Uniting for the Future: Industry Harmony in Joint Endeavors
In Tokyo on October 5, the third meeting of Keidanren's Committee on Mobility took place, focusing on collaboration across different sectors to create the future of the mobility industry. The Committee, which extends beyond the automobiles sector to include logistics, power, and travel sectors, aims to strengthen Japan's competitiveness and foster public-private sector cooperation.
The discussions during the meeting centred around sharing challenges facing the industry, such as meeting carbon neutrality goals while maintaining industrial competitiveness, adapting production lines and business models to new technological demands, and ensuring cooperation between public policy and private sector expertise to navigate unprecedented shifts in mobility.
Key initiatives highlighted included collaborative efforts between companies and the government aiming at carbon neutral technologies, encouraging innovations that leverage genba (on-site) expertise, and strategic partnerships to align industrial policy with environmental goals and mobility sector transformation.
Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Keidanren's Committee on Mobility, responded to reporters after the meeting, stating that they need to transcend industry lines and create the future together. Masakazu Tokura, Keidanren Chairman and Sumitomo Chemical Chairman of the Board, also participated in the meeting and called for an all-industry effort led by the mobility sector, inviting support for this endeavour.
Chairman Tokura expressed gratitude to the committee members participating in and sponsoring the Japan Mobility Show, which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from October 28. He also anticipated the opportunity to show the world a future led by Japanese mobility.
The Committee on Mobility aims to stimulate growth throughout Japan's economy by strengthening the global competitiveness of its mobility industry. To achieve this, bold investments are needed in key areas like green and digital transformations. Maintaining and strengthening a free and open international economic order is also necessary for the mobility sector.
During the meeting, Hideaki Ibuki, Director-General of the Manufacturing Industries Bureau at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, gave a presentation on the domestic and international conditions affecting the automotive industry and the mobility industry's outlook. Dr. Gill Pratt, Toyota Chief Scientist and Executive Fellow, provided a deeper understanding of Japan's unique carbon neutrality pathway during the second meeting of the Committee on Mobility.
The Committee on Mobility first met in September 2022 and again in February this year. The Committee continues to play a central role in Keidanren's activities due to the potential and ripple effects the mobility industry holds. By working together, the Committee hopes to drive Japan’s mobility industry toward a sustainable, competitive future.
- The Committee on Mobility, recognizing the need for collaboration across industries, is advocating for strategic partnerships and shared initiatives in both private and public sectors, particularly focusing on finance, business, technology, and the mobility industry to align industrial policy with environmental goals and promote carbon neutral technologies.
- In order to stimulate growth and strengthen the global competitiveness of Japan's mobility industry, the Committee on Mobility is emphasizing the importance of bold investments in key areas such as green and digital transformations, ensuring a free and open international economic order that benefits the mobility sector, and fostering public-private sector cooperation, especially in the finance, technology, and business sectors.
