Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster
- Date
- 2026.10.06
- Time
- 11:55 - 12:40
- Location
- Congrès Square Grand Green Osaka
With Nakanoshima Qross serving as a central hub, this session will explore the development of a globally connected bio and life sciences cluster that brings together pharmaceutical companies, investors, universities and research institutions, and startups from Japan and around the world. The ambition is to build a dynamic ecosystem that transforms Japan’s world-class scientific discoveries into globally competitive businesses and innovations.
To realize this vision, the session will discuss the potential of next-generation cell manufacturing platforms, including VMaCS (Value Chain Consortium for Development of Mass Cell Culture System), to accelerate the industrialization of regenerative medicine and other emerging fields of advanced healthcare. It will also examine how these capabilities can strengthen Japan’s global competitiveness, foster internationally competitive industries, and ultimately establish bio and life sciences as a new engine of growth for the Japanese economy.
Yoshiki Sawa
Professor Emeritus, The University of Osaka
President, Osaka Keisatsu Hospital
President/CEO, Organization of Future Medicine
Ayano Kagami
CIC Japan Innovation Services G.K.
CIC Catalyst APAC Director
Yoshiki Sawa
Professor Emeritus, The University of Osaka
President, Osaka Keisatsu Hospital
President/CEO, Organization of Future Medicine
- Biography
President/CEO, Organization of Future Medicine
Graduated from Osaka University Faculty of Medicine in 1980. In 1989, he studied in Germany as a Humboldt Foundation Fellow at the Department of Cardiac Physiology and the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the Max Planck Institute.
He later served as Professor and Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, and subsequently as Dean of Osaka University Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine. During his tenure, he also led the implementation of next-generation medicine as Director of the Center for Future Medical Innovation and Director of the International Medical Center at Osaka University Hospital.
He received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2020 and has received numerous other awards, including the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award for Industry-Academia-Government Collaboration and the Japan Medical Association Medical Award. He is a globally recognized authority in cardiovascular surgery and regenerative medicine, and will serve as President of the 32nd General Assembly of the Japan Medical Congress in April 2027.
- Panel Session
- Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster
Ayano Kagami
CIC Japan Innovation Services G.K.
CIC Catalyst APAC Director
- Biography
Ayano comes to CIC with passion to develop a biotech/healthcare startup ecosystem in Japan. She received a Ph.D. in molecular biology from The University of Tokyo before joining Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). At MEXT, she worked on policy making in the fields of life science and medicine, and was assigned to design the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). In 2017, she started to study at MIT’s System Design and Management program (SDM) where she engaged in the research about the difference of startup ecosystems especially in the life science field between Cambridge/Boston and several cities in the U.S. and Japan. After returning to Japan, she worked on the science, technology and innovation policy at the Cabinet Office and on research and development projects in the nuclear fusion field at MEXT until she joined CIC Japan in 2021.She manages programs which support deeptech startups and their expansion to the global market.
- Panel Session
- Shaping the Future of the Bio & Life Sciences Cluster