Post by Mika Fukutomi

Over the weekend, I noticed that an article I wrote back in April 2025 - Japan Has a Succession Problem (link in first comment) - was referenced in an article by Frédéric Gross (Geneva). The SME succession problem I have been exploring is not a local problem. It is a structural shift across all mature economies. France is now making it a national priority - targeting the transfer of 500,000 businesses by 2036. Switzerland and Germany face similar dynamics. And in Japan, where demographic pressure is most advanced, the consequences - and the solutions - are already visible. What stands out is the framing: Business succession is not just about entrepreneurship. It is about economic continuity, employment, and sovereignty. It will be defined by integrated platforms that combine data, capital, and execution. We are at the beginning of a global transition. Hundreds of thousands of businesses will either: → successfully transfer or → quietly disappear The difference will come down to how seriously each country treats this as a system-level priority. Thank you, Frédéric, for bringing this discussion to the forefront in Europe. I would welcome more cross-border dialogue - there is far more convergence here than most people realize.