We remove the big pains from doing business in Japan
- The headache of not meeting your targets
- Suffering from things lost in translation
- Struggling with strategies, expectations and timeframes
1. The headache of not meeting your targets.
- Understanding your market dynamics
- We put our feet on the ground for you
- Sales training
- Targeting
- Due Diligence
- Reinforcing your Japanese ecosystem
2. Suffering from things lost in translation.
- Navigating business in Japan can be quite a challenge!
- Japanese business culture is different on so many levels.
- Making sure your relationships, partnerships, branch office management teams etc in Japan grow stronger.
- Bridging the cultural gaps.
- Decoding what happened (and what didn’t happen) during key meetings.
- Reinforcing your collaboration.
3. Struggling with strategies, expectations and timeframes for the Japanese market.
- Mitigating the pitfalls.
- Optimizing your strategies for Japan.
- Recalibrating expectations.
- Japan’s business culture is far from self-explanatory.
- The timeframes of doing business in Japan are generally frustratingly long.
- Bridging change by accepting interim roles.
Japan as a market
Opportunities abound!
Opportunity or not?
Cons
Japan is often considered a difficult market to enter. The main barriers are often described as:
- language
- business culture
- timeframes
- protectionism
- long distance from Europe/USA
- uncomfortable time zones with almost no overlap
Mistakes can be avoided!
The most common and costly mistakes boil down to
- suboptimal strategies,
- misunderstanding culture
- not performing due diligence properly
We make sure your business can thrive in Japan.
We also offer to take an active part in making your success happen. For your entry. For when you need to reinvent your presence in Japan.
Make sure you avoid the most expensive pitfalls!
Opportunities in Bio
Biotech
Japan’s Government has identified Biotech as one of the focus areas for economic growth. By 2030 Japan is aiming to have become the World’s leading Bioeconomy. Meaning there are a number of incentives, VERY active clusters and a strong focus on driving ventures, investment, partnerships and internationalization.
Biomanufacturing
There are innumerable opportunities for companies in this area:
- Biopharma
- Raw Materials Suppliers
- CDMO’s
- CRO’s
- Combination Device
- Drug Discovery
Related areas
- Cancer therapeutics
- Ab and Biosimilars
- Diagnostics
- CGT
- Regenerative Medicine
Don’t forget!
Japanese Universities often provide a highly useful pathway to the market. The same holds for a strategic approach toward the relevant Industrial Organizations of your field.
Opportunities in MedTech
MedTech
Japan is an economic powerhouse, and its medical device market is one of the biggest in the world. The Japanese medical device industry is valued at over US$30 billion. With a domestic industry historically having a domestic focus, this is a very good time to find Japanese solid partners looking for internationalization. For Japanese companies to increase their domestic markets, they are constantly on the lookout for new products that have a market niche to fill.
Wearables and IoT
There are innumerable opportunities for companies in this area:
- Patient Monitoring
- Self-monitoring
- Athletics
- In-Hospital-Monitoring
- Rehabilitation
- Clinical Studies
- …and many more
AI and Robotics
- New Therapeutics
- New Diagnostics
- Elderly Care
- Support for Doctors and Nurses
- Improved Rehabilitation
- Etc
”Classic” MedTech and Software as MedTech
There is a wealth of opportunities also in these areas.
Opportunities in LifeScience
The Silver Economy is real
Demographic challenges = opportunities
Japan’s population is aging at a globally unprecedented rate. As of 2020, there are 36.17 million people aged 65 or more, accounting for 28.7% of the total population (the world’s highest proportion of the elderly), and is expected to reach 35.3% by 2040. Against the backdrop of this “super-aging society”, the public and private sectors are working together to establish a “society of health and longevity”, which means extending each individual’s healthy life expectancy.
On the other hand, national medical expenses have been increasing every year. In FY 2019-20, the estimated medical expenses reached a record high of 43.6 trillion JPY.
(From Jetro’s homepage, here)
Energy Sector Opportunities
The Energy Challenges
There are many players on the move
There are immense challenges that need to be addressed for Japan to reach their ambitious political goals: a fully decarbonized energy sector by 2050.
For instance, some are repurposing old infrastructure while others are improving, increasing efficiency in energy systems and working on other ways to reach the goals.
Base Power from Renewable Energy
In Japan, predictable base power is the focus. There are opportunities in Geothermal, Nuclear, Hydrogen, Ammonia, Carbon (Capture, Storage and Recycling) and other decarbonised solutions.
Energy Storage Solutions
Unpredictable energy sources have a need for Energy Storage Solutions if they are going to be able to contribute to a stong and stable distribution net.
Pro bono seminars for NPO’s
Free lectures!
We offer to freely share our deep knowledge of the Do’s and Dont’s of doing B2B business in Japan:
- Industrial Organizations
- Lifescience Clusters
- Governmental bodies
- Regional bodies
- …and other relevant NPOs that drive innovation, entrepreneurship and internationalization forward.
Warmly welcome to contact us for your organization’s free seminar on doing business in Japan! info@biosector.jp
Stefan Sandström, founder and CEO
Biosector Ltd.
The company was founded to assist non-Japanese companies facing challenges with their Japanese enterprises.
The vision is to strengthen all companies by letting them focus on their core business instead of navigating obstacles.
Why Japan?
In 2007, Stefan married a Japanese woman and moved to Tokyo. He practices martial arts and holds a black belt of the 6th level in kendo (samurai fencing).
In Japan, Stefan immediately saw the need to support non-Japanese companies and felt it was his calling.
Background
Stefan studied chemical engineering and medicine in the North of Sweden. Worked as CEO for several B2B companies in various industries. Took one of his startups to a public company.
Stefan has lifelong experience in achieving first sales in new markets, including international sales and cross-border business development.
Stefan outside the Imperial Palace in Central Tokyo
Partners
Yokohama Landmark Tower
As tenants in Yokohama Landmark Tower, we have access to an amazing ecosystem and platform for doing business in Japan.
RKW
We have accreditation as thoroughly vetted business consultants via the German organization RKW. Meaning that due diligence is thoroughly performed on us.
SPECTARIS
We are SPECTARIS’ business consultant partner in Japan thanks to our leading expertise in conducting good business within the Japanese Lifescience Industries.
OUR NETWORK IN JAPAN
We pride ourselves on establishing connections with trustworthy partners for all your business needs.
Our focus is always on pragmatism and getting the job done. That is reflected in our network.
Clients and partners say
Dan Spacie
CEO of BioPhorum
CEO of BioPhorum
www.biophorum.com
”I have worked with Stefan Sandström outside of Biosector for over a year and will continue to work with them in Biosector. This is an exceptionally highly skilled partner, walking the extra miles and having made all the difference for building our traction in Japan.”
Anne-Kathrin Schmalz
Senior Manager Foreign Trade and Export Promotion, German Industry Association for Optics, Photonics, Analytical and Medical Technologies eV.
SPECTARIS
www.spectaris.de/en/
”Mr Sandström delivered an amazing seminar for our members in Sep 2021. He combined extensive specialist knowledge of the Japanese bio- and laboratory market and how to bridge cultural differences. He also followed up with a most insightful Q&A session regarding doing business in Japan. We can warmly recommend this partner as a deeply insightful speaker and hope to work with Biosector on more projects in the near future. ”