Minerva Policy Reports

The EU-Japan Centre releases yearly Minerva reports on policy intelligence issues aimed at helping EU industry and authorities understand recent trends and developments in Japan in different market segments.

Please note that reports published before 2025 are available for direct download on this page.
For reports released from 2025 onwards, access is available to EU entities* only through our EU Business in Japan (EUBIJ) content.

The EUBIJ pages provide practical information for European Union businesses and organisations in need of clear guidelines to trade with or invest in Japan or cooperate with Japanese partners.Over 500 reports and webinars are already available.

*Enquirer must work for an entity (private company, public organization, university, not for profit...) that is a juridical person based and headquartered in the European Union. If the applicant entity is part of a group, the group must have its headquarters in the EU.

 

A video camera icon denotes when a webinar/recorded presentation is available in addition to the main report. Click on the camera icon to access the recording: . A PDF icon denotes that a set of slides or a document on a related topic is available in plus of the report. Click on the PDF icon to access them: .

Industrial Sectors

Artificial Intelligence

• Japan’s (Advanced) Artificial Intelligence Systems Policies, Support, and Collaboration Opportunities with the EU (2025)

Aerospace

• Opportunities in Industrial and R&D cooperation potential for European SMEs in Japan in NewSpace (2018)
• Space Industry business opportunities in Japan: Analysis on the market potential for EU SMEs involved in the earth observation products and services (2016)
• Business partnership opportunities and technology transfer in the Space sector between EU and Japan (2014)

Agroindustry

• The dairy sector in Japan: Market access and business opportunities for European companies (2018)
• Market opportunities for EU agribusinesses in the context of the EU-Japan EPA (2017)  

Automotive

• The automotive industry in the face of environmental, social and economic challenges (2024)

Ceramics

• Ceramic Products Market in Japan - challenges and opportunities for European SMEs (2015)

Cosmetics

• Japanese Cosmetics Market - obstacles and opportunities for European SMEs (2014)

Dual-use

• SWOT Analysis of Japan - Mapping Japan’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for Dual-use research, trade and industrial cooperation between the EU and Japan (2025)

Life sciences

• Opportunities for Cooperation between EU and Japan on Biotechnology in Healthcare: Japan Bioventures Landscape (2017)
• Human Assistant Robotics in Japan - challenges and opportunities for European companies (2015)

Nanotechnology

• Japanese Nanotech Cluster and Industry Landscape (2014)

 

Photonics

• Photonics for life science and industrial manufacturing, business and cooperation opportunities in Japan (2017)

Security & defence

Reports from this category are internal reports available only on demand, please contact us here.

• EU-Japan Cooperation in the Defence Industry and Technology - Transformation of Japan's Defence Policy (2022)
• Space safety, security and defence in Japan (2020)
• The Japanese Ministry of Defense's equipment acquisition processes and policies - Is it becoming more accessible to European suppliers? (2015)
• Defence and Security - Industry & Market In Japan - Opportunities for European companies in five dual-use areas: Maritime security equipment, Unmanned vehicles, Aeronautic platform integration, Sensors and Avionics  (2015)
• EU-Japan Industrial Cooperation and Business Potential in the Defense Sector - Opportunities for European SMEs (2015)

Textiles

• Circularizing the Japanese Fashion & Textile economy; current situation, future prospects and opportunities for business cooperation for European companies and SMEs in Japan - Japanese circular fashion with potential in local economy (2022)

 

Digital Economy and Smart Cities

• IT Services in Japan’s Public Sector-Pathways for European Engagement (2025)
• Digital Transformation in Japan - assessing opportunities for EU SMEs (2022)
• Analysis of opportunities for EU SMEs in Japan‘s Data Economy and Artificial Intelligence in connection with Robotics (2019)
• Artificial intelligence in Japan and Opportunities for European Companies (2019)
• Blockchain in Japan (2018)
• Opportunities for venture firms, universities, and research institutes in the EU to conduct knowledge transfer with Japanese counterparts in nine digital technology areas (2017)
• Tokyo Smart City Development in Perspective of 2020 Olympics - opportunities for EU-Japan cooperation and business development (2014)
• Digital Economy in Japan and the EU - an assessment of the common challenges and the collaboration potential (2014)

 

Energy

Clean energy

• Potential of EU-Japan Cooperation in the Area of Green Steel, Including a mapping of EU and Japan’s respective strengths and major players along the Green Steel value-chain (2026)
• Local Decarbonization in Japan - municipalities, regions and clusters on the road to carbon neutrality (2021)
• The microalgae/biomass industry in Japan - an assessment of cooperation and business potential with European companies (2016)
• Clean Energy Sector in Japan - an analysis on investment and industrial cooperation opportunities for EU SMEs (2013)

Hydrogen economy and hydrogen fuel cells

• Mapping of EU and Japan’s respective strengths in the hydrogen value chain: Identification of major players along the value chain and the potential for EU-Japan cooperation (2026)

• Supply Chain Resilience in a Hydrogen Economy (2022)

• Hydrogen and fuel cells in Japan (2019)

Hydropower

• Hydro, tidal and wave energy in Japan - business, research and technological cooperation opportunities for European companies (2016)

Nuclear power

• Demand analysis on Japan's market in the decommissioning of the nuclear plant (2015)

Photovoltaics

• EU-Japan Solar Supply Chains - Shared Vulnerabilities and Cooperation Opportunities (2026)
• Solar energy, energy storage and virtual power plants in Japan (2018)
• Solar PV Market and Industry in Japan - opportunities for European SMEs (2014)

Wind energy

• Wind energy in Japan - technological cooperation and business potential for European companies (2016)

 

Industrial Revitalisation and Circularity

• Post-Pandemic Industries - opportunities for EU and Japanese businesses in adapting together, to a post Covid-19 world (2021)
• Japan's Circularity (2020)
• Recycling and waste management industry and market in Japan - opportunities for European companies (SME focus) (2015)

 

Internationalisation and EU-Japan Business Cooperation in Third Markets

• Startup Ecosystem in Japan: Analysis of Japan’s startup policies, funding, government and private support sector, its connection with the U.S., as well as its areas of cooperation and complementarity with the EU (2026)
• EU-Japan Business Cooperation in third markets - Focus on the Digital Economy (2020)
• Analysis of EU-Japan Business Cooperation in Third Countries (2019)
• Research and list-up Access to funding and financing Support for EU SME’s Internationalization to Japan (2019)
• EU-Japan Cluster & Region Cooperation (2019)

 

EU-Japan EPA, Trade and the Strategic Partnership Agreement

• Creation and update of a guide on importers, buyers and wholesale distributors in Japan for the promotion of EU-Japan SME partnerships (2015)
• Prospects for the EU-Japan Strategic Partnership – a global multi-level and SWOT analysis (2014)

 

Public Procurement and Technology Transfer

• Government Procurement in Japan - obstacles and opportunities for European SMEs (2013)
• Technology Transfer System in Japan - challenges and opportunities for European SMEs (2014)

 

Other

• The Country-of-Origin Effect in Japan (2018)