A business delegation from the Italian Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Autonomous Region — composed of five selected companies and the Regional Desk for the Internationalization of Enterprises (SPRINT) — participated in a mission to Japan from 21 to 25 April 2025, organized by UNIDO ITPO Italy in the framework of the project "Innovation Gateway Trieste–Osaka 2025".

At Expo 2025 Osaka, the delegation played a prominent role during “Selecting Italy”, a promotional event showcasing Italian excellence across multiple sectors. On this occasion, high-level institutional meetings were also held with the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, and Sergio Emidio Bini, Regional Council Member for Economic Development and Tourism.

In Tokyo, a business networking event was held at Yokohama Connéct, where participating Italian companies presented their solutions through elevator pitches, followed by live demonstrations and a dynamic networking dinner with Japanese counterparts. Throughout the mission, the delegation also engaged in a series of strategic meetings and business events with key local stakeholders and institutions across several Japanese cities. These included: UNIDO ITPO Tokyo, Shiga Law Firm, World Trade Center, Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan, JMAC, Italian Trade Agency, Antica Osteria del Ponte, and JETRO.

This initiative served as a catalyst as it strongly aligned with the project’s objectives to foster global partnerships for international industrial cooperation, strengthen the visibility of the FVG Region’s innovation ecosystem, and advance UNIDO’s mandate to accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development.