ROBOTIC JAPAN 2023
The largest Slovenian study and business delegation to visit Japan in 2023.
From 2 to 20 September 2023, a delegation of twenty-three people, including representatives of several Slovenian companies, students and a professor from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana, visited Japan. The visit was organised by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in cooperation with the Slovenian-Japanese Business Council with the support of sponsors. In almost three weeks, we visited key Japanese robot manufacturers and a number of universities and institutes involved in robotics development. The list of visits is really long: Yaskawa Corporation, Fanuc Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, Omron Corporation, Suzuki Motor, Daihen Corporation; and further universities: Waseda (Tokyo), Yamanashi (Kofu), Meiyo (Nagoya), Fukui (Fukui) University Osaka (Osaka), Kyutech (Kitakyushu); Robotics institutes: ATR, NAIST (Kyoto, Nara),FAIS (Kitakyushu). An interesting visit was to the municipality/prefecture of Fukui, where we met not only the management of Fukui University but also the mayor of the city, who is working to increase cooperation with Slovenia.
At the number of meetings we presented Slovenia and its efforts to become a hub for Japanese robotics in Europe. At the end of the visit, we met also the Slovenian Ambassador in Tokyo, Mr.Jure Rifelj.
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Slovenian-Japanese Business Council organised a similar visit for the first time in 2018 (Robotic Japan 2018). Robotic Japan 2023 was also a great success thanks to the experience gained in 2018. It showed that we are well on our way to becoming a important robot manufacturer in Europe in cooperation with Japan. Robotic Japan 2023 was an important contribution to achieving this goal.
Miran Skender
For photos of the visit, see: https://photos.app.goo.gl/arv4vVEnHkN92o6g9 (photos signed by authors)
The delegation was welcomed at the Fukui Mayor’s Office The Fukui Shinbun newspaper published an article about the visit