Invest KOREA

KOTRA held '14th Kansai Korea-Japan Economic Forum' in Osaka on Nov.1
Themed with bilateral collaboration in the field of future mobility......Over 100 entrepreneurs participated

KOTRA (President Yu Jeong-Yeol) and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Osaka (Consul General Kim Hyung-Jun) held the '14th Kansai Korea-Japan Economic Forum on Nov. 1. Under the theme of the Korea-Japan cooperation in an era of future mobility transition, the event was joined by over one hundred of local business officials.

The Japanese government proclaimed that 100% of all new cars would be electric by 2035, with an aim to realize a zero-carbon society. Accordingly, Toyota and other major companies in the industry have laid out plans for R&D and facility investment, zeroing in on future cars. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) says last year's EV sales in Japan were low at 0.5%, however the country is accelerating the shift to future mobility on the backs of the country's solid domestic market and parts and materials, which are its strengths. 

Against this backdrop, Hyundai Motors re-entered the Japanese market in 13 years with eco-friendly cars such as EVs and HVs as the main force. Given that the boundary of the automotive industry is expanding indefinitely in tandem with the transition, the company noticed Japan would serve as a strategic base of new future mobility through bilateral collaboration going forward.

Starting off with a lecture on 'Korea-Japan response to future mobility and a possibility of bilateral cooperation' by Kyoto Sankyo University, the event involved KOTRA's presentation of 'Korea's investment climate and policy on future mobility,' Gyeongsangnam-do's introduction to 'Gyeongnam's future mobility industry and investment environment, followed by Hyundai Mobility Japan's speech on 'Hyundai's strategy for the Japanese market and the trend.'

Moreover, Japanese speakers from the Osaka Smart City Strategy division and Japan International Exhibition Association briefed about the cases of utilizing future mobility. In particular, the 'Air Taxi' mentioned by the association made headlines for its debut at the 2025 Osaka Expo.

In addition, Busan-si also set up a promotion booth in the venue and carried out local promotions for the 2030 World Expo bid.

Sohn Ho-Gil, head of KOTRA Osaka Trade Office, said, "Future cars bear significant forward and backward linkage effects in electronics and chemicals, and the (future mobility) market continues to grow exponentially amid carbon-neutral global trend," adding, "besides the investment promotion, we will also support and find real partnership demands between Korean and Japanese enterprises ."



Source : Invest KOREA (Nov. 2, 2022)