Government leaders of Japan and Germany announced a new partnership between the two countries to establish an Internet of Things (IoT) standard for commercial and industrial organizations.

Germany, a leader in the IoT market, will sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation with Japan sometime this month, according to Nikkei, establishing the two nations as IoT allies.

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We’re not sure what the agreement entails, but it sounds like regulation on trade and partnership between the countries will be relaxed. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that Japan will “work toward establishing international standards together with Germany, a country that also has a strong manufacturing industry.”

Trade agreements between two countries are not uncommon, especially when an industrial revolution might be occur in the next few years due to the advancements in automation from IoT technologies.



Japan looking for an IoT revolution to power economy

Japan’s economy is already seeing major changes with less manufacturing, less jobs, and higher debt. The IoT revolution might be a way for the country to get back on its feet, with new jobs on the horizon for programmers and business managers.

The prime minister also plans to create a panel for artificial intelligence by the end of the year. The panel will develop a roadmap for AI commercialization; another opportunity for Japan to add more jobs.

Artificial intelligence is a bit more commercialized in Japan than in the United States, with SoftBank Mobile launching the Pepper Robot and a hotel run entirely by robots in Nagasaki.

Germany and Japan’s agreement is not likely to affect the development of IoT in the United States or the rest of Europe. In fact, most partnerships are devoid of government intervention, at least for now, making the agreement largely a commitment to future collaboration more than anything else.