Government and ministries strongly guide Japan’s science sector. So let us look into the new Fifth Science and Technology Basic Plan that came into force this April, which should lead the path for the country’s Science and Technology (S&T) for the next five years. It places a strong emphasis on internationalization. The aim is to make Japan the “most innovation-friendly […]
When candidates tell you that they do not want to work overtime, or do not intend to commute to the working place for more than 40 minutes on one way, then one shall assume that the “work-life balance discussion” has also reached Japan. The general understanding is that the term means to find a suitable balance between a person’s professional […]
Critics disagree if the Japanese government’s Abenomics initiative has been successful so far, or will be in the future. Yet the number of bankruptcy cases filed with court has decreased steadily since 2010, showing a remarkable decline since the initiative’s launch three years ago. In fact, the number of cases filed in May this year was the lowest figure since […]
By Frank Piller, General Manager Products at TÜV Rheinland Japan Demand response and virtual power plants (VPP) are expected to play a crucial role in the future, as outlined in METI’s latest Innovative Energy Strategy whitepaper. This article continues our discussion started here. Communication Standards for Demand Response In May 2013, a METI-sponsored workshop established the “Demand Response Interface […]
By Frank Piller, General Manager Products at TÜV Rheinland Japan In recent years, the Japanese government has vigorously promoted energy conservation through various actions, including installing the feed-in tariff system for renewable energy, deregulating electricity and promoting the Smart House concept. For its part, in 2015 the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has formulated its Long-term Energy […]
Technology transfer from science to industry has not been particularly well developed in Japan traditionally. Yet the country’s level of science is excellent and offers a good source for industry and even foreign companies. Before turning to the latest developments in the Japanese Science and Technology system in my next article, let me today make a detour to the situation […]
If your products are not selling as planned, do you ask longstanding suppliers to accept returns? Or, if you are offering discounts, do you have them bear some portion? These are just two examples of considerations you may have if your bargaining position against your suppliers is very strong. And you wouldn’t be alone. In fact, not a few companies […]
By Frank Piller, General Manager Products at TÜV Rheinland Japan Protecting the environment, conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions are global challenges. In Japan too, various sectors, including the government, are aggressively addressing these difficult issues. The Japanese government has recently introduced a variety of measures to reduce energy consumption at home, in order to promote energy conservation by […]
“We have difficulties in finding the right people,” or “there are not enough suitable candidates available in Japan” are only two sentences I am hearing too often. Domestic hiring is without a doubt a question of supply and demand, and method. But there are other factors, too. Before tackling the topic, let me throw in some general information and statistics. […]
Germany’s famed Plattform Industrie 4.0 initiative has become nothing less than a mainstay at seminars focusing on the future of manufacturing. The U.S. based Industrial Internet Consortium has been gathering momentum, too. Even China has prominently launched its Made in China 2025 initiative. Yet one of the world’s most important industrial powerhouses is apparently not much being talked about. One […]
Many small and mid-sized subsidiaries of foreign B2B companies in Japan don’t have large budgets for communication activities. Although there is a trend toward recognizing communications as a strategic function here, too, more often than not, this awareness is still lacking. It’s not uncommon for sales people to think that communications equals advertising, which in turn equals a waste of […]
By Frank Piller, General Manager Products at TÜV Rheinland Japan Renewable energy. Energy efficiency. Energy conservation. Energy storage. Hotly discussed topics all of them – indicating that energy has become one of the most important issues of our time. The Paris Agreement at COP21 and the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference last November are evidence of global momentum. […]
Many foreign companies don’t properly understand how hard it actually is to unilaterally terminate employment in Japan. In fact, they often try to dismiss employees based on norms of their home countries and without careful consideration of the local situation. As introduced in a previous article, dismissals in Japan are strictly regulated under the Labour Contract Act. Employers have to […]
Remarkably, in 1986 the mounting U.S. trade deficit in semiconductors with Japan even led to a trade agreement easing the situation. The Japanese semiconductor industry was expanding rapidly. Technologically, this was the outcome of the most successful of the so-called Big Projects I described in a previous article: The research association for the very-large-scale integrated circuit VLSI (1976-1980) helped push […]
Several of my friends and clients are directors or managers of indirect sourcing divisions at foreign capitalized firms in Japan. They are part of a clear trend among these companies to establish such divisions and assign high profile managers with consulting background or business school education. Shortly after taking over, they’re all motivated and proud of their significant cost reduction […]
