Outline of the Organization

Name: The International Cooperation Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises in Asia (ICOSA)

Established: 8 June 2017

Address: c/o Asia Bunka Kaikan (ABK), 2-12-13, Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0021 Japan

URL: https://sites.google.com/view/icosa2017icosa

Directors

President;

Dr. Kurose Naohiro , Ex-Professor of Kaetsu University

Vice Presidents;

Mr. Hirohama Yasuhisa, Chairman, Hirohama Corporation;

Mr. Morita Nobuyoshi, Consultant, Morita & Associates, Director, Association of Management Consultants In Japan

Secretary General;

Mr. Sato Masafumi, Former Managing Director, The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS)

Directors;

Mr. Dao Duy An, CEO, COPRONA Inc.

Prof. Koga Hiromi, Principal of Tegara Kindergarten, President of the Institute for Attractive Behavioral Studies

Dr. Kanemura Tomoya, Matsumoto University

Mr. Inoue Hiroshi, Zephyros Management Consulting

Dr. Tsushima Koichi, President, Business Succession Institute

Ms. Kawanami Toshiko, Representative, Nami HR Network

Mr. Matsui Hideyuki, President, Matui Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Auditors;

Mr. Nakagawa Seiji, Former MD, ZEN-NOH Kewpie Egg-station Co.,Ltd.

Ms. Shimoji Maki, Representative Lawyer, Oedo Law Office

Advisor;

Mr. Sukigara Osamu, Honorary Chairman, Stem Corporation

Activities of the Organization

ICOSA provides the following activities to achieve its objective

1.Providing a learning place for the managers of SMEs

To solve the problems faced by SMEs, it is important for SME managers to improve their managerial abilities. Managers must exchange ideas on their problems, management policies, and learn from each other based on their experiences.

The rich experiences of Japanese SMEs can offer various hints to SMEs in other Asian countries.

Japanese SMEs can also learn from the entrepreneurial spirit of young emerging SMEs in Asia.

ICOSA will organize regular meetings and mutual visits for the managers of SMEs in Asia to learn together.

2.Pursuing chances for business cooperation

Each Asian country SME has their characteristics. For example, Japanese SMEs have excellent technology, Chinese SMEs have powers to develop new markets, Taiwan SMEs have networks to develop overseas markets, and Korean SMEs have excellent ICT.

ICOSA will encourage Asian SMEs to match their strong points to develop new businesses. For example, Japanese SMEs may offer their excellent technology to SMEs of other countries and jointly create a new market.

3.Proposing SME policies to governments

To solve the problems faced by SMEs, government support is essential. SME managers should actively propose to their governments what measures should be taken to develop their SMEs. The SMEs of respective countries should exchange information on their governments’ SME policies and consider them for their policy proposals.

The experiences of Japanese advanced SME policies can offer various hints to SME managers in other Asian countries.

In Japan, the SME Charter was approved by the government at the June 18, 2010 Cabinet Meeting, after modeling the SME Charter of the EU.

The Charter highly values the role of SMEs and states that “Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the driving force of the Japanese economy and central players in society,” and that “The Government will become a key supporter of all activities undertaken by SMEs.”

ICOSA will also make efforts to disseminate the ideas of the SME Charter in all of Asia.