8  Given the declining birthrate and aging population, I believe that there are many lessons Japan can learn from Germany's industrial policy and from its small and medium-sized enterprises. Germany's industrial policy aims to enhance the added value in domestic industries through extensive cooperation across and within the public, private, and academic sectors, and it places importance on supporting innovative enterprises.
Small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany seek to expand their businesses overseas on their own in search of new markets unlike those in Japan whose overseas business expansion typically depends on the corporate groups they belong to. Since Japan and Germany share many common features, I believe that they can expand each other's business opportunities by strengthening their cooperation. Thank you for your attention.