After two successful rounds of the Entrepreneurship Development Training Programme for Ukrainian Women and Youth in Japan in June and September 2024, funded by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and as an overall effort of UNIDO ITPO Tokyo in collaboration with UNIDO ITPO Bahrain to strengthen the capacities of women and youth from Ukraine in Japan by providing entrepreneurial skills and the know-how for creating new business.  

This time, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo has partnered with Japanese companies with the aim of providing UNIDO trainees with an opportunity to put the newly acquired entrepreneurial skills to practice. 

About the Training Programme: 

Spanning three weeks (5 – 22 November 2024), the traineeship programme offered comprehensive training and assistance of Japanese companies through guidance and support, as well as hands-on experience in drafting and presenting a viable business plan.  

The traineeship involved five companies and seven Ukrainian trainees, resulting in seven innovative business plans.  

The first round of the traineeship concluded with the submission of a finalised business plan to UNIDO ITPO Tokyo, followed by an online reporting session with UNIDO ITPO Tokyo staff, the trainees and their supervisors where the developed business plans were presented. 

Training programmes in brief 

ANKH Systems: 

ANKH Systems is a UI/UX design and software developer. Located in both Osaka and Tokyo.  

During this training, UNIDO trainees Ms. K. K. and Ms. T.H. worked on a business plan for ANKH System’s Callrobo project – a robot-based receptionist for clinics.  

“Working on the project, I saw firsthand the challenges and opportunities involved in developing technology that meets real-world needs.”
– K.K. 

“Through this experience, I learned how important it is to align product features with customer needs, as well as the balance between creativity and practical business strategy.”
– T.H. 

       

IOS Inc. 

IOS Inc. is specialising in the development of demining robots with remote control functions to ensure the safety of deminer staff. 

During this training, UNIDO trainees Ms. A. Y. and Mr. O. P. developed action plans for deployment of IOS Inc.’s proprietary demining robot DMR for international NGOs and Ukrainian government organisations respectively. 

“This experience has reinforced my belief in the value of innovation and collaboration in addressing global challenges.”
– A. Y. 

“The hands-on experience with live demonstrations and interactions with industry experts were invaluable. One aspect that stood out was the meticulous attention to safety and efficiency in demining operations.”
– O. P.  

     

Nakayama Iron Works Ltd. 

Nakayama Iron Works utilises sustainable practices for heavy machinery pertaining to crushers, sand-making machines, and their recycling.  

During this training, UNIDO Trainee, Mr. L. K. helped develop a business plan on expanding sales of a proprietary “green” mobile crusher in Europe to address growing demands for such equipment in Europe. 

“I had the opportunity to learn the work of a classic and actively developing family Japanese plant with long history from the inside, to see how they plan, think, consider factors, make decisions. I got to know Japanese business culture better.” – L.K.  

       

 

PADECO 

PADECO is an international consulting firm with project experiences in over 110 countries, mainly focusing on infrastructure, economic, social and human resources development.  

During this training, UNIDO trainee, Ms. O. P. drafted a business plan for opening a PADECO subsidiary in her home country – Ukraine, which would respond to the growing needs in Ukraine for highly qualified experts in reconstruction and recovery. 

“Preparing a business plan in a new field was quite challenging, but I tried to put effort into creating a clear picture of how consulting works, who are the players, who are customers, how to win projects, which procedures should be handled and so on.” – O.P.  

     

 

People Cloud Inc. 

People Cloud Inc. is a joint venture focusing on bringing skilled IT engineers from Eastern Europe to Regional Japan. Based in Izumo city, Shimane prefecture, it offers coworking spaces and Japanese language education and training, as well as introductions for engineers to Japanese companies through their Hello, yaponiya! programme.  

During this training, Ms. O. R. developed a business plan on empowering Ukrainian IT talent for Japanese companies. 

“These experiences helped me improve my networking and communication skills.” – O. R. 

The second round of the traineeship is currently open for application to those trainees that have completed either of the two EDT sessions, and has been announced via email.