics & biomedical workshop on this topic both countries specific robotics. He also is in was held in 1998 in Ja- know-how and cultural as- charge of Japan–EPFL re- pan, the second one in pects. In Switzerland, they lations. 2000 in Switzerland. We study e.g. micro- During a visit of an indus- then organized every two technology and precision trial delegation from Ja- years international semi- engineering culture; in Ja- pan to the microtechnol- nars on this topic.