[Event Report] Economic Security Seminar by Sanae Takaichi: Insights and Corporate Challenges

Click Here for the Event Press Release https://usonar.co.jp/news/20250605_1482.html )

Background of the Economic Security Seminar

Against the backdrop of international tensions, not only national governments but also private enterprises are being called upon to address economic security. Specific challenges include strengthening supply chains, protecting critical infrastructure, and preventing the leakage of data and technical information.

uSonar provides companies with one of Japan's largest proprietary corporate databases. As part of this initiative, we are developing services to support economic security, specifically focusing on supply chain management and risk mitigation for business partners.

We organized this lecture featuring Sanae Takaichi, an expert in this field and former Minister of State for Economic Security, to provide corporate executives with a platform to learn about the latest information and trends.

■ Overview of the Economic Security Seminar

The event was limited to approximately 100 attendees, primarily consisting of executives and senior management from major corporations. The audience included professionals from sales, marketing, corporate strategy, finance, legal, and procurement departments, as well as many individuals directly responsible for economic security.

At the seminar, our President and Representative Director, Katsuhito Nagatake, delivered the opening remarks and introduced our economic security support service, DeepCheck, followed by a keynote address from Ms. Takaichi.

Ms. Takaichi began by introducing cutting-edge technological topics such as nuclear fusion and plant factories, emphasizing the importance of energy and food security. She explained the necessity of fostering sectors where Japan maintains a competitive advantage.

She then raised concerns regarding the adoption of products from countries of concern in industries such as drones, surveillance cameras, data centers, and cloud computing. Furthermore, she discussed critical issues including China's National Intelligence Law and visa restrictions under the Trump administration in the United States. She concluded her lecture by cautioning private sector individuals to remain vigilant, citing an example where a listening device was discovered in a renowned Japanese restaurant under foreign capital ownership. During the subsequent Q&A session, topics such as raising awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises within the supply chain, cyber defense, and security clearance were discussed.

■ Feedback from Seminar Participants: Executives Express Interest in the Necessity of an Economic Security Database

In the post-seminar survey, many participants commented that it was a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest trends in economic security, with numerous respondents noting that they realized the necessity of a database for checking supply chains and business partners from an economic security perspective.

Below, we have highlighted some of the key comments.

General Manager, Major Financial Institution

I keenly felt the need to address the relevant laws of countries of concern with heightened vigilance. I also gained a renewed understanding of the importance of conducting background checks on business partners.

Economic Security Department, Major Manufacturer

Raising internal awareness regarding economic security and securing specialized talent remain key challenges. Although difficult, we are actively working on these initiatives.

Development Department, Major Real Estate Company

Ms. Takaichi's point that security-related costs should be viewed not as unavoidable expenses, but as investments to protect corporate credibility, was a significant realization for me. Furthermore, the perspective on strictly managing trade secrets based on the Unfair Competition Prevention Act was highly educational. While our company has established awareness regarding pre-transaction checks and anti-social force screening, I recognize that individual awareness levels regarding economic security vary, which is a challenge we must address moving forward.

General Manager, Major Transportation Company

I gained access to the latest and broadest information regarding economic security. I was particularly interested in the policy focus on increasing energy and food self-sufficiency rates. I now recognize that our company's challenge in economic security lies in how we monitor the status of each company within our supply chain.

General Manager, Logistics Machinery

Ms. Takaichi's presentation was incredibly engaging and realistic. As we promote global business expansion, we must continue to conduct business with countries that present country risk. Depending on global conditions, I feel we must prepare for the fact that maintaining a balance will become increasingly difficult.

Construction and Technical Director

I thought I understood the need for caution regarding products from certain countries, but I was most intrigued by the point that caution is also necessary in places like restaurants. I would like to apply this to employee training and awareness reform.

About uSonar Co., Ltd.

Since our establishment in 1990, we have independently built and maintained LBC, one of Japan's largest corporate databases, to address challenges related to B2B data. By leveraging our proprietary technology for collecting and organizing high-quality, accurate data, as well as cutting-edge insights such as artificial intelligence, we provide the uSonar customer data integration solution to support the development of more precise business strategies.

We offer a variety of cloud services to solve our customers' challenges, including the management strategy platform PLANSonar, the business card and corporate information management app mSonar, and the registration information download tool Touki Sonar.

A member company of the Institute of Geoeconomics since 2024.

(The photo was taken during the photo session after the Economic Security Seminar. Ms. Takaichi is in the center, with Chairperson Nami Fukutomi on the right and President Nagatake on the left.)