They are also to collaborate on better withstanding global supply chain issues and reducing reliance on China chips
The partnership will enhance collaboration on digital issues to strengthen supply chains and reduce reliance on China for key technologies
After the inaugural Japan–European Union (EU) Digital Partnership Council meeting last week, the partners signed two memoranda of cooperation (MoC) to advance connectivity.
First they plan to devlop “secure, resilient and sustainable submarine connectivity…via the Arctic”, to link EU and Japan, with the potential to extend it to south-east Asia and wider Pacific region.
Self-sufficiency
A second MoC covered semiconductors with the aim of fostering greater cooperation on R&D, improving skills for the semiconductor industry and transparency concerning subsidies. The partners will create an early warning system for potential disruptions to supply chain, allowing each to prepare better for shortages.
The EU and Japan are seeking to be more self-sufficient and so need greater diversity in the global semiconductor supply chain. Both are increasingly concerned about their reliance on China for chip manufacturing.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, commented, “Economic security is a common concern for Japan and the EU. We share similar dependencies, and we both need to de-risk our supply chains. One of our objectives is to reduce overreliance for products that are vital for our economies, like critical raw materials and semiconductors on a handful of suppliers – many of them based in China.”
The EU and Japan have agreed to step up cooperation on fronts, including generative AI, quantum computing, data governance and cyber security.
The co-chairs of the Japan-EU Digital Partnership Council are scheduled to meet again in 2024 to review progress.