The Power to Connect
"What a joy it was to meet like-minded professionals!" exclaimed one of the participants at the June 25, 2023 Japan Night at the Japanese Consulate in Boston. "New energy is just pouring in, and I feel like I want to start something exciting when I come to Silicon Valley or Boston." Many of the Japan Night participants came to the event directly from the BIO International Convention, a week-long conference on biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, and still had BIO badges hanging around their necks.
With its combination of historic charm and chic elegance, Boston may be the perfect place to nurture innovation among bio-technology companies. The Japan Night event was charged with excited discussion amongst more than 200 guests from bio startups, pharmaceuticals, venture capital, government organizations and media. The upbeat facilitation of the event by Ms. Yumi Sakai, the MC, fueled even more excitement in the conference room, where many participants renewed their commitment and responsibility to lead Japan's biopharma industry.
Bringing Innovators Together
The event began with a cocktail social, followed by two panel discussions, and concluded with a networking session for the participants. The first panel discussed the importance of being connected with Japan and the rest of the world, while the second panel focused on the willingness of Japanese firms to go global and participate in new overseas markets. "Connect" and "Go Global," are not traditionally strong points of the Japanese biopharma industry, but are now being recognized as essential strategies going forward, and transformation is taking place. The enthusiasm of the attendees at the Japan Night in Boston remained high throughout the evening, which concluded with everyone holding up their hands to form the letter "L" in appreciation of the event sponsor "L"INK-J.
One American attendee remarked that it is important for Japanese companies to continue to leverage their strengths, such as their cutting-edge expertise in areas from medical devices to drug manufacturing, which are major draws for foreign companies that are eager to engage with Japan. The Japan Night event in Boston was completely sold out, demonstrating the strong interest among local and visiting professionals. The success of this event demonstrates that Japan continues to build on its reputation as a global innovator.
55,000 Opportunities
"I have scheduled more than 10 meetings for the next day," one university-affiliated venture capitalist commented. There were 15,000 participants at the 2023 BIO International Convention in Boston, and some 55,000 business meetings were scheduled during the conference. Those represent 55,000 potential opportunities for collaboration among biotechnology companies!
Japan Night in Boston provided new opportunities for Japanese and American companies to connect and explore possible opportunities to work together in the future. The distinguished guests and industry leaders who attended Japan Night in Boston were excited by its success, and hope that LINK-J will provide a new conduit for Japanese companies and scientists seeking to "Connect" and "Go Global."
Distinguished guests at the Japan Night included:
Mr. Kotaro Suzuki, Consulate-General, Consulate-General of Japan in Boston
Mr. Osamu Nagayama, President, Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA)
Mr. Tatsuro Kosaka, Chair, Committee on Bioeconomy, KEIDANREN (Japan Business Federation)
Mr. Kazushige Tanaka, Deputy Director-General, Commerce and Service Industry Policy Group
Contributed by Chiyo Kobayashi, Washington CORE, Washington CORE
Washington CORE, a global research and consulting firm based in Bethesda, MD, is proud to support LINK-J's work as a bridge between Japan and the U.S., encouraging new international collaborations among innovators!
