Team Finland visit to Japan

The Team Finland network is organising a business delegation visit to Tokyo, Japan on 26–28 October 2026, led by Mr. Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Defence.

26.–28.10.2026

Japan

Register by 18 September

Preliminary program

The security environment surrounding Japan is changing dramatically. Japan is pursuing a fundamental strengthening of its defence capabilities, accelerating the development of defence capabilities utilizing advanced technologies such as long-range missiles, unmanned systems, AI, space and cybersecurity solutions, sensors, and command and control/information networks.

At the same time, Japan positions its defence industry as "defence capability itself," promoting international joint research and development, joint production, supply chains and technology transfer. Defence industry cooperation between Japan and Europe has entered a new stage, with the Japan-UK-Italy GCAP project moving towards concrete industrialization with a target of practical application in 2035.

This change presents a significant opportunity for Finnish companies. Both Finland and Japan share common challenges in areas such as unmanned and automated systems, advanced sensors, communications, cybersecurity solutions, and space, all aimed at complementing limited human resources under a challenging security environment. By combining the technological and operational experience of both countries, five business opportunities can be expected: 1) entry into the Japanese market, 2) technological partnerships with Japanese companies, 3) joint research and development, 4) the establishment of mutually resilient supply chains, and 5) future expansion into the Indo-Pacific market starting from Japan.

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Finnish Defence and Aerospace Industries PIA and Business Finland’s Defence & Digital Resilience program will organise a tailored delegation programme led by Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, with the aim of maximising commercial and strategic value for participating companies.

Meetings and business programme

The delegation programme will include following content:

• Joint meetings with selected major defence companies
• Joint meetings with selected major defence trading companies
• Finland-Japan Defence Equipment Seminar

Why participate

• Gain detailed market information and insights for your market strategy
• Specify concrete opportunities in the Japanese defence market
• Strengthen your business network in Japan
• Explore opportunities to participate in future defence supply chains

Who should attend?

Finnish defence companies possessing cutting-edge technologies in unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned and autonomous systems, satellites and space utilization, electronic warfare, C5ISR, tactical communications, secure communication and cybersecurity, advanced sensing, AI and data analysis, equipment maintenance and repair.

The business delegation program is meant for companies that already have understanding of the Japanese defence market and can articulate their competitive advantage to Japanese defence stakeholders. 

This visit will deepen our understanding of Japan's security environment and defence equipment policy and explore concrete opportunities for collaboration that could lead to technological partnerships, joint research and development, product deployment, and supply chain development with Japanese companies.

Practicalities  

To cover the costs of arranging the visit to Japan, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will charge a participation fee of 2250 EUR per person + a 20 EUR management fee. Participation is limited to max 20 companies  with a maximum of 2 representatives per company, according to suitability for the delegation theme. Each representative from the same company must complete and submit an individual registration form to participate in the visit.

The participation fee will be invoiced after the visit based on the actual costs. The invoiced fee will not exceed the amount mentioned above. Kindly note that the participation fee does not include flights or accommodation of the participant nor meals outside the business delegation program. 

Note on dual-use items: Companies that export dual-use items must be familiar with the export control legislation and adhere to it. Participation in a business delegation does not affect the outcome of a potential export authorization application. All export control authorizations are assessed independently in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. For more information about exports of dual-use items, visit the website of the Export Control Unit of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.