The British Embassy in Tokyo writes:
Over the coming months, 20 of the most innovative and dynamic Japanese companies are flying to the UK to help re-energise post-earthquake UK-Japan trade and investment links.
The 20 companies (out of 120 who applied) who received the awards are just a small sample of the demand for UK products that exists in Japan. The UK sells £8 billion of goods and services to Japan each year.
The companies are visiting courtesy of the joint UK Trade & Investment and British Airways ‘Reassure and Rebuild’ campaign, which is supported by Hilton Hotels and the Nissan Group.
The aim is to get the message across to British firms that Japanese business is not only fully functioning following the terrible disaster of 11 March, but keen to buy from and invest in Britain.
The winning companies include a social networking services provider, the first company in Japan to offer media streaming services, and an importer of baby wear and goods brands, based in Sendai, the city most seriously affected by the earthquake. Others ranged across the life sciences, food and drink, electronic components, fashion and motorsports sectors.
The ‘Reassure and Rebuild’ campaign aims to reassure business in the UK that Japan is safe and open for business following the recent crisis in the Tohoku region, to help reinvigorate the economy by encouraging trade, investment and R&D collaboration, and to encourage face-to-face communication to boost trade and investment links between Japan and the UK.
