The Japan-Spain Business Circle awards IMMFLY and YAMAHA MOTOR at the VIII Keicho Awards
The eighth edition of the awards has highlighted the projects in favour of sustainability and commitment to innovation of IMMFLY and Yamaha Motor.
The event brought together a total of 125 attendees, including representatives of institutions and leading Japanese and Spanish corporations.
The eighth edition of the Keicho Innovation and Technology Awards of the Japan-Spain Business Circle (CEJE) took place on 26 November at the Wellington Hotel in Madrid. The awards, sponsored by Nippon Gases, recognised the Japanese company Yamaha Motor and the Spanish company IMMFLY, two companies that stand out for their innovative efforts and the promotion of projects that foster sustainability. The awards, which are presided over by His Majesty King Felipe VI, brought together representatives of institutions and leading Japanese and Spanish corporations, including Ángeles Delgado, President of Fundación Consejo España Japón, and Takahiro Nakamae, Japanese Ambassador to Spain, who congratulated the two winners for their outstanding dedication and effort.
Two examples of commitment to sustainability and innovation
The Japan-Spain Business Circle (CEJE) has awarded the technology brand IMMFLY for its transformative role in aviation. The company proposes a technology that allows airlines to regain control over their passengers’ digital experience, creating a digital ecosystem that enables the integration of in-flight entertainment, connectivity and retail solutions. This ability to integrate with both in-house hardware and third-party solutions is one of the reasons why Immfly stands out in the airline industry. Maria Cardenal, Vice President of Marketing at Immfly accepted the award, highlighting her company’s link to Japan. ‘Our commitment to collaborative innovation is reflected in partnerships with global giants such as Rakuten, a Japanese company, which in 2018 enabled Easyjet, through Immfly, to be the first European airline to offer its passengers the experience of a content streaming platform.’
The award for Japanese company went to Yamaha Motor. The company has set a milestone in the motor technology industry with the introduction of hydrogen engines. This development is a significant step towards the viability of this technology as one of the futuristic and environmentally friendly solutions for sustainability.
In collaboration with Roush Performance, they have unveiled the world’s first hydrogen-powered outboard motor for boats in the US, along with a prototype integrated fuel system. In another innovative development, Yamaha Motor is working in a consortium with Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki to develop common interchangeable batteries for future electric motorbike models. Oliver Prevost, President and CEO of Yamaha Motor Europe highlighted the company’s work on sustainability. ‘Technological innovation enables us to lead a transformation that commits us to performance for sustainability. From electric motorbikes to hydrogen engines, Yamaha Motor is opening up new sustainable projects for the years to come’.
Keicho Innovation and Technology Awards
Since 2016, the aim of the Keicho Awards has been to highlight those advances and interventions carried out during the last year in terms of innovation and technology in global markets, by Japanese companies established in Spain, as well as Spanish companies with interests in Japan. Since its inception in 2016, these awards have recognised Spanish chef Carme Ruscalleda and companies such as Niken Sekkei, Toyota, Panasonic, Gestamp, Fujifilm, Uriach, Iberia, Nissan, Satlantis, AGC Pharma and Balgegó.