Cooperating with 13 organizations (including 7 overseas organizations) to further strengthen innovation
Life Science Innovation Network Japan (head office: Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; chairman of the board: Hideyuki Okano; hereinafter "LINK-J"), a general incorporated association based in Nihonbashi in Tokyo that supports the commercialization of seeds and ideas in the life sciences by promoting human and technology exchange, has concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation aimed at creating innovations in the life sciences with Osaka Prefectural Government. Osaka Prefectural Government has been actively involved in positioning the healthcare and medical industries as strategic drivers of its future growth. The MOU became effective on September 7, 2020. Aimed at further strengthening innovation in the life sciences, this MOU is the third signed with a municipal government following a previous MOU with Yokohama City, and the 13th partnership with a domestic or international organization.
Osaka Prefectural Government has been working on establishing a vibrant life science industry in Osaka by drawing on the strengths of the numerous pharmaceutical companies in Doshomachi of Osaka City as well as the outstanding universities and research institutions to promote collaboration between the industry, academia and the government. Currently, Osaka Prefectural Government is assisting with the formation of global clusters in the life sciences by consolidating strategic bases in the areas of Saito, Kento, and Nakanoshima. At the same time, it is working on creating an environment that is conducive to the growth of SMEs and venture companies by organizing business meetings with overseas companies in the same field within the prefecture.
Although LINK-J has collaborated with Osaka Prefectural Government on various initiatives in the past including the joint events, this MOU was concluded in order to further strengthen the partnership and undertake more joint initiatives as LINK-J seeks to pick up the pace of its activities in Osaka under "LINK-J WEST." This will allow for even closer collaboration and stronger support by leveraging their respective resources and networks to promote the organization of more joint events as well as collaboration with bioclusters in Japan and oversea.
This MOU with Osaka Prefectural Government is the 13th partnership signed by LINK-J following the MOUs concluded with academia and other organizations in Japan and oversea that are aimed at creating innovation in the life sciences. In the Kansai region, LINK-J has concluded MOU with Kyoto Research Park (KRP) in 2017 and with the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation (BRI, presently the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe) in 2018. Moving forward, LINK-J will will serve as a more influential global hub in the life sciences field by cooperating more broadly with additional life science organizations, both in Japan and internationally.
Nobuhiko Yamaguchi, Deputy Governor of Osaka Prefecture, has offered the following remarks on this partnership: "Osaka Prefectural Government is making every effort to promote healthcare and medical industries through initiatives between the industry, academia and the government, by leveraging the strengths of organizations working in the life sciences. Although we have collaborated with LINK-J to jointly organize events in the past, we look forward to creating innovation through our partnership with LINK-J WEST which will be launched in due course."
In addition, Vice Chairman of the Board Yoshiki Sawa has also remarked, "We are extremely pleased to announce that we will collaborate with the government of Osaka Prefecture, which is home to many pharmaceutical companies, bio-venture companies and academia, with the launch of LINK-J WEST. Moving forward, Osaka and Tokyo will look to further strengthen our existing partnership through the events by LINK-J and Osaka Prefecture, and we will support each other to contribute to the development of the entire life sciences industry."
In addition to generating new value within Osaka Prefecture, LINK-J also aims to strengthen the existing partnership between Osaka and Tokyo in the life sciences, thereby contributing to the creation of innovation across the entire Japan.