FEC (The International Friendship and Economic Exchange Council) Secretariat 
Chairman and CEO, Toagosei Co., Ltd.
Mr. Mikishi Takamura
<Company profile>
Toagosei Co., Ltd. was founded in 1944. Amidst rapidly changing society, it has continued to forge the future and provide new value through the power of chemistry. It is well-known as a chemical manufacturer that produces and sells "Aron Alpha," the quintessential instant adhesive.
We support industrial and socioeconomic development through the stable supply of essential chemicals, while also leveraging our cultivated technology and management resources to focus on developing high-performance products. In recent years, we have continued to take on challenges, creating a series of products that enrich people's lives in the fields of semiconductors and electronic materials, mobility, and medical care.
Our company joined as a corporate member in 2001. The reason for this was that Fumishiro Fukuzawa, who was the top executive of our company at the time, was invited by Chihiro Kanagawa, who is known as the first chairman of the "Vinyl Chloride Industry and Environment Association" and also the first chairman of the Association for the Promotion of Private Sector Diplomacy.
One of the things we hoped the association would do was to provide us with an environment where we could access practical diplomatic information as we explored international expansion.
I had the invaluable opportunity to engage in direct dialogue with ambassadors from various countries. I felt the greatest value in the on-site conversations conducted by the delegation. I believe it provided important insights for our overseas expansion.
Visiting embassies in various countries and conversing with ambassadors to Japan allowed me to learn about the real-world situations in each country. We believe that our group's social significance lies in "delivering new happiness and creating a prosperous future through our chemical business," and I feel that direct communication with ambassadors has been extremely helpful in gaining a more global perspective.
We are gaining valuable insights into international risks such as geopolitics, economics, legal regulations, and the environment. This is a crucial factor that cannot be ignored for companies operating globally, and it helps us in market selection.
The deep and continuous exchanges with the ambassadors to Japan are truly a unique feature of FEC. Building trust through time, rather than just brief greetings, is invaluable. Furthermore, the wide range of topics covered, encompassing politics, economics, and culture, is a major draw.
This is likely for managers of growing startups or mid-sized companies who are planning to expand overseas. Startup growth phases include the seed phase, which focuses on fundraising and development; the early phase, where products and services are deployed and market validation is conducted; the growth phase, where the organization begins to expand; and the later phase, where the business expands through M&A and other means. Mid-sized startups can be said to be in the growth phase, and if they are considering overseas expansion, they will likely gain a lot from participating in FEC.
Take a step forward and a whole new world will open up.