UNIDO ITPO Tokyo, the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Japan and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) will organize the “Jordan Investment and Business Seminar (Online)” on 13 October 2020.
The Webinar will highlight developments in Jordan’s economy especially with focus on the overall investment and business climate, as well as digital economy and entrepreneurship opportunities in the country, such as start-ups and business incubators. In addition, Jordan’s efforts to cope with economic and social issues under the COVID-19 situation will also be reported.
H.E. Mr. Mothanna Gharaibeh, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE) will provide a Keynote speech, and will be joined by H.E. Dr. Khalid W. Wazani, Chairman of the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) and also H.E. Ms. Lina Annab, Ambassador of Jordan in Japan. Speakers from Japan will include Mr. Ichiro Sone, Executive Vice President of JETRO, Mr. Yuko Yasunaga, Head of UNIDO ITPO Tokyo, and Mr. Shu Watanabe, Executive Advisor at GRA, Inc., a Japanese company operating in the agri-food sector in Jordan, as well as Mr. Akihiro Shirane, Deputy General Manager of Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Outline
Date/Time: 13 October 2020 (Tue)/15:00-16:45 (JST)
Format: Online seminar (Live stream on Zoom Webinar Platform)
Organizers: UNIDO ITPO Tokyo, Embassy of Jordan, JETRO
Language: English
Capacity: 500 (Application will be closed once the registration number reaches the limit)
※ To join the seminar, register from here
Programme (tentative)
(MC: Mr. Ferda Gelegen, Deputy Head, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo)
15:00 Opening remarks by Mr. Yuko Yasunaga, Head of UNIDO ITPO Tokyo
15:05 Welcome remarks by H.E. Ms. Lina Annab, Ambassador of Jordan
15:10 Keynote presentation by H.E. Mr. Mothanna Gharaibeh,
Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan
15:35 Presentation by H.E. Dr. Khalid W. Wazani, Chairman of Jordan Investment Commission (JIC)
15:55 Presentation by Mr. Ichiro Sone, Executive Vice-President of JETRO
16:05 Presentation by Mr. Shu Watanabe, Executive Advisor, GRA Inc. (Agri-food sector in Jordan)
16:20 Presentation by Mr. Akihiro Shirane, Deputy General Manager, Infrastructure Projects Business Unit, Division II
(Middle East, Africa, Russia＆CIS, India), Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
16:35 Q/A & Discussion
16:45 End
Dr. Yuko Yasunaga
Dr. Yuko Yasunaga is Head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Tokyo, a position he has held since 2017. Before joining UNIDO, Dr. Yasunaga has had an extensive career with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), with expertise in natural resources and industrial science/technology development, including serving as Vice-President of Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).
H.E. Ms. Lina Annab
H.E. Ms. Lina Annab is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Jordan to Japan since 2019. From 2016-2018, she served as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Prior to this, Ms. Annab served as the General Manager of Zara Investment Company (Holding), one of the leading hotel-owning and real estate companies in Jordan. Over the past 25 years, Ms. Annab held various positions at Citibank, Johnson & Johnson, and the International Monetary Fund.
H.E. Mr. Mothanna Gharaibeh
H.E. Mr. Mothanna Gharaibeh is the Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan, a post he has held since 2018. Prior to joining the Government, Mr. Gharaibeh has held various positions in the private sector where he used to lead Ericsson, the Swedish Telecom and Technology leader business in Jordan. He has an extensive technical and business experience around the Middle East where he worked with Ericsson in Oman, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries in different roles and functions.
Dr. Khalid Al Wazani
Dr. Khalid Al Wazani is the Chairman of the Jordan Investment Commission (JIC), since 2019. Before joining JIC, Dr. Wazani served as the Strategy & Knowledge Advisor for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) in Dubai, and previously as Chief Economist & Founding Partner of Issnaad Consulting. Earlier in his career he served in leadership roles in the private sector, and also served as Associate Professor of Economics and Deputy Dean of Economics at the Hashemeyeh University.
Mr. Ichiro Sone
Mr. Ichiro Soné is the Executive Vice President of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Since 2019. Previously, Mr. Soné served as Director-General of JETRO Osaka, overseeing the Kansai and Hokuriku regions. Earlier, he served as Chief Executive Director of JETRO Chicago, where he oversaw the office’s activities covering 12 Midwestern states. Mr. Soné has a deep knowledge in international business through trade and investment work experience at JETRO HQ in Tokyo, and the North America Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Shu Watanabe
Mr. Shu Watanabe is Executive Advisor at GRA Inc., in charge of production expansion, new farmer support business, and the launch of overseas business since 2012. He has been involved in strawberry production in India, Malaysia and Jordan. Mr. Watanabe joined Canon Inc. in 2002 and was in charge of optical design of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and overseas technical sales, and from 2011, joined NEC and involved in manufacturing industry reform projects. In his private capacity, he has been investing in and supporting agricultural companies.
Mr. Akihiro Shirane
Mr. Akihiro Shirane is Deputy General Manager at Division II (Middle East, Africa and Russia), Infrastructure Projects Business Unit, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Over his 25 years career at Mitsui, he was mainly in charge of power and water sectors, including thermal power projects in the Middle East. Mr. Shirane led asset management of two thermal power projects and development & construction of a Solar power project in Jordan. As new energy business in Jordan, his team invested in Yellow Door Energy in 2019, to provide cost-efficient, environmentally friendly solar energy to commercial & industrial customers.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Gelegen / Ms. Horiguchi, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo
E-mail: itpo.tokyo@unido.org