As the Indo-Pacific region and Europe deepen their technological integration, fostering strategic cooperation through trusted digital platforms becomes increasingly vital. To support building a momentum, the EU-Japan Digital Week 2025, held from 31 March to 7 April in Tokyo, brought together key stakeholders from both regions to advance shared priorities in areas such as 6G, Data Spaces, Smart Connectivity, and Trustworthy AI, reinforcing a joint commitment to collaborative digital transformation.
A Milestone for EU-Indo-Pacific Digital Engagement
Launched under Horizon Europe, INPACE (Indo-Pacific-European Hub for Digital Partnerships) is a Coordination and Support Action designed to implement and advance the EU’s Digital Partnerships with key Indo-Pacific nations—Japan, Republic of Korea, and Singapore—and with India through the Trade and Technology Council (TTC). With a robust consortium of European and Asian stakeholders, INPACE aims to establish a sustainable, expert-driven hub that supports research, innovation, and policy collaboration in strategic technology domains.
The first INPACE International Symposium, held in Seoul, South Korea on 21–22 October 2024, set the tone for these ambitions. The event brought together policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to address key challenges and explore cooperation opportunities in transformative digital technologies.
Spotlight on EU-Japan Digital Week 2025
The next major milestone was the EU-Japan Digital Week, which took place from 31 March to 7 April 2025 in Tokyo. Organised in the frame of the EU-Japan Digital Partnership and under the auspices of the European Delegation to Japan and the guidance of Peter Fatelnig, Minister Counsellor for Digital Economy Policy at the Delegation of the EU to Japan.
This high-level gathering convened stakeholders from across Europe, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific, highlighting collaborative work in areas such as:
- 6G Development
- Smart Connectivity and Edge Computing
- Data Spaces and Trusted Data Exchange
- Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence
A key focus of the event was to align digital policy objectives, foster innovation ecosystems, and explore how disruptive trends like generative AI are reshaping strategic agendas.
Workshop Highlights
The event featured a series of deep-dive workshops designed to strengthen collaboration between the European Union and Japan in strategic digital areas.
Monday, 31 March – Smart Connectivity and Computing
Organised by Dr. Giacomo Inches (Martel Innovate, Switzerland, in collaboration with NexusForum.EU project) and supported by Prof. Kiyoshi Murata (Meiji University), this workshop bridged the gap between the EU and Japan in the fields of cloud-edge computing and smart connectivity. Industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers discussed collaboration opportunities in open-source technologies, industrial verticals, and cross-cutting digital innovation topics.
Tuesday, 1 April – 6G Horizons: Synergies for a Connected Future
Co-organised by Adam Kapovits (Eurescom) and Prof. Akihiro Nakao (ASPIRE, Japan), this full-day workshop at the University of Tokyo fostered collaboration and partnership between the EU, Japan, and other Indo-Pacific countries in the field of 6G development. The session explored whether current R&D directions aligned with societal and business needs, particularly in the context of rapidly evolving technologies like generative AI.
Wednesday, 2 April – Closed-Door Policy Workshop:
The EU–Japan Digital Partnership: Going Forward
Co-organised by Dr. Eva Pejsova (Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS)) and Dr. Kazuto Suzuki (Institute of Geoeconomics (IOG)), this exclusive session addressed high-level policy topics such as technological innovation, emerging technologies and security cooperation, domestic policy coordination, and approaches to global digital governance. Discussions aimed to align strategic objectives and identify opportunities for joint action considering critical digital connectivity infrastructures among others.
Adam Kapovits (Eurescom) presenting during the Closed-door
policy workshop: The EU-Japan Digital Partnership: Going Forward
Wednesday, 2 April – Trusted Data Exchanges in Cities:
From Standards to Pilots in a Changing World
Led by Dr. Franck Le Gall (EGM) in collaboration with Japanese and European experts, this workshop promoted the practical implementation of trusted data exchanges in urban environments. It focused on enabling technologies such as semantic interoperability, digital identities, and dataspaces to support smart, secure, and connected cities.
Thursday, 3 April & Friday, 4 April – Data Spaces:
How to Make Business from Data in a Legal Fashion
Organised by Dr. Antonis Ramfos (Athens Technology Center, Greece), this two-day workshop explored the role of data spaces in digital transformation. Topics included architectural models, legal frameworks, and interoperability challenges, along with presentations of successful business models and real-world case studies from both the EU and Japan.
Discussions ongoing during the interactive Data Spaces: How to Make Business from Data in a Legal Fashion
Monday, 7 April – Critical Applications of AI in Industry, Healthcare and Other Sectors
This workshop focused on the development of AI systems for critical applications where high reliability is essential. Organised by Prof. Sebastian Engell (TU Dortmund and ENRICH Global), with co-organisers Prof. Iiro Harjunkoski (Aalto University and Hitachi Energy Europe) and Nobuo Nukaga (Hitachi R&D, Japan), the event brought together experts to share good practices and tackle real-world challenges. Discussions centred on ensuring the robustness, safety, and trustworthiness of AI used in areas like healthcare, industrial automation, and transportation—where failure can have serious consequences. Japanese interpretation was not available.
Eurescom’s Role in the INPACE Project: Driving Strategy Collaboration to Strengthen EU-Japan Connections
Eurescom played an important role in the EU-Japan Digital Week 2025, underscoring its leadership within the INPACE project and its commitment to fostering cross-regional digital collaboration. Alessandro Bassi contributed to the “6G Horizons” workshop regarding the SNS JU SUSTAIN-6G , whilst Adam Kapovits co-organised the “6G Horizons” workshop and contributed to the closed-door policy discussion.
Eurescom brought its deep expertise in network and service innovation to the forefront of discussions on future digital infrastructures and trustworthy AI. As the lead of INPACE’s Cluster 5 on Digital Technologies – Future Networks, Eurescom has been instrumental in facilitating expert engagement between European and Japanese stakeholders.
With a strong legacy in collaborative R&D and prior engagement in initiatives such as the ESA-NICT partnership, Eurescom serves as a vital bridge for Japan-EU technological cooperation. Through INPACE, Eurescom contributes to shaping the strategic agenda on future connectivity, digital trust, and innovation ecosystems by coordinating expert dialogues, supporting policy alignment, and promoting practical pilot initiatives that accelerate the digital transformation across Europe and Asia.
Looking Forward
The outcomes of the EU-Japan Digital Week 2025 will feed into ongoing policy dialogues and future cooperation initiatives under the EU’s Digital Partnerships with Indo-Pacific countries. Building on this high-impact event, INPACE will continue to serve as a strategic enabler for advancing joint research, innovation, and policy action in trusted and transformative digital technologies.
Further information
- INPACE projec website: https://inpacehub.eu/eu-japan-digitalweek-2025/
