The Forum reaffirmed that Łódź is a space where Polish and Japanese business meet and form long-term partnerships. The event was organised by Invest in Łódź (City of Łódź) in cooperation with F/K Legal, in a natural continuation of the very successful first edition from 2024.

The Łódź Region - a key center of Japanese capital in Poland

The Forum focused, among other things, on the presence of Japanese capital in Poland, especially in the Łódź region and on potential areas of cooperation between companies from both countries, as well as on building stable business and investment relations.

At Vienna House Andel’s Łódź, participants were welcomed by the Mayor of the City, Hanna Zdanowska, who emphasised the importance of cooperation with Japan:

In his opening remarks, the Counsellor of the Japanese Embassy in Poland, Akira Tajima, also pointed out further cooperation potential:

“I see many fields for collaboration between our countries, mainly in the energy, infrastructure and technology sectors.”
He added that in the near future Poland and Japan may jointly participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.

Then, the mayor of Osaka, Hideyuki Yokoyama via a special recording addressed to the Forum participants stressed the growing cooperation with Łódź and the significance of the 2025 Memorandum of Understanding signed between both cities. The agreement envisages, among other things, the development of cooperation in areas such as investment, innovation, startups and academic exchange.

A Rich programme and expert discussions

During the II Forum, four discussion panels were held, involving over 20 experts from Poland and Japan. The topics addressed included:

• infrastructure and logistics as engines of innovation,

• the role of global business services (GBS) centers in core business operations,

• the importance of the Łódź Special Economic Zone for Japanese investors,

• synergy of Polish-Japanese innovations and new areas of technological development.

The discussions included both the experiences of the largest Japanese investors present in Poland and institutional perspectives — e.g., from JETRO, the Lodz University of Technology, the PAIH, and regional authorities.

One of the most memorable moments of the Forum’s opening was the words of Mateusz Sipa, Director of Invest in Łódź:

This quote aptly summarised the city’s long-term strategy, which consistently works on attracting Japanese investments and strengthening relations with partners from the Land of the Rising Sun.

A special element of the event was a piano recital by Miho Kurihara an ambassador of Polish culture in Japan. She performed pieces by Frédéric Chopin and contemporary Japanese composer Naoko Zukeran emphasising that Polish-Japanese cooperation also embraces culture.

Łódź as a natural partner for Japanese investors

Łódź has long been one of the largest centers of Polish-Japanese economic cooperation. The region is home to more than 20 Japanese companies operating in sectors such as electronics, automotive, pharmaceuticals, logistics, or service centres. The city offers access to highly qualified specialists, one of the best logistical locations in Poland, and a business-friendly ecosystem.

During the Forum, it was repeatedly emphasised that Łódź has the human and infrastructural capital to be a natural partner for Japanese investments - both current and future ones.

Announcement of the Third Edition

Organisers confirmed that 3rd Polish-Japanese Economic Forum in Łódź will be held in 2026. The dynamic growth of cooperation and increasing interest from Japanese firms mean that the event is becoming a permanent fixture in the calendar of the region’s most important business meetings.

Details about the Forum will be available on the website: www.pjfg.pl