Working Across Industries: Building the Business Ecosystems of Tomorrow

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On April 22, 2025, something special happened at the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo. Leaders from sectors as diverse as mobility, aviation, technology, entertainment, and design came together for a conversation that felt both urgent and full of possibility.

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The event, titled “Working Across Industries: Building Next-Generation Business Ecosystems,” was part of Mormedi’s ongoing Business Ecosystems Initiative, a global effort to spark collaboration across industries and explore new ways of tackling complex, shared challenges. With support from ICEX and the Embassy of Spain in Japan, the evening offered more than presentations. It was a space for reflection, learning, and, most importantly, connection.

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Opening: Framing the Future

The evening opened with a welcome from Jaime Moreno, Mormedi’s CEO, who set the tone with a clear message: “This Embassy is more than a venue, it’s a symbol of dialogue between cultures and disciplines. And that’s what tonight is about.”

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H.E. Mr. Iñigo de Palacio, Spanish Ambassador to Japan, echoed that idea, emphasizing the role of cooperation in today’s fast-changing world:
“True innovation doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens when different voices come together.”

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Maruan El Mahgiub, Mormedi’s VP, then introduced the purpose behind the Business Ecosystems Initiative:
“Technology is breaking down barriers between industries. At the same time, the challenges we’re all facing, whether societal, environmental, or digital, are too big for any one player to solve alone. We need to build ecosystems. And ecosystems start with people.”

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Sharing Perspectives: Five Voices, One Direction

To kick things off, five panelists shared short talks about how they have been working across industries and what they’ve learned along the way.

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• Fabio Filippini, former Chief Creative Officer at Pininfarina and now founder of Accaeffe Creative Consulting, spoke about using design as a bridge between worlds. From cars to luxury watches to gaming, he’s worked at the edges where new value is created:

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“Design helps people from different sectors understand each other. It’s not just about making things look good. It’s about building connections.”

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• Daiki Akutsu from Japan Airlines described how JAL is turning its in-flight entertainment systems into open platforms that offer more than just movies:

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“We’re looking beyond the flight. How do we create experiences that follow passengers from departure to arrival and make them feel seen along the way?”

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• Tomoki Kusuyama of Fujitsu talked about mobility not as a product, but as a service that connects people to healthcare, community, and care:

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“In an aging society like Japan, we can’t treat mobility, health, and infrastructure as separate conversations.”

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• Bastien Janus from Nissan brought a pragmatic perspective to the discussion, highlighting what it really takes to make partnerships work:

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“Everyone loves the idea of collaboration. But you need structure. You need alignment. And most of all, you need trust between people who’ve never worked together before.”

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• Daisuke Ishii, from Sony Group and Sony Honda Mobility, focused on emotion:

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“Mobility is about more than movement. It’s about how people feel as they move, how they connect to their environment and to each other.”

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Building Ecosystems: The Panel Conversation

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After the individual talks, a panel moderated by Maruan El Mahgiub unfolded naturally across four key themes, surfacing both challenges and opportunities of working across industries.

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The first question was simple: Why are ecosystems becoming so important now?

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The answer was equally clear: because no one can go it alone anymore.

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As Tomoki Kusuyama put it:
“The problems we face, climate, aging, complexity, don’t belong to one sector. We need each other.”

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Fabio Filippini added:
“Innovation happens when you leave your comfort zone. That’s where new ideas live.”

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Bastien Janus summed it up:
“We’re not talking about supply chains anymore, we’re talking about value constellations.”

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Next, the discussion turned to what kind of value cross-industry collaboration actually creates.

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Daiki Akutsu shared how JAL is rethinking its in-flight services through partnerships that extend beyond aviation:
“Wellness, content, personalization—these are things we can’t develop alone.”

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Fabio reflected on his work with BVLGARI and Gran Turismo:
“We created something that neither luxury nor gaming could have imagined on their own.”

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For Daisuke Ishii, the key lies in emotion:
“We’re designing experiences that people remember, not because they’re flashy, but because they make them feel something.”

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The third topic focused on how organizations must change internally to make collaboration possible.
It was a moment of honesty.

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“The friction isn’t always external,” said Bastien.

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“It’s internal. Teams speak different languages, timelines don’t match, and priorities collide.”

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Daisuke described the cultural work behind Sony Honda Mobility:
“We had to create rituals, moments to share stories and rebuild trust.”

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Daiki offered a candid reflection:
“Opening up to others means rethinking how you operate. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”

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Finally, the panelists looked to the future: What would you build next if collaboration had no limits?

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Tomoki imagined autonomous mobility services delivering healthcare and community care in aging cities.

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Fabio dreamed of a vehicle co-created with sound designers and wellness experts:
“A space that responds to how you feel, not just how fast you want to go.”

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Daisuke offered a quiet challenge to everyone in the room:
“Let’s stop designing ecosystems for efficiency. Let’s design them for belonging.”

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Looking Ahead: This Is Just the Beginning

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As the evening came to a close, the energy in the room felt different—calmer, more focused, more connected.
People weren’t talking about projects anymore. They were talking about possibilities.

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In his final reflection, Maruan El Mahgiub reminded everyone that building ecosystems takes time, courage, and collaboration:
“These aren’t things we can design in isolation. They’re built together, slowly, intentionally, with people we learn to trust.”

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For Tomás Moreno, Head of Growth at Mormedi, the event was a clear signal that this way of working is not just desirable—it’s essential:
“We believe the most important transformations won’t come from within industries, but between them. That’s where the future is taking shape, and that’s where we want to be.”

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This gathering in Tokyo was just one step in a much bigger journey.
Throughout 2025, Mormedi’s Business Ecosystems Initiative will continue to grow, with new events, new voices, and new experiments in how we collaborate.

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