A call that came from inside Europe, not from outside it On July 31, Benjamin Hein — who became CEO of Merck KGaA's Electronics business on May 1, 2026 — used an interview at the company's Darmstadt headquarters to make an unusually direct statement: Germany and Europe's specialised technology quietly underpins roughly 80% of global semiconductor manufacturing concentrated in Asia, and Merck wants to deepen research and development ties with Japan specifically as Tokyo pushes

A small announcement worth noticing On September 4, Nishikawa Rubber — a Hiroshima-based, $810 million revenue manufacturer of automotive sealing components, and a roughly 90-year-old supplier to the auto industry — announced it will open a new branch in Munich this November. The stated purpose is direct: expand sales of rubber and resin sealing components to European automakers, as part of a ¥130 billion ($813 million) revenue target under its 2030 medium-to-long-term plan.

The number buried in a routine survey JETRO released its 2025 survey of Japanese-affiliated companies operating in Europe — 778 companies across 14 Western and 11 Central and Eastern European countries, surveyed these past months. Most of the headline numbers are unremarkable: overall profitability across Europe dipped slightly, down 0.7 points to 65.5%, consistent with a year most European executives would describe as difficult. One number isn't unremarkable at all. Among Ja

A boom at home, a shrinking seat at the table Japan's manufacturers are having a good month. The Reuters Tankan sentiment index hit +18 in August — its strongest reading since March — with chemicals and precision machinery leading the charge, both riding a wave of semiconductor-related demand. Here's the number that doesn't make the headlines: Japan's share of the global semiconductor market has slipped to just 8.2%, according to the SIA Factbook 2025. Domestic order books ar

The number that moved Japan's Reuters Tankan index for manufacturers climbed to +18 in August 2026, up from +13 in July — its highest reading since March. The improvement wasn't broad and diffuse; it was concentrated. The chemicals sub-index jumped to +33 from +23, and metals and machinery strengthened to +25 from +12, both driven overwhelmingly by one thing: robust semiconductor-related demand. This tracks with what the S&P Global Japan Manufacturing PMI has shown for months

The demand side of the story hasn't been told yet Most coverage of Japan's July physical AI push — the government-backed FRONTia foundation model project, the Fujitsu-Fanuc-Yaskawa-Kawasaki collaboration — has focused on supply: Japan building the technology. The more consequential number, for European industrial and automation companies, is on the demand side: Japan's stated target of deploying 10 million AI robots across 18 sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, const

A coalition, not a single company, just moved In mid-July, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spent three days in Tokyo — his first visit in nine months, and one that followed pointed speculation about a "Japan passing" after he had toured Taiwan and South Korea without stopping in Japan. What emerged from those three days was not a single product announcement, but the formation of an industrial coalition: Fanuc, Yaskawa, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Toyota, Kioxia, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Sony

The funding is finally there. The clock is now the constraint. After two consecutive years of contraction in 2024 and 2025, Germany has moved decisively to correct course: the Deutschland-Fonds is mobilising public and private capital, an industrial electricity price is being phased in through 2026–2028, and the ECB's rate cuts are easing the cost of capital. The macro conditions for a turnaround are, for the first time in years, actually in place. But capital availability is

Two economies, the same headwinds German corporate insolvencies hit roughly 23,000–24,000 cases in 2025 — a nine-to-ten-year high, up over 24% year-on-year. Skilled labour shortages, high energy costs, decarbonisation compliance burdens, and slow digital adoption are cited again and again as contributing factors, particularly in manufacturing and construction. Six thousand kilometres away, Japan is facing a strikingly similar story from the opposite direction. Labour-shortage

The global industrial landscape is shifting beneath our feet. "Made in Germany," long synonymous with engineering excellence, precision, and unyielding quality, is navigating a fundamental paradox: these traditional strengths, while still essential, are no longer sufficient to guarantee long-term competitive advantage. A recent study by Strategy& (PwC) surveying 200 senior executives in the German machinery and equipment industry reveals a sobering reality: 54% of companies r

There is a number that should be on every board agenda, but rarely is. A DHR Global study of 1,500 white-collar executives across Europe, North America, and Asia found that 82% report experiencing burnout to some degree. And in the first five months of 2025 alone, 1,028 CEOs stepped down worldwide — a 19% increase year-on-year, the highest number ever recorded. Yet the board sees a confident leader. Investors see someone steering through uncertainty. The team sees the person

In the European business landscape—especially in structured environments like Germany—we rightly emphasize direct communication, individual accountability, and clear, data-driven outcomes. We ask: “What was the challenge, what did you do, and what was the measurable result?” However, when European executives collaborate with Japanese corporations or lead cross-cultural teams, they often overlook a profound, cultural paradox that directly impacts project ROI. Many highly skill

"We know we need to change." Most business leaders recognize this reality. Yet despite understanding the necessity of transformation, many organizations struggle to move forward at the pace that today's environment demands. Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries at a speed unlike any technological revolution before it. Business models are evolving, competitive advantages are being redefined, and practices that were effective yesterday may already be becoming obsolete

As AI continues to reshape the business landscape at remarkable speed, we hear the same questions from executives and managers across industries. "Does AI fundamentally change the role of a leader?" "Is there still something that only humans can do?" Before answering, I'd like to establish one foundational premise. AI can process decisions — but it cannot give them meaning. AI already surpasses human capacity in the speed of decision-making and the precision of information p

Executives operating in today’s global business environment are surrounded by sophisticated strategies, advanced technologies, and highly refined management systems. Yet despite having the “right” solutions, many organisations still encounter a frustrating reality: international partnerships stall transformation initiatives lose momentum local teams resist implementation and expected results fail to materialise Why does this happen? A surprisingly powerful perspective comes f

Across Europe, executives are facing a growing contradiction. Companies are investing heavily in recruitment, employer branding, compensation packages, and workplace flexibility—yet many still struggle to attract and retain exceptional talent. Particularly in highly skilled and specialist roles, the issue is no longer temporary. It is structural. At the same time, some organisations continue to attract highly capable people almost naturally. Their employees stay longer, engag

Introduction Across Europe, manufacturing leaders are facing a familiar but intensifying challenge: Labour is no longer a scalable resource. Demographic shifts, skills shortages, and increasing operational complexity are placing structural pressure on production systems. While automation has long been part of the solution, the underlying assumption has remained largely unchanged: Production systems are still designed around human labour. That assumption is now beginning to br

Introduction For today’s executives, the most critical constraints are no longer capital or talent. They are time and cognitive capacity. Leaders are expected to process increasing volumes of information, navigate complex decisions, and act with speed—often simultaneously. Under these conditions, relying solely on internal memory and ad hoc thinking is no longer sustainable. This is where the concept of a “Second Brain” becomes strategically relevant. From Information Overloa

Most companies do not fail because of a lack of strategy. In fact, many strategies are well-designed: supported by solid market analysis backed by financial models aligned with industry trends And yet, despite all this preparation, strategies often lose clarity—or even collapse—during internal discussions. For many executives, this is a familiar experience. The question is: Why does this happen, even in well-managed organisations? The Problem Is Not the Strategy When a strate

On April 9, ina Consulting & Coaching , in collaboration with our partner Technology Office , will be delivering a joint presentation for the DJW (Japanese-German Business Association) Intercultural Management Group. The session is titled: “Bridging the Gap – How Cultural Understanding and Technological Insight Accelerate JP–EU Innovation Projects.” In Japanese-German (and broader JP-EU) collaborations, technical hurdles and cultural nuances are often deeply intertwined. Chal