Pakistan and Japan have agreed to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence, Web3, and digital technologies, following a startup innovation event organised by the Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo in collaboration with the Asia Web3 Alliance Japan. The event brought together representatives from government, industry, technology companies, investors, and the startup ecosystems of both countries, positioning it as a broad-based effort to identify concrete areas of digital and innovation cooperation between the two nations rather than a narrowly focused diplomatic exchange.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan Abdul Hameed, delivering the keynote address, said technology and innovation were becoming increasingly central to Pakistan-Japan economic relations, pointing to Pakistan’s expanding digital economy, skilled technology workforce, and entrepreneurial potential as grounds for stronger partnerships between institutions, companies, investors, and startup communities in both countries. Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Digital Affairs Hideto Kawasaki followed with a keynote presentation on startup co-creation in the AI and Web3 era, outlining Japan’s vision for digital transformation and touching on policy developments related to AI, Web3, cross-border data flows, and digital innovation. Kawasaki described Japan’s technology ecosystem and Pakistan’s growing digital talent pool as complementary, calling for closer collaboration between startups, technology companies, and innovation institutions in both countries to build what he termed a new Digital Silk Road through emerging technologies.
Secretary of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication Zarrar Hasham Khan presented the Ministry’s Tech Destination Pakistan initiative, highlighting the country’s technology talent pool and growing startup ecosystem as areas of opportunity for strengthening Pakistan-Japan cooperation in digital innovation. He said Pakistan’s greatest competitive advantage lay in its young and highly skilled digital workforce, encouraging greater collaboration between the two countries across technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The programme closed with a panel discussion on building Pakistan-Japan startup and innovation ecosystem partnerships, featuring 500 Global Mentor and venture capital advisor Jonathan T. alongside Tomoko Takasaki, Head of Web3 Innovation Platform at Ibex Japan KK and Senior Manager at Antler Ibex, moderated by Asia Web3 Alliance Japan President Hinza Asif. The panel addressed investor readiness, cross-cultural communication, and market entry strategies for Pakistani startups engaging with Japan, alongside the role of accelerator programmes such as the AI Founder Programme and the importance of international cooperation on AI governance, data security, and regulatory frameworks. The Embassy encouraged Pakistani startups, technology companies, universities, business associations, and public institutions to engage proactively with Japan’s innovation ecosystem, reaffirming its commitment to facilitating technology partnerships and translating the discussions into concrete investment opportunities and long-term collaboration between the two countries.
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