New German-Japanese Business Network Set up in Hamburg

The recently-established "Japamburg" business network aims to boost German-Japanese ties and bilateral relations. Links between Hamburg and Japan date back years and are marked by the annual Cherry Blossom Festival and fireworks on the Outer Alster Lake. Economic links to key Japanese metropolitan areas have long since been forged through Hamburg's town twinning with Osaka and a port partnership with Yokohama.

Japamburg targeting founders

The founders have termed the network a "bilateral community platform" and are now targeting start-ups with an interest in the Japanese market or who generate some of their income from German-Japanese business. Japamburg also addresses Japanese nationals, who are interested in doing business in Hamburg and in other parts of Germany. The initiators, Mariko Schmitz and Johannes Budkiewitz, now hope to bring these groups  together. Schmitz presenty organises workshops on Japanese art and cuisine while Budkiewitz runs a consultancy focusing on Hamburg-based companies relations with Japan.  

Next meeting in March 

Schmitz and Budkiewitz area are planning open network meetings as part of Japamburg and are preparing useful content for members of the virtual network group. The next event will be held online on Thursday, March 4, 2021 for which registrations are presently being accepted. In the long term, Japamburg aims to enhance the start-up and entrepreneurial landscape as well as German-Japanese business relations. The founders also plan to set up more  networking formats in future and to hold regular meetings featuring presentations by international speakers, moderated networking and discussion rounds. The network co-operates with the DJW (Japanese-German Business Association), JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), Hamburg Invest and influencers from the start-up scenes in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Osaka and Tokyo.

For more information: japamburg.com