News
With the vision of "Promoting organizational transformation and creating sustainable businesses," the Strategic Development Division of LIVERNESS Corporation promotes the formulation and execution of two strategies: scientific and technological strategies and business strategies. We have recently systematized and programmed the initiatives we have been promoting, and launched the Global Bridge Program (GBP), which aims to create new businesses by connecting people and companies with science, technology, and knowledge with unsolved issues across countries.
Southeast Asia is the Key to Growth for Japanese Companies
This project focuses on the Southeast Asian region from both a historical and cultural perspective as well as a geographical one. In Japan, where economic stagnation and population decline continue unabated, projects that consider the country as a unit have no future but to shrink.
However, when Japan and Southeast Asia as a whole are considered in terms of the region, it becomes an area with diverse cultures, religions, and histories, including a market of about 10% of the world's population (about 800 million people) and an Islamic cultural sphere that is expected to see the largest population growth in the future. The area tends to be pro-Japan, with mutual discussion in preparation for the next 50 years, and is only a 4-8 hour flight away, with a time difference of less than 2 hours, which is also a major advantage.
The area is characterized by the imbalance in development between urban and rural areas and various social issues, including environmental problems, that have emerged due to social changes associated with rapid development, and many teams are pursuing projects and research to solve local social issues.
Creating new markets through problem solving
Southeast Asia is a region where, while the economy is growing rapidly, the market is not yet mature and, in some parts, even the social infrastructure is not yet in place. In developing business here, horizontal deployment of business models and sales strategies established in Japan based on research and marketing will not work. What we need to do is to "create new markets as a result of solving local issues. For this purpose, it is very important to have an attitude of going to the local market to get primary information and to find colleagues who understand and can implement the local laws and rules.
RIVANES has been working in six Southeast Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam) to develop the "RIVANESTECH PLANTER Southeast Asia" and has created an ecosystem of researchers and startups with a vision of solving community-based issues. As of the end of August 2024, when this project was launched, the number of entries totaled 1,631 teams.
In the process, we have also concluded partnership agreements with 37 government agencies, universities, and other organizations in various countries. With universities, we have developed joint programs on education, research, and business startups, and with government agencies, we have promoted projects for Japanese companies to enter the market and for local manufacturing and business creation. All of these are partners who can teach us about the challenges of creating businesses locally, and colleagues who can implement our projects.
Japanese companies' fundamental ability to solve local problems and create businesses
Major existing initiatives include the following
| Deep Tech Tour for Business (2017-) |
31 tours have been held in 8 countries, with 175 participants from 116 companies. |
| Business development for local medium and small businesses (from FY2013) |
An initiative for small and midsize companies in the region to consider collaborating with startups in Southeast Asia, thereby gaining an opportunity for local expansion. The project has proven to be a realization of a "new second start-up" overseas for regional medium-sized companies with excellent technologies and existing businesses. |
| Support business for startups entering Southeast Asia (from FY2013) |
With the support of various organizations with which RIVANES has concluded agreements, we have created demonstration programs with local partners, concluded MOUs and business alliances, etc., and created many examples of JV establishment and capital tie-ups. |
By analyzing and integrating these efforts, we have come up with the new "Global Bridge Program," and will hold an event in December 2024 to share specific examples and concepts.
Going forward, we will build on the knowledge platform that RIVERNESS has developed to provide support to both Japanese companies wishing to expand overseas (with a particular focus on Southeast Asia) and Southeast Asian companies seeking to enter the Japanese market.
What we promote is the creation of symbiotic businesses based on problem solving with local institutions.
Based on an article that appeared in the September 2024 issue of "Supporting Business Startups (Vol. 35, September 2024)".