Asia Briefing: Accenture targets western firms for Tokyo HQ zone

Consulting firm Accenture has been selected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to recruit 10 or more foreign companies, including potentially from Ireland, to establish their Asian regional HQ or research and development centres in Tokyo's Special Zone for Asian Headquarters by March 2014.

The local government plans to recruit 500 foreign companies, with an initial target of establishing 50 regional headquarters, in the zone by 2016.

According to Enterprise Ireland, more than 380 Irish businesses currently have operations in Asia, with 57 of these operating in Japan.

Accenture will develop a list of promising foreign companies, targeting industries which have the potential to enhance the region’s international competitiveness. The company also will promote the attractiveness of Tokyo as an ideal region for business expansion.

Opportunities
"Accenture will be seeking out, and encouraging exceptional companies, with superior technologies and services, to establish their regional headquarters in the special zone and take advantage of all that Tokyo has to offer as one of the best cities in Asia for doing business," said Lisa Manselli, head of management consulting at Accenture Ireland.

“This presents possible opportunities for Irish companies which already have a regional headquarters in Asia, or which are looking to establish one, and take advantage of the many benefits Tokyo’s Special Zone has to offer in order to grow their business in this very lucrative market.”

Foreign firms which locate Asian regional headquarters in the special zone will receive preferential tax treatment, deregulation and financial assistance from the metropolitan government, as well as management consulting services from Accenture.

Hiroshi Goto, managing director of health and public service at Accenture Japan, said: "Many Irish companies have strengths in fields such as technology and agriculture. The government of Japan and the Tokyo metropolitan government have high hopes that these types of companies will establish centres here, focussing on areas such as research and development, for example."