Summary:
A Japanese company specialized in producing ergonomic shoes for the elderly containing a slot for GPS tracking devices is looking for partners in the EU.
The company is trying to improve the situation of dementia patients, who are often restricted in their freedom due to concerns of them wandering away and getting lost. The shoes provide a solution.
The company is looking for distributors and agents to collaborate with, that will help them introduce their products to the EU market.
Description:
This Japanese company was initially established in 2012 to focus on the manufacture of comfortable and ergonomic shoes for the elderly. Since then the company has expanded to producing footwear compatible with a variety of GPS devices.
Japan is well known as an advanced country in its approach to its aging society. It is said that around 50 million people worldwide have dementia, and nearly 10 million new cases are reported every year. Japan has seen the number of dementia patients increase, and the result has been that many patients go out wandering and get lost. This wandering has become a social issue domestically.
The unfortunate resulting side-effect of a dementia diagnosis is that these people are frequently denied basic rights and freedoms available to others. The goal of the Japanese companies’ shoes is that an external GPS device can be inserted to help track dementia patients who wander off and get lost in a non-intrusive manner, while minimizing its infringement on their rights and freedom.
The shoes can fit a variety of GPS devices, and these are inserted in the sole of the footwear and includes a protective plate to avoid damage to the device. The GPS devices need to be purchased separately. This Japanese company has a cooperative factory in China, but inspections are performed in Japan to guarantee the quality of the products. The minimum order quantity for export is 20 pairs per design and size, with a monthly maximum of 25,000 pairs.
The Japanese company aims to work with EU partners under distribution services and commercial agency agreements to spread this footwear as a method to prevent dementia patients getting lost while allowing them some freedom of movement. Ideally the EU partner should have experience in the healthcare or nursing care market in their local area. The Japanese company will proactively work with partners to provide the best footwear for the specific need, and is open to custom design requests.
Type (e.g. company, R&D institution…), field of industry and Role of Partner Sought:
The company is looking for partners that can function as distributors or agents in the EU that will help sell their footwear.
The ideal partner should have a good understanding of the local healthcare market in the targeted countries and needs to have an active network in specifically the elderly and dementia care, and is able to reach relevant specialty shops for example.
The company is also interested in reaching online sales companies, nursing and care goods sales companies’, or health products companies.
External code:
BOJP20200714001
