On June 25, 2026, LINK-J and the Institute for the Global Entrepreneur (IGE) at UC San Diego co-hosted the San Diego - Japan Innovators’ Dialogue at Franklin Antonio Hall, UC San Diego, during BIO International Convention Week.
This invitation-only program was created to promote collaboration between the life science and biotechnology ecosystems of Japan and San Diego. Participants included startup CEOs, entrepreneurs, academic founders, ecosystem stakeholders, and experts in research and development, business development, and regulatory affairs. (Organized by LINK-J and the Institute for the Global Entrepreneur (IGE), with support from CEO360)
Opening/Welcome remarks
The program began with welcome remarks from Shunichi Takahashi of LINK-J, Corinne Peek-Asa (Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at UC San Diego) and Dennis Abremski(Executive Director, Institute for the Global Entrepreneur, UC San Diego). They emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between Japan and San Diego and fostering new opportunities for cross-border collaboration.
Shunichi Takahashi, Ph.D., CEO of LINK-J
Corinne Peek-Asa, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, UC San Diego
Dennis Abremski, Executive Director, Institute for the Global Entrepreneur, UC San Diego
Keynote Speeches
Keynote presentations were delivered by Albert P. Pisano (Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering and Special Adviser to the Chancellor at UC San Diego) and Joe Panetta (President Emeritus of Biocom California). They shared insights on the strengths of the San Diego innovation ecosystem and future opportunities for collaboration between the two regions.
Albert P. Pisano, Dean, Jacobs School of Engineering, and Special Adviser to the Chancellor, UC San Diego
Joe Panetta, President Emeritus, Biocom California
Introductory Pitch Presentations
The pitch session featured six startup and research teams from Japan and San Diego. Representatives from Crafton Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Vesica AI, and Professor Masato Fujioka of Kitasato University presented from Japan, while Acurion, Inc., CircuCare Inc., and ReBloodRx represented San Diego. The presentations introduced innovative technologies and research initiatives while creating opportunities for future collaboration.
Roundtable Sessions
Participants joined roundtable discussions focused on Investment and Business Development / U.S. Market Entry. Facilitated by Robert Hill, Nick Mourlas, Michael Schilling, and Eyram Adjogatse, the sessions encouraged practical discussions and active exchanges among participants from both countries.
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Networking Reception
The event concluded with a networking reception, where attendees continued discussions and expanded their professional networks across the Japan and San Diego life science communities.
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Participants highlighted the value of interacting directly with key stakeholders from the UC San Diego and San Diego ecosystems and appreciated the opportunity for meaningful discussions in a focused setting.
"It was great to meet with key persons from UCSD and SD ecosystem."
"The intimate atmosphere and quality participants made this a worth-while event."
"It was a very impressive and tremendous event for me because I gained valuable insights into how projects are driven from the academic side."
LINK-J sincerely thanks all participants, speakers, and supporting organizations for making the event a success.
