Dear EIJS friends,

We would like to invite you to the EIJS Academy seminar to be held on Tuesday, April 24th.
It is our great pleaure to invite Professor Stefan Lippert as guest speaker who will give a talk on the topic "World Class beyond Toyota - Japanese "Hidden Champions"

Please find as below details of the seminar. Please sign up at eijsjap@gmail.com for the attention of Miki Futagawa (Ms.) We look forward to receiving your registration.

Sincerely yours,
Miki Futagawa
EIJS Tokyo Office

P.S. EIJS March seminar "Outlook for China's economy"
with Mr. Long Ke, Fujitsu Research Institute was posponed due to speaker's schedule. The seminar will be rescheduled later during the seminar series.
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* * * * * * * * Invitation to EIJS Academy Seminars
2011-2012 The 6th Seminar on Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

Topic: “World Class beyond Toyota - Japanese "Hidden Champions"

Speaker: Professor Stefan Lippert
Professor of International Business
Temple University Japan Campus

"Hidden Champions" are little known world market leaders. Their concealment is in stark contrast to the positions and the dominance they enjoy in their markets. Many of them have global market shares of over 50 percent; some hold as much as 70 or 90 percent.

Recent research has identified about 200 Hidden Champions in Japan.
Regarding strategy, organization, and operations, they resemble their Western peers. However, there are also some striking differences.
Western Hidden Champions can be found in almost all industries, whereas 95% of their Japanese peers are manufacturers. Furthermore, the Japanese Hidden Champions are on average approximately twice as large as their Western peers. They seem to need a higher “critical mass” to conquer global markets.

The seminar will examine the success strategies of the Japanese Hidden Champions. How do they compare with their Western peers?
How do they cope with the “Kaisha Dilemma” – maintaining “Japaneseness” while at the same time becoming a globally integrated firm? What are the lessons for small and midsize companies, for large corporations, for investors, and for politics, regions, and the country?

Date: Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
Time: 6.30 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Drink & Snack (served before lecture)
7.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Lecture and Discussion
Place: Alfred Nobel Auditorium, Embassy of Sweden
10-3-400 Roppongi 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Five-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Nanboku Line Roppongi
1-chome Station
Five-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Kamiya-cho Station
Fee: JPY3,000 per person, payable at the door
Free for those who are from sponsoring companies
(*)
Free for students, please bring your student ID
Language: English

(*) EIJS Academy 2011-2012 Sponsoring companies Gadelius Holding Ltd., Ericsson Japan K.K., Nihon Tetra Pak K.K., Sandvik K.K., Höganäs Japan K.K. and in cooperation with the Embassy of Sweden

Please sign up by April 19th (Thur.) via e-mail to eijsjap[at]gmail.com or fax to
(03-5562-9090) for the attention of Ms. Futagawa (EIJS Tokyo Office).

--
Miki Futagawa
European Institute of Japanese Studies
Tokyo Office
c/o Embassy of Sweden
1-10-3-400, Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel: +81(0)3 5562 5032
Fax: +81(0)3 5562 9090
Email: eijsjap[at]gmail.com