Kenta Omori, co-founder and executive vice president of STANDAGE Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Akinori Adachi; hereinafter referred to as STANDAGE), a company that develops and provides digital trade platforms, will be speaking at Panel 3, "The Future of TICAD," of the TICAD 30th Anniversary event, "TICAD's 30-Year History and Outlook - The Significance of TICAD and the Future of Japan-Africa Relations," hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 26.

TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) was established in 1993 and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. This event is being held to commemorate this milestone, to look back on TICAD's history, and to discuss the future of TICAD and Japan-Africa relations.

Standage was founded in 2017 and has been developing various products related to digital transformation in the trading industry, including an international trade settlement system that utilizes blockchain and digital currency. In addition, from 2022, we will provide a trade package service called "DigiTrad" for small and medium-sized enterprises aiming to enter the export business, and we are working to contribute to the overseas expansion of domestic companies, regional revitalization, and the expansion of Japan's exports.

We believe that the main markets for our core international trade settlement system are emerging countries, particularly in Africa. Therefore, we established an office in Nigeria just a few months after our founding. In 2021, we further expanded by establishing local subsidiaries in Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt, and have been working to build our trade with Africa ever since.
Leveraging its strengths in the African region, Standage has successfully facilitated the sale of products from companies it supports for export to Africa.

In this panel discussion, I will share my experiences and insights as a Japanese startup involved in trade with Africa, and discuss the future of TICAD and Japan-Africa relations with the other panelists.

■Event Overview
Event name:TICAD's 30-Year History and Future Prospects: The Significance of TICAD and the Future of Japan-Africa Relations
Dates:Saturday, August 26, 2023, 14:00-18:00
venue:Hotel New Otani, Fuyo Room
Capacity:Approximately 300 people
Online viewing:Available (free of charge) *HerePlease apply from here.
Organizer:Ministry of Foreign Affairs
cooperation:United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
language:Japanese, English, French (simultaneous interpretation)

For details on the event and each panel, please see below.Program released by the Ministry of Foreign AffairsPlease check.