MAREC (Research and Education Center for SME M&A) Releases "SME M&A White Paper <2026-27 Edition>" on May 18

The Research and Education Center for SME M&A (hereinafter, MAREC / Location: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture / Director: Hirofumi Uchida), within the Graduate School of Business Administration at Kobe University, which has an industry-academia collaboration agreement with Nihon M&A Center Holdings Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo / President and CEO: Taku Miyake), has released the book "SME M&A White Paper <2026-27 Edition>" from Chuo Keizai Sha on Monday, May 18, 2026. Purpose of the Publication As Japan's social and economic structure undergoes significant changes and the aging of SME business owners progresses, the importance of SME M&A is increasing to maintain and improve corporate productivity and bring about sustainable growth in regional economies. However, the actual situation has not been sufficiently clarified due to a lack of data, making it difficult to discuss practical improvements and necessary measures based on objective evidence. This book is an attempt to improve this situation by organizing and clarifying the data on SME M&A in Japan. This revised <2026-27 Edition> not only updates the SME M&A brokerage data used in the previous <2024-25 Edition> to grasp the current situation (Chapter 3), but also adds new analysis using buyer company survey data (Chapter 4). Furthermore, it conducts data-based examinations on several important topics related to SME M&A (the existence of emotional pricing, handling of management guarantees, development and challenges of the brokerage industry, involvement of private equity funds, and policy measures) (Chapter 5). We believe that the various pieces of evidence presented in this book will provide useful insights for solving the social issues faced by Japanese SMEs, the decline of regional economies, and ultimately, the stagnation of the Japanese economy. Book Overview "SME M&A White Paper <2026-27 Edition>" Editor: MAREC (Research and Education Center for SME M&A, Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University) Publisher: Chuo Keizai Sha Price: 2,200 JPY (tax included) Details: https://www.nihon-ma.co.jp/groups/publication/978-4-502-58151-9.html 5th Annual Symposium of the Research and Education Center for SME M&A "Current Status and Challenges of SME M&A ~Dialogue Based on Evidence~" to be held. On Friday, June 5, 2026, the 5th Annual Symposium of the Research and Education Center for SME M&A will be held. In addition to lectures from government agency perspectives and research reports by the white paper authors, external speakers will introduce trends in SME M&A utilizing PE funds. We look forward to the participation of students, researchers, business owners, and everyone involved in M&A activities who are interested in SME M&A. 【Event Outline】 Name: 5th Annual Symposium of the Research and Education Center for SME M&A "Current Status and Challenges of SME M&A ~Dialogue Based on Evidence~" Date & Time: June 5, 2026 (Fri) 15:00-18:30 (Doors open 14:30) *Networking & business card exchange 18:30-19:00 Fee: Free Venue: Nihon M&A Center Tokyo Head Office "Seminar Room", 22nd Floor, Tekko Building, 1-8-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (2-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station "Yaesu North Exit") *Online participation is also possible through a hybrid format. Organizer: Research and Education Center for SME M&A (Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University) Support: NPO Research Institute for Applied Management (RIAM), M&A Support Institutions Association Sponsor: The M&A Research Society Details & Registration: Please register via the URL below. https://b.kobe-u.ac.jp/marec/event/20260605.html *Registration will close once capacity is reached. *Content may be subject to change without notice. 【What is the Research and Education Center for SME M&A (MAREC)?】 To solve the problems faced by SMEs, it is necessary not only to facilitate family business succession but also to build mechanisms for smooth third-party succession. It is also necessary to further develop existing businesses and create new businesses that can become the next pillars of growth. M&A is an important means to this end, and research that can contribute to the survival and sustainable growth of SMEs is expected. In September 2022, our company concluded an industry-academia collaboration agreement with the Graduate School of Business Administration at Kobe University to promote research and education on SME M&A. To jointly promote this project, we established the Research and Education Center for SME M&A (MAREC) within the graduate school and are advancing joint research. 【Nihon M&A Center Holdings Inc. (TSE Prime: 2127)】 Company Name: Nihon M&A Center Holdings Inc. Headquarters: 24th Floor, Tekko Building, 1-8-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Business Activities: Management of group companies, etc. Established: April 1991 Locations: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Okinawa, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand (including locations of local subsidiaries and consolidated subsidiary Nihon M&A Center) 【Contact for this matter】 Nihon M&A Center Holdings Inc. Public Relations pr@nihon-ma.co.jp