New Business Ties Created During JETRO Mission to Japan | Print |

July 2005 -- This past May JETRO opened its network in Japan to over 30 U.S. firms, setting up business meetings with more than 160 potential Japanese partners and clients, including Toyota Motor Corp, Fujitsu Ltd., Brother Industries Ltd., and Kirin Beverage Corp. Government representatives from Nagoya and Chiba were on hand to show their support and provide advice to the U.S. participants as they expanded their Japan network.

MISSION OVERVIEW
According to mission participants, the highlight of the program was pre-arranged business meetings with Japanese companies. In addition to company introductions, JETRO provided added-value by matching mission participants with Japanese firms that had compatible and complementary goals. As a result, a total of 226 quality business meetings were arranged before participants ever set foot in Japan. As one mission participant noted, “The ability of JETRO to qualify, screen, and set up meetings was outstanding,”

Other participant comments:

  • “It would be impossible for my company to arrange the meetings without JETRO’s organization and support.”
  • “My company and products were introduced to many people [with whom] we have strong potential to have future business relationships.”
  • “Three customers and two partners should result.”
  • “The mission was a very efficient vehicle for me to meet many companies at one time who have been screened to be potential good business partners.”
  • “I met people I would not have otherwise met.”
  • “I got much better results than I could have accomplished on my own.”
  • “I was able to see companies/organizations which would not be available for our individual requests.”

Mission participants also delivered formal presentations detailing their company’s products and services, resulting in additional meetings with Japanese attendees.

SMARTSOFTKEY: A CASE STUDY IN SUCCESS
The program was particularly fruitful for SmartSoftKey Inc., a Wisconsin-based encryption software provider. Dr. Prashanth Darba, SmartSoftKey’s president and CEO, had always considered the Japanese market a key component for the company’s future growth but had yet to enter it. Citing Japan’s dynamic IT sector and its security- conscious population, Darba decided to take advantage of JETRO’s network in Japan to jumpstart the company’s business.




During the program Darba met with representatives from companies such as Intel Japan, Fujitsu, and System Advance (a Japanese biometrics hardware firm). As a result of these meetings, SmartSoftKey reached a verbal agreement with System Advance, and Darba is planning on returning to Japan to further strengthen the relationships with the Japanese firms with whom he met. “Japan is a huge market for us and we are pleased with the response we have received so far,” said Darba. “With JETRO supplying logistical help and their knowledge of the Japanese business scene, we are very optimistic and excited by the possibilities that lie ahead.”

If you would like to be notified of upcoming business partnering programs in Japan or the U.S., please sign up for the JETRO USA newsletter.

Were you a GNI mission participant and want to share your own success story? Email us at info@jetro.org.