Messages of Support

Ultimately, my reason for doing science is to help patients and society as a whole.
The road from basic research to practical application, however, is extraordinarily long and requires the contributions of countless researchers. This is certainly true for iPS cells, which are the culmination of milestone discoveries over many decades.
To see new ideas and great discoveries in the life sciences come to a stage where we can change patient lives for the better gives me tremendous fulfilment as a scientist. LINK-J is acting as an accelerator that pushes these discoveries into new industries. This is why I believe LINK-J will help create new innovations and why I have joined as a member of the Management Advisory Committee.

At Biocom, we are dedicated to fostering collaborations and building bridges from Southern California to life science clusters around the globe. On behalf of our members, we create partnerships between our top tier research institutes, academic organizations, government entities, and industry leaders.
Throughout our 20-year history, we have cultivated one of the most successful life science clusters in the world. Biocom recognizes Japan's strong commitment to the life sciences. Through our Biocom Japan Program, we have welcomed more than 30 companies as Biocom members. The creation of the Life Science Innovation Network-Japan is another exciting step forward in the development of a strong bridge between our two markets.
We would like to congratulate Aki Sayama on being appointed President and CEO of this new organization that would drive growth and innovation in areas such as bioengineering, medical devices, and regenerative medicine. We look forward to working collaboratively with the Life Science Innovation Network-Japan and to collaborating with Japan's life science companies to offer the resources and expertise they need to thrive. It is our vision to see Southern California and Japan gathered together at Nihonbashi, working together to establish the city as an epicenter for Life Science Innovation.
From here in San Diego, we thank you for your partnership and we look forward to a strong and long-lasting relationship as we together accelerate the exceptional research and development in our vibrant life science communities.

I offer my sincere congratulations on the establishment of the Life Science Innovation Network Japan. In San Diego, as well as in Japan, we know that building a biotechnology cluster requires academia, industry and government to collaborate. This collaboration may start at the initial research stage and continue all the way to commercialization.
I am pleased to report that UC San Diego has established an office presence in the Nihonbashi Life Science Building. UC San Diego is eager to collaborate with Japanese partners to help solve the issues of a hyper-aging society. These issues are important to Japan and to the United States. This is why UC San Diego is so pleased to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with LINK-J. This Memorandum of Understanding is a great opportunity for UC San Diego researchers to interact with partners in Japan.
In addition, we consider our relationship with LINK-J as a way to mentor and support innovators and startup companies in Japan. We envision that Nihonbashi will serve as a hub to connect Japan to the business and innovation ecosystems in San Diego. This connection will accelerate and expand innovation in the life sciences and in related fields.
I sincerely thank you for this opportunity to collaborate with LINK-J. I have confidence that great results will come from our relationship.

Please click here for the press release on 27th July, 2016.