The elections held in 2024 have proven challenging for governing parties worldwide, including Japan. Among the leaders who attended last year's G7 summit in Italy, only Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seems to continuously enjoy robust popular support. As new political structures take shape globally, the year 2025 is poised to be a year of significant upheaval for many nations.

     The new US administration under Donald Trump, who has been actively sharing specific policy ideas on social media since before taking office, is expected to be a major disruptive factor. On the other hand, in the context of the two ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East, it wouldn't be surprising if a ceasefire were to be realized, influenced by President Trump's actions.

     As anticipated at the start of 2024, the global economy remains sluggish, a trend likely to persist into 2025. Alongside the economic stagnation, China's overwhelming dominance and aggressive exports in green-related businesses have posed severe challenges to industries worldwide, while also causing backlash and delaying efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. In terms of both politics and economics, significant changes can increase risks for existing businesses. However, if one can engage in business that anticipates or takes into account these changes, it is also possible to turn these changes into major opportunities.

     The role of SCGR is to identify changes with a certain likelihood, envision multiple scenarios, detect actual signs of transformation and make business people informed. The more uncertain the future and the greater the change, the more critical our role is. Looking only at what we can see now in front of us would blind us to the future, but looking only ahead is often not useful for actual business. SCGR connects what lies in front of us to the future by seeing business with one eye while looking into macro movements with the other. It hopes that those who on the front lines of business keep eyes on macro trends by utilizing its analysis in order to formulate and execute their business strategies. In other words, it wants to serve the function to draw "an auxiliary line" to help connect the dots between macro trends and business. Furthermore, it aims for effective communication, which does not mean transmitting information for the sake of transmission only, but ensuring it resonates with the recipients. At the same time, it likes to become an organization that is appreciated and respected not only by the Sumitomo Corporation Group but also by public at large. In order to achieve such a mission, SCGR has identified its unique non-financial KPIs and improved the outcome through measuring them. Such a way of management has proved effective.

     SCGR, a group of experts and talented people, will further strive to bring out their individual strengths and provide useful input to important investment decisions and business judgments by Sumitomo Corporation.

     Thank you for your continued support.

January, 2025
Takayuki Sumita
President and CEO

Company Name	Sumitomo Corporation Global Research Co. Ltd.
Establishment Date	April 1, 2004
Paid-in Capital	50million yens
Stockholder	Sumitomo Corporation (100%)
President and CEO	Takayuki Sumita (Executive Officer, Assistant CSO, Sumitomo Corporation)
Board Directors	Director:   Atsushi Naiki Director:   Kazuhisa Fuji
Number of Employees	33
Office Location	OTEMACHI PLACE EAST TOWER 2-3-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8601 Japan
Business Description	Studies, analysis, research and consulting on issues related to domestic and international politics, economics and trade, etc.

(As of January 1, 2025)

Economic Analysis

By combining macro-economic information, such as Global and Japanese Economy, World Trade, with its in-house business oriented information, SCGR provides analysis and forecast of the economic environment around the world.

Market Analysis

By combining market information with in-house information derived from natural resources and energy trading and investment, SCGR offers their views on the current market trend and outlook of the international commodity market.

International Analysis

SCGR keeps track of developments in international affairs, as well as the political and economic situation of individual countries with country risk information, and provides views on the potential impact on our business operations world-wide.

Business Strategy Analysis

SCGR provides analyses of next generation businesses, technologies and environmental issues.

(As of January 1, 2025)