EPIC center

JCI EPIC Center supports economic cooperation by promoting environment, private infrastructure and investment.

Cooperation Center for Promotion of Environment, Private Infrastructure and Investment(hereinafter referred to as "EPIC Center") of JCI collects various kinds of information to serve as background knowledge for plant export, foreign direct investments and other overseas business operations by Japanese firms, such as information on individual developing countries' changes in policies for environmental improvement, private infrastructure development and import of foreign capital, in addition to information on the actual status of the implementation of laws and regulations as well as the business performance of local enterprises. By means of these activities, EPIC Center endeavors to grasp the main points to be looked for when initiating new projects, and the issues to be solved in strengthening their international competitive power.

Activities
1．Fundamental Survey and Study on Environment, Private Infrastructure and Investment Environmental Improvement

Environmental problems which have to be addressed urgently as policy objectives of developing countries vary depending on the stage of economic development in the countries concerned and other social and cultura1 situations with which they are faced. Under the circumstances, apart from the 0fficial environmental cooperation by the Japanese national and local governments, there exists a need for the Japanese private enterprises to further expand their environmental cooperation activities.

EPlC Center conducts surveys which may contribute to promoting the Japan's official environmental cooperation including, among other things, environment yen credit. To assist the private sector in environmental cooperation, the Center also looks for cooperation opportunities through identifying fields and appropriate technologies for which environmental investments from Japanese companies are expected, while trying to grasp the performance of environmental improvement policies in individual countries.

Private Infrastructure Development in Developing Countries

It has now become the fashionable trend to vitalize public corporation activities by way of either private infrastructure development projects utilizing foreign capital or introduction of privatization schemes. However, those private companies who wish to participate in such projects or schemes must make a yet more exact evaluation of commercial viability and risk-taking managerial judgements than they would make in ordinary direct investments. Consequently, Japanese companies for their part must have a good understanding of how policies for vitalization of public cooperation activities through such projects or schemes are being implemented in the individual countries if they wish to strengthen their own competitive power in these new fields.

Through case studies by follow-up of various feasibility studies and case studies of international consortia, EPIC Center aims at grasping the actual situation to enable proper risk sharing, fund raising and Operation & Maintenance(O & Ms).

Other Investment Related Activities

The level of exposure outstanding due to direct investments by Japanese companies varies significantly for each individual host developing country. Unlike those new investment fields such as environment and private infrastructure, industrial machinery and plant related manufacturing investments have long been made especially in Asia, and many investing companies are now seen expanding their localization activities including re-investments. In the midst of bewildering changes in the international economic circumstances, it is becoming more and more essential for the Japanese companies including their local subsidiaries to have strategic mind as to how international operations should be implemented.

Through promoted exchanges with the related authorities and industrial groups in the developing countries, EPIC Center implements fundamental survey and study on foreign direct investment activities in order to find a desired form of international operational development that matches the changes in investment climate in each host country.

2. Collection and Dissemination of Information on Environment, Private Infrastructure and Investment

Collection and Dissemination of Information on Environment, Private Infrastructure and Investment

EPIC Center collects information related to environmental improvement, private infrastructure development and investment, stores them as fundamental data and disseminates them.
Environment, Private Infrastructure and Investment Seminars
EPIC Center puts on seminars by Japanese and non-Japanese experts to provide the latest information on environmental improvement, private infrastructure development as well as investment in developing countries.

Study Group of Methods of Strengthening Capabilities for Evaluating Commercial Viability

EPIC Center notes the commercial viability of projects that is considered to be a decisive factor in making investment decisions and holds seminars focusing on the topic of evaluation methods of financial and economic viability.

3. Promotion of Economic Cooperation through Direct Investment by Japanese Enterprises

Investigation of Investment Climate

The expansion of foreign direct investment by Japanese enterprises is still being called for by many developing countries. To promote economic cooperation through direct investment by Japanese enterprises, EPIC Center chooses specific developing regions and countries to investigate investment climates for particular industrial sectors. The results of the investigations are provided for reference by Japanese potential investors. Also requests and problems based on the interests of foreign investors are submitted for consideration from the Center to the pertinent institutions for each specific region, country and industrial sector.

Investment Mediation

Provided there arises a specific call for new investments from Japan, EPIC Center provides a service of introducing potential Japanese partners suited for such projects. Also, the Center conducts feasibility studies for investment projects as required.

On top of the established co-working relations with the Japanese government and the related governmental institutions, EPIC Center continues its effort to build stronger ties with international development financing institutions, embassies, investment promotion organizations and related public corporations, thereby reinforcing its degrees of information capacity.