The demand for batteries is growing. The development is driven by electrification, the green transition, and the need for energy security. At the same time, both the Nordics and Japan share a common challenge: how to build robust, sustainable, and innovative value chains that can deliver on both climate ambitions and competitiveness?
That was the backdrop when the Nordic Battery Delegation visited Japan and brought together Nordic and Japanese stakeholders for meetings and seminars, including Nordic Battery Day, which took place in the Nordic Pavilion at EXPO 2025 in Osaka.
Read more about the Nordic Battery Delegation
Nordic Innovation set the framework
In his opening speech in the Nordic Pavilion at EXPO 2025, Håkan Lind, Senior Advisor at Nordic Innovation, emphasized that the strength of the Nordics lies in our ability to collaborate:
“Our five countries are small on their own, but when we work together, the result is far greater than any of us could have achieved alone. That is the essence of Nordic cooperation and that is what we bring to Japan.”
In recent years, Nordic Innovation has co-financed Nordic Battery Collaboration, an initiative led by Business Finland, Business Sweden, and Innovation Norway. The vision is to make the Nordics home to the world’s most sustainable, competitive, and innovative battery ecosystem.
Since its launch in 2021, the collaboration has led to a number of key outcomes. Among these are delegation visits to markets such as Japan, the United States, Germany, and South Korea, and the establishment of the digital forum Nordic Battery Thursdays gathering over 1.500 stakeholders from 55 countries, contributing to both knowledge sharing and international networking.
Read more about Nordic Battery Collaboration
The collaboration has strengthened the visibility of Nordic companies, opened doors to new markets, increased exports, and attracted investments.
Complementary strengths
At Nordic Battery Day, it became clear how the Nordics and Japan can complement each other:
- The Nordics bring strong expertise in sustainable mining, alternative materials, battery recycling, and circular solutions.
- Japan is a global leader in battery production, automation, and advanced research and development.
Together, the two regions can develop more sustainable supply chains, strengthen recycling efforts, accelerate innovation, and establish joint education and talent programs.
From dialogue to action
The delegation took place in the same week that Japanese and European industry organizations signed new agreements for collaboration (MoUs) for the battery sector which marked an important step from dialogue to concrete action.
As Håkan Lind, Senior Advisor at Nordic Innovation, summarized in his closing remarks:
“Japan and the Nordics share the same ambition: to make the battery value chain more sustainable, more resilient, and more innovative. This seminar has been an important step in that direction. But the real results are the meetings, partnerships, and projects that will grow out of today.”
With Nordic Battery Day at EXPO 2025, it is clear that the Nordics and Japan are ready to take the next step together.
Read more about the Nordic Battery Collaboration
Background
Nordic Battery Collaboration is supported under the Sustainable Minerals program, 2021-2024, and the Nordic Growth and Capital Attraction program, 2025-2027.
