The Business Succession Study Group and the NUCB Business School Succession Study Group co-hosted the Business Succession Study Group at Nagoya Campus. Lectures and panel discussions were held by experts on the theme of "Succession of Management Philosophy", and lively discussions ensued.

Speech 1: "Support for Business Succession through Government-Supported M&As

Mr. Fumio Sato, Taxation Planning and Coordination Officer, Finance Division, Business Environment Department, Small and Medium Enterprise Administration gave a lecture. The rate of management turnover has been declining year by year and is now 2.6%, with an average age of 59. The average retirement age is 67 years for medium-sized companies and 70 years for small businesses. More than 50% of all business owners are 60 years old or older, and it is estimated that half of all small and medium-sized businesses will face generational change in the next 10 years. In addition, more than 20 years ago, 90% of business success was within the family, but this figure has dropped to 60%. As the birthrate declines, the need for succession outside the family is rapidly increasing. The number of business closures has been hovering around 30,000 a year, and it is estimated that about 10% of them are small and medium-sized enterprises that close down due to the lack of successors. In response to this situation, the government launched the "Business Succession Support Project" to support small and medium-sized businesses without successors to take over their businesses. To date, more than 7,000 companies have been consulted, and 226 business successions have been concluded. Mr. Sato talked about the support cases and guidelines of this business succession support program.

Speech 2: Business Succession from Various Perspectives

This session consisted of a lecture by Mr. Toru Kanie, an alumnus of Kagome Corporation, and a panel discussion between Mr. Kanie and faculty members of Nagoya University of Commerce and Business School. The lecture began with an overview of Kagome's origins and business, followed by Mr. Kanie's thoughts on business succession. What is "business succession" in the first place? What is so important about it? Mr. Kanie suggested that it is important to have empathy between the parties involved and the customers, and that it should be accompanied by growth as much as possible. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion among Mr. Kanie, Professor Shigetsune Yamoto, Assistant Dean Hiroyuki Kurimoto, who is also a board member of the Society for Business Succession, and Assistant Dean Takehiko Ito. The panel discussion was entitled "Is Business Succession a Means or an End? Is it a means or an end? The panel discussion started with the question, "Is business succession a means or an end?

Succession Research Institute

Our school and the 15 member banks of the Aichi Shinkin Bank Association concluded a cooperation agreement on July 10, 2015, regarding support for business succession. They established the "Nagoya University of Commerce and Business Succession Research Institute," where faculty members of the university and employees of Shinkin Banks will serve as researchers and are working together to develop human resources for business succession for the purpose of succession within the family. By supporting business succession within the family, we aim to strengthen the business foundations of small and medium-sized businesses, pass on technology and goodwill to future generations, and promote long-term corporate growth, job creation, and the revitalization of local industries.