In 2011 teaching and research staff from Meiji University in Tokyo, along with research students, visited Liverpool to look at UK models of social enterprise, delivery mechanisms, legal structures, social impact and social enterprise support structures. The visit was organised by Liverpool Vision and Symbiont hosted the visitors, giving a tour of local social enterprises and engaging in direct dialogue regarding the social enterprise sector in Liverpool and the UK.
In 2012, Professor Yuichiro Nakagawa and Kubo Yoshichika from Meiji University, hosted a return visit from Symbiont to research the social enterprise environment in Japan, with a particular focus on support structures and mechanisms for would be social entrepreneurs, new start and established social enterprises.
The research concentrated on social entrepreneurs and social enterprises operating within the environmental sustainability sector in Japan. Visits were facilitated to the Juon Network, the Environmental Partnership Council and Eco-2000 amongst others, to discuss business development goals, needs and associated support available.
Research identified a number of support needs across the sector and culminated in the delivery of business development and growth training delivered by Symbiont to groups of environmental social entrepreneurs.
Building on the research, Symbiont is currently working to develop a range of online business support tools along with an EU/Asia Social Entrepreneur Network to connect social entrepreneurs from both regions.
