Tokyo, Japan, December 19, 2017 - Life Science Innovation Network Japan, Inc. (LINK-J), an incorporated association founded by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (Mitsui Fudosan) and a group of volunteers from academia, and Mitsui Fudosan is pleased to announce that LINK-J signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with One Nucleus (Headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom; Representative: Tony Jones; hereinafter "One Nucleus"), Europe's largest life science organization, on December 15, 2017 in London, the United Kingdom for the purpose of creating innovations inlife science.
Akihiko Soyama, Director,President and Chief Executive Officer of LINK-J, and Tony Jones, Chief Executive Officer of One Nucleus
One Nucleus is Europe's largest life science organization, boasting 470 members including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and medical equipment manufacturers headquartered in the United Kingdom, together with a number of the world's top-ranked universities. Based on the MOU, LINK-J and One Nucleus have agreed to provide a boost to commercialization and industrialization in life science and will mutually cooperate in creating new industries through open innovation over the next five years.
LINK-J signed MOUs on business collaboration with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and BIOCOM (life science group in San Diego, the United States) in May 2016, Eurobiomed (life science group in southern France) in June 2017 and Kyoto Research Park Corp. (Japan's first research park operated by a private-sector company) in July 2017 for the purpose of creating innovation in the life science area. The partnership with One Nucleus this time will be the fifth such case. LINK-J will enhance its presence as a global hub in life science by expanding partnerships with life science organizations in Japan and overseas, including the this collaboration.
Tony Jones, Chief Executive Officer of One Nucleus, commented on the partnership: "This partnership is very important for One Nucleus, as it will enable our members to build a global network. We like to promote the partnership in the future so that we will be able to exchange innovative ideas and investment projects. We want to further deepen the partnership with LINK-J so that our members will enjoy greater benefits and that remarkable accomplishments will be generated."
Akihiko Soyama, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of LINK-J, added: "I am delighted that we have reached the partnership with One Nucleus, the largest life science group in Europe. We will contribute to the creation of new value through interaction between LINK-J and One Nucleus and continue to make a contribution to the growth of the life science industry as a whole by deepening partnerships with life science organizations in Japan and overseas."
LINK-J and Mitsui Fudosan aim to contribute to the development of the life science industry in Japan and help solve issues for the good health and longevity of people worldwide by encouraging the creation of life science innovation and extending support to the creation of new industries.
■ One Nucleus
One Nucleus is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1997. Headquartered in Cambridge, the center of life science and healthcare clusters in Europe, it supports organizations, companies and individuals that engage in activities within the region. As of December 2017, the number of members stood at 470, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and medical equipment manufacturers headquartered in the United Kingdom, as well as a number of the world's leading universities, make it the largest life science group in Europe. For more details, please visit its website.
■ Life Science Innovation Network Japan, Inc. (LINK-J)
LINK-J is a general incorporated association established by Mitsui Fudosan and volunteers from academic circles. With its base in the Nihonbashi area, home to a number of pharmaceutical companies, LINK-J aims to promote open innovation in the life science realm through industry-government-academia cooperation and to extend support to the creation of new industries. As a platform for the entire life science area, namely the area where all sciences are combined, ranging from medicine to science and further to engineering or new technologies, such as information and communication technology (ICT) or artificial intelligence (AI), it will accelerate interdisciplinary human and technological exchange. The number of members has exceeded 180, including corporations and individuals, in the year and a half since recruitment began. For more details, please visit its website.