Registrations are closed due to full capacity. (Feb 10)
BioLabs has been changed to participate online. (Feb 18)
LINK-J, BioLabs, and Mitsui Fudosan have been selected by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for the “TIB CATAPULT (Cluster Creation Project for Challenging Global Innovation),” and have launched the operation of a startup incubation cluster in the life science field “LINK-BioBAY TOKYO”, a startup incubation cluster in the life science field.
Through the collaboration of the three parties with proven track records in Japan and the U.S., we will provide various support measures that will contribute to the global growth of Japanese life science startups.
As a kick-off event, we invite you to a lab tour and symposium.
1. Lab Tour
We will conduct a tour of Mitsui Link-Lab Shinkiba 2, one of the bases for TIB CATAPULT business.
Through the tour, participants will deepen their understanding of Mitsui Link Lab and TIB CATAPULT/LINK-BioBAY TOKYO.
2.TIB CATAPULT/LINK-BioBAY TOKYO Kick-off Symposium
Speeches, panel discussions, and networking will be held by speakers who are leading the creation of startup ecosystems in Japan and globally. We will also introduce new initiatives of TIB CATAPULT/LINK-BioBAY TOKYO.
We look forward to your participation if you are interested in the startup ecosystem!
<What is LINK-BioBAY TOKYO?>
- Innovation cluster selected for TIB CATAPULT
- Collaboration between LINK-J, Mitsui Fudosan, and BioLabs (global incubator)
- Establishment of Nihonbashi & Shinkiba life science startup incubation bases
- Provision of laboratory space, experimental equipment and other equipment, and business support programs
- Holding matching events and other events to promote exchange of human resources, assets, and funds
- Mentoring and incubation program provided by BioLabs
*On the same day, from 2:00 to 3:00pm, we will also host a pilot version of the startup support program that will start this spring.
If you are a life science startup, please join us! For further information, click here.
Date: Thu, February 20th, 2025 3:00-7:00pm (2:45 Doors Open, 3:00-4:00 Lab Tour, 4:00-7:00 Symposium and Networking)
Mitsui Link-Lab Shinkiba 2 Conference rooms ABCD
1-17-8, Shinkiba, Koutou-ku, Tokyo
(Opens an external site)
Registration due date
Wed, February 19th, 2025 12:00pm *Registration will close as soon as capacity is reached.
Please choose whether you will attend the Lab Tour or the Symposium, or both when you register.
If you would like to participate in both, please check "Lab Tour" and "Symposium" in the checkboxes.
Program
1. Lab Tour
| Time | Agenda |
| 2:45pm | Doors open |
| 3:00-4:00 | Lab tour of Mitsui Link-Lab Shinkiba 2 |
2. TIB CATAPULT/LINK-BioBAY TOKYO Kick-off Symposium
| Time | Agenda |
| 4:00-4:10pm | Opening Shunichi Takahashi, Ph.D. (President & Chief Operating Officer, LINK-J) Remarks from our honored guest Mr. Manabu Miyasaka (Vice Governor of Tokyo) *English |
| 4:10-4:30 | Keynote speech "Generation of therapeutics T cells from iPS cells for cancer immunology" Shin Kaneko, M.D., Ph.D. (Professor, Center for iPS Cell and Research Application, Kyoto University / Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba / Co-Founder, Shinobi Therapeutics Inc.) *Japanese |
| 4:30-5:00 | Introduction Hiroko Yasuga, Ph.D. (Producer, LINK-J) *Japanese Dr. Laura Stevens (Sr. Project Manager Business Development, BioLabs) or Ms. Susan Chase (Senior Vice President, Business Development, BioLabs) *English |
| 5:00-5:45 | Panel discussion and Q&A *English "Startup incubation in the context of the current Japanese Innovation Ecosystem" <Moderator> Tomoyoshi Koyanagi, Ph.D. (Program-Specific Professor, Director of Business Development Office, Institute for Advancement of Clinical and Translational Science (iACT), KYOTO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL) <Panelists> Mr. Kazuo Miyazaki (CEO, MiCAN Technologies Inc.) Takashi Futami, Ph.D. (Partner, AN Venture Partners） BioLabs LINK-J |
| 5:45-5:50 | Closing and announcement regarding LINK-BioBAY TOKYO program *Japanese LINK-J |
| 5:50-7:00 | Networking reception |
Language Lab Tour: Japanese / Symposium: Japanese and English *Simultaneous interpretation is available
Speakers
.jpg) | Mr. Manabu Miyasaka Vice Governor of Tokyo MIYASAKA Manabu started his carrier at Yahoo Japan Corporation in 1997 before served as Yahoo Japan’s CEO in 2012, later to become the Chairman of the Board in 2018. After leaving the company, he was appointed Counsellor to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in July 2019, became Vice Governor in September 2019 and was reappointed in September 2023, where he is promoting digitalisation of Tokyo Metropolitan Government as CIO. He leads the GovTech Tokyo, which has started its projects from September 2023, as the Representative Director. A believer in the power to accelerate progress of Tokyo to be the startup-friendliest city in the world, MIYASAKA directs SusHi Tech Tokyo, a global startup conference as the Executive Committee Chairman in May 2025. |
.jpg) | Professor, Center for iPS Cell and Research Application, Kyoto University / Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba / Co-Founder, Shinobi Therapeutics Inc. Shin Kaneko, M.D., Ph.D. Professor Shin Kaneko is affiliated with the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University. He holds a degree in medicine and a PhD from the University of Tsukuba. He then accepted a position as a lecturer of clinical hematology at the University of Tsukuba, where he conducted a clinical study of immune-gene therapy against relapsed leukemia. In 2005, he relocated to Milan, Italy, to accept the position of postdoctoral fellow at the San Raffaele Institute. He returned to Japan in 2008, where he began studying immuno-regeneration through iPSC technology as an Assistant Professor of the Division of Stem Cell Therapy at the University of Tokyo. In 2012, he relocated to Kyoto University as an Associate Professor, a position he has held since 2020. Concurrently, he serves as a Professor at the University of Tsukuba and as the director of Shinobi, a spinout bio-venture company from his laboratory. |
 | Tomoyoshi Koyanagi, Ph.D. Program-Specific Professor, Director of Business Development Office, Institute for Advancement of Clinical and Translational Science (iACT), KYOTO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Prof. Koyanagi is a highly accomplished business development professional with deep expertise in the medical startup ecosystem. At Kyoto University, he led collaborations between academia and major pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and telecommunications companies, driving next-generation medical innovations. Currently, he oversees partnerships between startups and the university hospital, acting as a key connector among global life sciences stakeholders. Since 2016, he has been the lead advisor for HVC KYOTO and co-founded the Research Studio program during his tenure as a professor at the University of Tsukuba’s Medical School. Prof. Koyanagi also brings extensive marketing and project management experience from his work with multinational corporations and startups. He earned his Ph.D. from Osaka University and completed post-doctoral training at Stanford University. |
 | Mr. Kazuo Miyazaki Chief Executive Officer, MiCAN Technologies, Inc. Kazuo Miyazaki established MiCAN Technologies Inc to accelerate R&D in infectious disease especially tropical disease using stem cell technologies in 2016. Because when he researched antibacterial drug in India, many colleagues suffered from Dengue/Malaria. He was shocked to see that there was still a threat of infectious disease in the world. he decided to support researcher providing research tools using his experience about stem cell technologies. He is developing blood cell products for infectious disease with scientists, and providing it. Currently he and MiCAN focus on developing diagnostic kit to support patient directly. |
 | Takashi Futami, Ph.D., MBA Partner, AN Venture Partners 15y experiences in R&D/CVC/Open Innovation/corporate planning in Pharmaceutical company and VC firms, including company creations. Takashi is also a specially appointed professor at Tohoku University, visiting professor at Nagoya University, visiting professor at Okayama University, fellow at Kyoto University, fellow at RIKEN, member of the Cabinet Office Global Startup Campus Initiative Expert Council, and expert committee member of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI), and is contributing to the revitalization of Japan's ecosystem. (Doctor of Medical Science, MBA) |
 | Dr. Laura Stevens (Sr. Project Manager Business Development, BioLabs) Laura Stevens, PhD, is a Senior Project Manager in the Business Development group at BioLabs. Biolabs is a global operator of laboratory co-working facilities for life science start-ups. Dr. Stevens manages BioLabs’ portfolio of business expansion projects, with a focus on new markets in North America and Asia. Dr. Stevens is also responsible for the development and deployment of enterprise-level company management processes to enable strategic growth, business case evaluation and feasibility, and efficient project execution. A scientist by training, Dr. Stevens has a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where her work focused on tissue regeneration and wound healing. Following graduate school, Dr. Stevens moved to Boston, MA, where she worked as a senior research scientist at multiple start-up pharmaceutical companies, developing small molecules targeting autoimmunity and inflammation indications. Transitioning to the business side of biotech, Dr. Stevens managed multi-national, high-throughput screening projects, as well as daily lab and business operations, for a an early-stage startup company developing inflammatory cell death therapeutics. As a former resident of BioLabs’ sister company, LabCentral, Dr. Stevens has first-hand experience as a user working within the BioLabs/LabCentral business model. Dr. Stevens is based at BioLabs’ headquarters office in Cambridge, MA. |
 | Ikuo Hayashi, Ph.D. General Manager, LINK-J After working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tokyo, he worked as a researcher at pharmaceutical companies both domestically and internationally. In May 2020, he joined the Bayer's Open Innovation Center Japan, where he was involved in managing startup support programs and shared labs. Since May 2023, he has been in his current position, contributing to the cultivation of the life sciences innovation ecosystem. He is a licensed pharmacist and holds an MBA from the University of California, San Diego. |
 | Hiroko Yasuga, Ph.D. Producer, LINK-J Worked as a research assistant in a pharmaceutical company before going to the UK, where studied immunology at Imperial College London (ICL). After studying at ICL, undertook doctoral research on autoimmune diseases at Nanyang Technological University/Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. Later, returned to Japan and worked in medical affairs for major pharmaceutical companies, where involved in pre-launch activities for new drugs in the immunology field and post-launch activities for drugs in the neurological disease field. Since July 2024, started the current position and contributing in fostering the life science innovation ecosystem, promoting overseas collaboration and the accelerator programme UNIKORN at the Life Science Innovation Network Japan (LINK-J). Doctor of Science. |
Target
Everyone is welcome! This event is especially recommended for business companies interested in collaboration with startups, life science startups, and those interested in supporting startups.
Participation Fee
Free
Capacity
60 people
Organizer
Organizer: LINK-J / Co-Organizer: Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd, BioLabs
Contact
LINK-J secretariat contact@link-j.org
