INTERNATIONAL: Executive Director Yuji Morimoto said East Japan Railway was seeking opportunities to engage with European suppliers in its search for ‘best-in-class products and technologies’ when he gave the closing speech at the Fifth EU-Japan Industrial Dialogue on Railways which was held in Brussels on May 31.
Morimoto said JR East would work directly with European businesses ‘to further shorten the distance between the EU and Japan.’
The EU-Japan Industrial Dialogue on Railways is intended to enhance mutual access to business opportunities in the two markets. Attendees included representatives from the Japanese government and the EU, as well as operators, manufacturers and industry associations, with workshops for operators and manufacturers being introduced for the first time at the fifth meeting.
In April JR East held its second European Suppliers Tour, holding meetings in Lille, Düsseldorf and Milano with 86 companies and organisations. A total of 48 bilateral meetings enabled European suppliers to present their products to JR East, and raise questions about its procurement procedures.
JR East said in light of the success of the tour it would continue to organise European Suppliers Tours, and ‘step up its efforts to enable a more practical dialogue with European suppliers to achieve concrete business results.’
