Free flows of data are part of broader initiative to boost innovation and technology ties
Data can now flow freely between organisations in the EU and Japan, under a deal that kicked in on 1 July.
According to the European Commission, the deal “will facilitate business on both sides, sending a strong signal against digital protectionism”.
It is expected to bring benefits to transnational sectors such as financial services, transport, machinery and e-commerce by removing administrative burdens tied to data storage and changing legal contexts.
The bilateral deal on data flows was agreed in October and is part of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.
The two parties have been fostering closer ties in recent years with agreements on academic exchanges and research and innovation on advanced materials, hydrogen technology, fusion energy and space instruments.
Technology ties
Last week, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology hosted an event in Tokyo to foster deeper technology ties between the EU and Japan.
Adi Barel, director of global outreach at the EIT, said that “with Japan and the EU facing global challenges, from climate change to harnessing frontier hardware technologies, connections in the field of innovation need to be deepened so we can both respond to these mounting pressures”.
Jean-Eric Paquet, EU ambassador to Japan and a former top Commission R&I official, said that he hoped partnerships would emerge from the event, which brought together policymakers, industry, academia and investors.