The EHESS(Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales)・GRIPS joint symposium was held at GRIPS on April 9 on the topic “Which future for manufacutring industries in Japan, Korea, Germany and France?”. The EHESS is a French institutions for higher education in social sciences.

Please click here for details of the program.

Associate Prof. Sébastien Lechevalier (President of Foundation France Japon de I’ EHESS) and Professor Jun Suzuki (GRIPS) gave the opening address.

The keynote speech, delivered by Mr. Atsutoshi Nishida (Chairman of the Board of Toshiba), was titled “How is innovation reshaping industrial structure in the leading countries?”

After the keynote speeches, Roundtables 1, 2 and 3 were delivered by their respective moderator and panelists. 

The moderators, panelists and title of each round table are as follows.

Roundtable No.1
“Innovation and the future of industries”
Moderator: Jun Suzuki
Panelists:
Nobuyuki Idei (Founder and CEO, Quantum Leaps Corporation)
Jean-Marc de Royere (Senior Vice President, Air Liquide)
Michael Thomas (Senior Executive Operating Officer, Siemens)
Kazuyuki Motohashi (Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo)

Roundtable No.2
“Globalization and the future of industries”
Moderator: Sébastien Lechevalier
Panelists:
Martin Tonko (Partner, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants)
Igor Czerny (Senior Vice Presidents, EDF European Affairs)
Bernard Delmas (President & CEO, Nihon Michelin Tire Co., Ltd)
Albert Kirchmann (President and Chief Executive Officer, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation)
Ryuji Saito (Representative Director and President, Valeo Japan Co., Ltd)
Harry Moon (Vice Chairman, Dongwoo Finechem)

Roundtable No.3
“Is there a future for industrial policies?”
Moderator: Hiroko Ota (Professor, GRIPS)
Panelists:
Luc Rousseau (Vice President of the High Council for Economy, Industry, Energy and Technology, French Ministry of Industry)
Hideichi Okada (Senior Advisor of NTT Data Institute of Management and Consulting)
Kyu Yearn Hwang (Director General of Global Industrial Cooperation, Ministry of Knowledge Economy)
Albrecht Rothacher (Minister-Counsellor of EU delegation in Tokyo)

Lastly, Ambassador Christian Masset (Embassy of France in Japan) gave a closing address.

Around 300 people attended from beginning to end, even though the symposium was over five hours long. It was a very interesting and meaningful symposium for the many people who participated.