Awardees: Siemens Energy K.K. and SAP Japan Co., Ltd.
- Two award-winning companies were selected from 16 member companies.
- Category 1: Sustainable Business Award | Winner: Siemens Energy K.K.
- Category 2: Sustainable Community Award | Winner: SAP Japan Co., Ltd.
- Audience Award | Winner project: Siemens Energy K.K. "Full-value chain development of green hydrogen production to achieve carbon neutrality with large-scale PEM electrolyzer developed with Toray proprietary hydrocarbon membrane"
October 20, 2022 | Tokyo - The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan) has launched the Sustainable Business Award on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. The aim of the award is to promote innovative and sustainable initiatives of AHK Japan’s member companies and to contribute to the further development of economic relations between Germany and Japan, as well as the achievement of higher goals towards a sustainable society.
The jury consisting of five individuals and companies from diverse industry backgrounds based their decision on four evaluation criteria: "Local Impact”, “Global Scalability", "Innovative Strength" and "Inclusiveness". Each jury member awarded up to 5 points per company and category as result of intense discussions. The companies with the highest scores were elected as winners.
In the following, we would like to introduce the two award winners.
Category 1: Sustainable Business Award
Winning Company
Siemens Energy K.K.
Project Title
Full-value chain development of green hydrogen production to achieve carbon neutrality with large-scale PEM electrolyzer developed with Toray proprietary hydrocarbon membrane
Project Description
Siemens Energy is working with Yamanashi Prefectural Enterprises Bureau, Tokyo Electric Power Company Group, Toray Industries, and others on the project to promote decarbonization by green hydrogen produced by electrolyzer powered by renewable energy. The project was funded in 2021 as one of the first projects under the Green Innovation Funding led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Siemens Energy develops and demonstrates the largest multi megawatt class PEM electrolysis using Toray’s proprietary hydrocarbon electrolyte membranes in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Winner’s Comment
Siemens Energy strongly believes that green hydrogen plays a significant role in decarbonizing the economy. Green hydrogen offers us unlimited collaboration opportunities across a wide range of industries. We aim to expand our collaboration to make tomorrow different today.
Review Background
Category 1 is designed for companies to apply with their sustainable core business solutions. There were no limits set regarding the industry or product, so the award was open to service providers, manufacturers, digital products or production lines and more.
After thorough and extensive discussion and meetings, the Jury decided in category 1 in favour of Siemens Energy K.K. that applied with an electrolyzer technology that is a sustainable solution to produce green hydrogen, which convinced a majority of the jury. The technology of water electrolysis is one of the most promising alternatives for storing energy from renewable energies and can be applied to a wide range of industries in Japan. Specifically, this solution is key for sectors that are hard to electrify such as the cement, steel and the transportation sector.
Category 2: Sustainable Community Award
Winning Company
SAP Japan Co., Ltd.
Project Title
"National Agenda Initiative" - An activity at SAP Japan to help solve social issues in Japan to realize a sustainable society
Project Description
SAP Japan, together with SAP Japan employees, partner companies and organizations, has been promoting the "National Agenda Initiative" and implementing projects to support the resolution of many social issues by utilizing Design Thinking and other methods. Specifically, Social Recruiting Platform as well as Digital Women’s Consortium to provide job trainings and employment opportunities to those in need, Ukrainian evacuees’ support platform to listen to their voices and identify the areas they need help and a common digital ICT infrastructure for SMEs to help them improve their productivity. Our goal is to impact the entire population of Japan, and we have impacted approximately 15 million people from 2019 to date.
Winner’s Comment
We are honored to receive the Sustainable Community Award for our "National Agenda Initiative". This activity is one of a mid-term transformation program at SAP Japan and has been carried out with a commitment from executives to the activities proposed by the frontlines. We aim to continue this as a sustainable model linked to the creation of new businesses through innovation rather than ending it as a temporary volunteer activity.
Review Background
Category 2 is designed for companies to apply with solutions that take effect on a societal or communal level which may also be out of the company's core business. This may include sophisticated company-internal remote work, recycling systems, contributions to the local environment and other action to reduce company emissions or support a sustainable society.
After thorough and extensive discussion and meetings, the jury decided in favour of SAP Japan Co., Ltd. that executes numerous social projects worldwide involving own employees as well as external partners integrated into the so-called national agenda initiative. This application scored specifically high with regards to Local Impact, Inclusiveness and Scalability which convinced a majority of the jury. The project sets an example for other companies to follow, allows for partners and stakeholders to get engaged and is scalable.
The project of Siemens Energy K.K. also won the Audience Award, which was voted for by participants at the awards ceremony in Tokyo on 19 October 2022.
In establishing the Sustainable Business Award, Marcus Schürmann, CEO of AHK Japan and Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Japan, stated: "The economy is closely linked to society and the environment. With various issues being raised, such as nature conservation, inequality and the disruption of the international trade order, it is essential for the future that each organisation conducts its business activities in a sustainable manner, as do individuals. We hope that the innovative and sustainable initiatives shown by the member companies of AHK Japan will contribute to the further development of bilateral economic relations and to achieve higher goals towards a sustainable society."
AHK Japan was founded in Tokyo in March 1962 and today, with 470 member companies, oversees the largest German-Japanese network in Japan. With a trade volume of 41.7 billion euros, Japan is the second most important market in Asia and Germany in turn is the most important target market for Japanese products in Europe.
Since its foundation, AHK Japan has been committed to intensifying German-Japanese economic relations and supporting a wide range of initiatives for economic exchange, such as the recent German-Japanese Energy Partnership, export promotion of German food products and cooperation in future fields such as 3D printing.
About Sustainability Business Award
Eligibility for application
Members of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan
Award category
Sustainable Award:
Per category one application will be chosen as a winner by a qualified, independent jury.
Category 1: Sustainable Business Award
Sustainable Products, Production, Solutions and Services
Category 2: Sustainable Community Award
Innovations in community-building, work force and at own company
Audience Award
Additionally, the audience decides via voting at the award ceremony which of the two winning companies receives the audience award.
Jury
The Jury is composed of the following individuals and industries:
Academia
- Prof. Dr. Sawako Shirahase | Senior Vice-Rector, United Nations University; Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations
New Media
- Takahisa Taniguchi | Sustainability Influencer
Experts from the Industry
- Marc Van Ingelgem | President, Kaercher (Japan) Co., Ltd.
- Hiroki Ishida | Representative Director and President, BASF Japan Ltd.
- Chikako Matsumoto | Executive Officer, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank
Organizer
German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan)
Sponsor
Diamond Sponsor
- Lufthansa Group
Silver Sponsors
- BRITA Japan K.K.
- Hafele Japan K.K.
- Wilkhahn Japan Co., Ltd.
Press Contact
Yuko Makita
Communications
German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK Japan)
+81(0)3 5276 8741
press(at)dihkj.or.jp
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