TIDZ PRESENTED INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE THAN 50 JAPANESE COMPANIES
More than 50 Japanese companies participated in a business webinar organized by TIDZ in cooperation with the Japan External Trade Organization, JETRO. The director of TIDZ, Jovan Despotovski, presented investment opportunities in North Macedonia, the investment climate, economic perspectives and opportunities available to Japanese companies. Success stories of the Taiwanese company Yageo, the largest greenfield investment in the country, as well as of a Japanese company operating in the Macedonian market were shared at the event, and the general director of JETRO in Vienna, Tatsuo Kamino, and the Japanese ambassador in the country, Otsuka Kazuya, had their address, as well as the State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Filip Tosevski.
“Macedonia has a key geographical position that opens access to Japanese companies that want to expand their presence on the European market. We offer flexibility, excellent infrastructure and a skilled workforce. We pay attention to wages, which, despite the fact that the number of employees in the Zones is growing, has increased by over 30% in the last three years alone. Macedonia has shown that it is a real business destination considering the fact that in the past three years we have reached contracts of 1 billion euros, which is the same as the investment volume for ten years. The cooperation between JETRO and TIDZ certainly opens up new opportunities for Japanese companies,” said Jovan Despotovski, director of TIDZ. And JETRO’s first person in Vienna, Tatsuo Kamino emphasized that this webinar is an example of JETRO’s commitment to fostering international cooperation. He also added that JETRO is here to support and guide Japanese companies in their venture on the Macedonian market, as well as that he believes in the potential of N. Macedonia as a strategic investment destination.
“Diplomatic ties between Japan and Macedonia have never been stronger. This webinar is a key moment for further strengthening the economic relations between our nations”, pointed out Otsuka Kazuya, the Japanese ambassador to Macedonia, who shared facts about the political situation in the country and the economic relations between the two countries, while the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tosevski gave the government’s perspective on cooperation, emphasizing the commitment to foster bilateral economic cooperation. “The government fully supports the initiatives that promote economic cooperation. Such events are a step forward in building lasting partnerships and common prosperity,” said Tosevski.
“The state is stable, offers excellent infrastructure and availability of qualified workforce. All this and membership in NATO were the key elements when we made the decision to invest in North Macedonia,” said Andreas Mayer, from the management of the Taiwanese company Jageo, who presented why Macedonia is a good place to invest. He especially emphasized the cooperation with TIDZ as a real partner in the implementation of the investment project. The head of the Japanese company Watanbe, which operates in Macedonia, also shared his experiences, further strengthening the country’s credibility as an investment destination.
Japanese companies were mostly interested in access to skilled labor, what are the challenges and essential elements that should be taken into account when entering North Macedonia, as well as whether Macedonian companies seek cooperation with Japanese companies.
This webinar is part of the activities that follow the recent visit of the director of TIDZ Despotovski to Japan. During the visit, Despotovski also held a meeting with the president of JETRO, Nobutani, at which several initiatives were agreed upon, including joint projects between companies from the two countries, especially in the IT sector, energy and construction in the part of the reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as direct support for Macedonian startups. The success of this webinar marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to promote economic cooperation between Japan and Macedonia.