************************************************************************* Issue 20 [February 2008] OCCI e-Magazine http://www.osaka.cci.or.jp/e/index.html ************************************************************************* [CONTENTS, February 2008] 1. Re. OCCI's "Plan to Create Liveliness in Osaka, Action Plan II" 2. OCCI International Exchange Events ---OCCI executives exchanging views with Osaka-based Consuls-General and foreign business representatives 3. "Kansai Bio Promotion Council" forms a Cooperation Agreement in a memorandum with "Lifescience Corridor France" ---as the mutually first agreement with an overseas bio-cluster for both sides 4. OCCI International Division report on VIP visitors ========================================================================= 1. Re. OCCI's "Plan to Create Liveliness in Osaka, Action Plan II" For further development of the region, the whole OCCI is ready to launch into the new 3-year-activities from fiscal 2008 (April 2008- March 2010) under "Action Plan II". With the last 3 years as the working period for Action Plan I, we took appropriate actions aiming for expanded scale of regional economy for all concerned to take part in. With the 3 pillar industries of "New Products-making", "Tourism" and "Life Science" as the engine industries with far-reaching effects onto other businesses, all on the strength of Osaka's great potentials, for the key themes for revitalization, our efforts proved effective in some ways. To accelerate these activities with consideration of the results and tasks from Action Plan I, as well as for the change in economic environment, Action Plan II has been worked out anew for implementation during FY 2008- 2010. Firmly based on the 3 Engine Industries and 7 Key Themes, Action Plan II emphasizes promotion of 'environment-friendly products-making industries', 'promotion of urban-style tourism', 'further innovation in service industries for efficiency' and also more business exchanges with markets of emerging economies, to respond to environmental change and tasks to be taken up. Action Plan II will be incorporated in OCCI's main activities for FY 2008 where this plan is set to start, in cooperation with Osaka-based Consulates General/ trade offices and foreign economic organizations, as well as with our central and regional governments, to enhance project effectiveness. For details, please access http://www.osaka.cci.or.jp/e/vision/economy.html ======================================================================== 2. OCCI International Exchange Events ---OCCI executives exchanging views with Osaka-based representatives of foreign organizations The OCCI Reception held on February 5 served the purpose well in having promoted networking and exchange of information between Osaka-based foreign representatives and OCCI executives, concerning the actions for the Action Plan II of the Plan to Create Liveliness in Osaka, etc. In his address (for a toast) at the start, OCCI Chairman A. Nomura commented on the need to enhance the presence or recognition of Osaka for further exchange activities, through more active dissemination of information both overseas and domestically, particularly on main events to be held in Osaka this year such as the "2008 G8 Finance Ministers Meeting" and the "Japan-China-Korea Industrial Fair", and he took the opportunity to seek the support and cooperation of such foreign representatives. Among about 100 guests, Consuls-General of the US, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Thailand and Vietnam attened the reception where Chairman A.Nomura, Vice Chairman M.Kato, International Business Committee Chair S.Adachi and other OCCI representatives welcomed all the participants. Before the reception, the Seminar on the 2008 Japan/ Osaka economy was conducted by the Osaka Business and Investment Center where Mr. K.Matsuda (Deputy General Manager, Bank of Japan, Osaka Branch) spoke on Japan's monetary policy and outlook for the economy of Japan/ Osaka, and Mr. Clas-Goran Bystedt (Executive Director, Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Japan) presented the findings from the results of business confidence survey conducted last October targeting foreign companies operating in Japan. Participants greatly appreciated the useful information gained from these presentations. ======================================================================== 3. "Kansai Bio Promotion Council" forms a Cooperation Agreement in a memorandum with "Lifescience Corridor France" ---as the mutually first agreement with an overseas bio-cluster for both sides Between 'Kansai Bio Promotion Council' (Secretariat based in OCCI) and 'Lifescience Corridor France' (composed of bioclusters of 3 regions of Toulouse, Strasburg and Lyon), an agreement in a memorandum was concluded on February 4, 2008 for research, business and other various cooperation in the field of lifescience. For both of Kansai Bio Promotion Council and Lifescience Corridor France, this is the first time, as a wide-area cluster, to form a memorandum for agreement with an overseas biocluster. Together with Mr. Luc Rousseau (General Director, General Directorate for Enterprise, Ministere de L'Economie Des Finances et de L'Emploi), representatives of the 3 regions came to Japan visiting Osaka and Kobe for the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding as well as for an exchange of information. Each of the 3 regions of France has its own specialized fields; -Toulouse: Specialized for the fields of cancers -Strasbourg: Concentrated on development of medicines/ pharmaceuticals, and also excels in researches on robotics for treatments and operations -Lyon: With strong point in the researches on infectious diseases of humans and animals In autumn this year, a biomedical delegation from France is planned to be sent to Kansai. ======================================================================== 4. OCCI International Division report on VIP visitors * November 27 (Tue) Mr. Nissim BEN-SHETRIT, Ambassador Embassy of Israel in Japan * November 29 (Thu) Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet, President Socialist Republic of Vietnam * December 11 (Tue) Mr. Rentsendoogiin JIGJID, Ambassador Embassy of Mongolia in Japan * December 14 (Fri) Mr. Hoang Van Phong, Minister of Science and Technology Socialist Republic of Vietnam * December 19 (Wed) Mr. Akylbek Absatuly Kamaldinov, Ambassador Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Japan * January 10 (Thu) Mr. CUI Tiankai, Ambassador Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Japan ========================================================================