State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, Adachi Masashi;
Airtrunk Founder and CEO, Mr Robin Khuda
Lendlease Representative Director, Ms Syn Yi Lee
To our Japanese partners and friends a warm, spring welcome to the Australian embassy
Australia and Japan are trusted partners: Special Strategic Partnership, a shared commitment to net zero by 2050, and aligned visions for the Indo-Pacific region
That trust – and that strategic alignment – will matter more than ever at this time of uncertainty in the international environment.
Major changes are underway, and they will have many effects on Australia and Japan, not all of them positive.
But I believe the big shifts in political, military and economic power are pushing Australia and Japan together.
As partners, working together we can not just cope, we can continue to thrive and prosper.
Today we are focused on secure digital connectivity, one of the fundamental underpinnings of our future prosperity and security: for Japan, Australia and for the Indo-Pacific
Data centres are critical enablers for the modern economy, and at scale, with sustainable energy and operating processes, they will drive productivity and allow us to harness new technologies, such as AI and quantum computing
New technologies will help us solve economic and social challenges; they will also create some new risks and challenges
We want to partner with Japan to ensure we connect and store data in ways that makes us stronger and mitigates the risks.
On the environment side, today we will hear about technologies that optimise energy and water usage efficiency to sustainable building development, construction and operations.
Australian carbon emission-reducing solutions are already being deployed in Japan – including by world-leading Australian companies like AirTrunk and Lend Lease.
Japan is also a leader – with METI’s GX2040 Vision integrating Japan’s Digital Transformation (DX) and Green Transformation (GX) policies.
In terms of security, we need to think about building the resilient infrastructure of the future – not just in Australia and Japan but also in third countries.
Especially in the Pacific, where countries are increasingly connected by the undersea cables that Australia, Japan and the United States have helped to deliver.
Last year, our foreign and defence ministers announced a Pacific Digital Development Initiative to help our Pacific partners enhance connectivity and digital resilience – this is an important priority for both our countries.
Digital connectivity infrastructure needs trusted technology and providers – the Australian and Japanese companies here today will play a key role.
And through this event, and in many other ways, the Australian embassy will support this important agenda.