Japan's First GX Frontier: Kawasaki Opens for Global Partners
Japan's First GX Frontier: Kawasaki Opens for Global Partners
2,800 hectares. One national strategy. The first conversation happens in Singapore.
1｜About This Event
In September 2026, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) designated Kawasaki's industrial waterfront as one of the first GX Strategic Zones. It's a national first, covering roughly 2,800 hectares of heavy industry now being rebuilt for a next-generation decarbonization, a hydrogen economy, advanced materials, and sustainable manufacturing.
This isn't just a policy briefing. It's an opportunity to hear directly from the leaders shaping one of Japan’s most ambitious industrial transformation projects.
Taking place inside SWITCH 2026's Networking Lounge, this session will bring together senior decision-makers from both government and industry to talk about what projects are currently underway, what role foreign partners can play, and why now is the moment to get in before the structure is set.
Hear directly from national and city leaders, ecosystem builders, and investment experts driving the future of climate tech and advanced materials, including a representative from METI (TBD), Norihiko Fukuda (Mayor of Kawasaki City), JETRO, Benjamin Gaddy (Breakthrough Energy Fellows), and Shosuke Kiba (Universal Materials Incubator). You'll hear directly from the people shaping the project itself, not a summary of it.
Followed by a networking lunch in the same venue, giving you direct access to speakers and fellow attendees.
2｜Who Should Attend
Deep tech and climate tech startups
Corporates and venture capital
Government and policy stakeholders
Ecosystem builders and accelerators
3｜Date & Time
Thursday, October 29, 2026 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Registration from 10:00 AM)
4｜Venue
Marina Bay Sands, Networking Lounge, SWITCH 2026
5｜Registration
Free admission. Limited seats.
Note: SWITCH 2026 registration is required separately.
[Register for SWITCH here]
About Kawasaki City
Kawasaki is a city of roughly 1.56 million people, sitting between Tokyo and Yokohama, with easy access from Haneda Airport. Its waterfront has anchored Japan's steel, chemical, and energy industries for decades.
The 2,800-hectare area now designated for transformation includes the Minamiwatarida district, being developed as a scale-up hub for research and manufacturing, and the Ogishima district, planned as one of the largest next-generation GX industrial sites in the greater Tokyo area, with new highway access and logistics infrastructure underway. Alongside this, a liquefied hydrogen receiving terminal is being piloted at Ogishima through fiscal year 2030, and a plastic recycling initiative is underway in the Mizue district.
The GX Strategic Zone will be delivered through collaborative projects led by Kawasaki City, JFE, and a consortium of private-sector partners.
This event is supported by JETRO.