This publication specifically marks the new strategic focus of the Centre on SMEs for the coming years. The topic of SME internationalisation is approached from several angles and perspectives. The issue of trade and market access to Japan is extensively treated, including views from industrial sectors as diverse as aerospace and footwear, and the cross-cultural aspects are also tackled. The recent EU policy strategy is analysed and the publication is further enriched with the inclusion of two recent seminar reports on specific aspects of SME internationalisation.
The picture is further completed by the results of a survey on obstacles, opportunities and the needs of support conducted among a sample of European SMEs investing or wishing to expand in Japan, and by a number of testimonials from SMEs which benefited from the Centre's training programmes and subsequently made it "Big in Japan".
Since the publication is built upon opinions of authors with different professional backgrounds (policy makers, academics, business consultants) and levels of experience with Japan, the content might appear uneven at times but yet even more relevant for the diversity of views and issues that are part of the EU-Japan "mosaic".
