In alignment with the EU-Japan digital partnership, the network aspires to strengthen the strategic partnership between the European Union and Japan by:

• Fostering cooperation among academia, industry, and government stakeholders,
• Boosting competitiveness, economic security, and driving innovation in digital foundation technologies.

Institutional Support

This symposium was backed by:

• Delegation of the European Union to Japan
• Embassy of France to Japan
• Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan
• Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)

Opening and Keynote Speakers

The symposium was opened with visionary remarks by:

• Kyosuke Nagata, President, University of Tsukuba
• Yassine Lakhnech, President, Université Grenoble Alpes

Followed by inspiring keynote speeches from:

• H.E. Jean-Eric Paquet, Ambassador of the EU to Japan
• H.E. Philippe Setton, Ambassador of France to Japan
• Kuniaki Sato, Counselor for International Affairs, MEXT
• Atsushi Arakawa, Director, Office of ASPIRE, Department of International Affairs, JST

Strategic Outcomes

The symposium featured expert panels and strategic dialogues, laying the groundwork for long-term collaboration. As a major outcome, three task forces were launched to develop white papers and identify opportunities for joint R&D and talent development initiatives in:

• Computation (Microelectronics, Quantum, spintronics)
• AI and Applications
• Sustainable and Green Digital Technologies

Looking Ahead

The next symposium will be hosted in Brussels, Europe, in 2026, where the network will present its first concrete achievements, and propose topics for its collaborative projects.

H.E. Philippe Setton, Ambassador of France to Japan declared “The quality of the presentations and the richness of the debates I observed during the Kickoff Symposium for this EU-Japan Digital Foundations Network bear witness to the relevance and innovative nature of this network, which is fully embedded in the spirit of the EU-Japan Digital Partnership. It will serve as the crucible for joint, excellence-driven training and research projects and reinforce our resilience in the face of future digital challenges.”

President Nagata of Tsukuba University said “Thanks to the active engagement of the approximately seventy participants, the symposium was a great success. It helped deepen mutual trust among universities, research institutions, funding agencies and government agencies in Europe and Japan, and has created a robust foundation for a future collaboration designed to navigate together unpredictable times.”

President Lakhnech of Université Grenoble Alpes said “Fostering collaboration in digital foundations between the major actors of both Europe and Japan is critical for our technological and economic sovereignty. This successful symposium, held with the support of European and Japanese institutional bodies, produced concrete outcomes to be pursued by the leading organizations brought together at this event.”