On February 13, 2025, a symposium commemorating the opening of the Kyushu Branch of the Taiwan Japan Research Institute was held to great success in Taipei, Taiwan.

The symposium brought together family business owners and leaders from industry and education in both Japan and Taiwan for lively dialogue and exchange of views on shared challenges: business succession, DX (digital transformation), preserving and renewing culture, and developing the next generation of talent.

Event overview
Theme: "Opening the Future of Japan–Taiwan Collaboration: Tradition and Innovation, a Journey of Sustainable Talent Development"
Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025
　　　13:00–13:30　Registration
　　　13:30–18:30　Sessions
　　　19:00–21:00　Networking reception
Venue: GIS NTU Convention Center (Taipei)
Participants: About 40 family business owners and successors from Japan and Taiwan, and people from business, education, and the media

How can "tradition" and "innovation," two elements that seem to be at opposite ends, be brought into harmony and carried into the future? This is a theme shared by family businesses in both Japan and Taiwan.

Engaging with the cultural backgrounds and management philosophies each country has cultivated, and hearing the real words and experiences of practitioners, participants developed deep empathy and new relationships of trust.
These encounters became the first step toward building an organic network that goes beyond simple information exchange.

The significance of the symposium was highly regarded, and it was featured in several media outlets, including the Taiwanese business magazine Wealth Management (財訊).
The potential for practical collaboration between Japan and Taiwan, and growing expectations for relationships of "learning together and growing together" that transcend culture and values, have drawn a strong response.

What this memorable occasion revealed is the presence of "companions" who build the future together across borders and generations.
The Kyushu Branch of the Taiwan Japan Research Institute, together with the newly launched Kyushu-Taiwan Future Institute, will continue to serve as a bridge between Japan and Taiwan, creating opportunities for exchange and talent development centered on learning and co-creation.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the experts who spoke at the symposium and to the business owners and others who traveled from afar to attend.

We look forward to your continued understanding and support for the activities of the Kyushu-Taiwan Future Institute.