On January 21st, StartNL Japan and the Netherlands Chamber Commerce Japan (NCCJ) kicked off the year with a fantastic New Year’s Reception at the Ambassador’s Residence.

It was a great opportunity for members of both networks to come together, reflect on the challenges and opportunities that 2026 will bring, and foster connections that will drive further collaboration.

The event featured an insightful presentation by Rodrigo Gonzalez from the Economist Intelligence Unit, who shared his perspective on key economic and geopolitical trends we can expect in the year ahead. Some key highlights:

• For the first time in decades, Japan is experiencing sustained inflation.
• Takaichi has listed 17 priority areas for strategic investment. Among them: ai and semiconducters, food tech, energy and the green transformation.
• GDP of Japan is likely to grow by 1% per year until 2030.

This was followed by dynamic breakout sessions, allowing for deeper discussions and exchanges of ideas.

The evening concluded with a lively cocktail reception where new relationships were formed, and old ones strengthened.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and Rodrigo González, James Haines, Hans Kuijpers, Edo de Ronde and Sonoko Takahashi for facilitating.

We already have a start-up mission for SusHi Tech coming in April. Click here for more information!