Biotech Industry Executives Visit the iCeMS on JETRO Tour

February 25, 2011

A delegation of international biotech industry executives paid a visit to Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) on February 17 to learn about the institute's research activities and explore possible business opportunities.

Dr. Kodama leading the group
on a tour of the main building.

The visit to Kyoto University, part of a five-day tour of the Kansai region organized by the Osaka office of JETRO (the Japan External Trade Organization) together with the Osaka and Kyoto Prefectural Governments and Kyoto Research Park (KRP), was led by Ms. Ayaka Nomura of JETRO, Mr. Shigeo Yamamoto of the Investment Promotion Division of Osaka Prefecture, Mr. Nobuhiko Hamada of the Investment and Tourism Promotion Division of Kyoto Prefecture, and Mr. Makoto Shida of KRP. The participants included senior executives from biotech venture companies based in Portugal, Scotland, Taiwan, and the United States.

At the iCeMS the group met with Director Norio Nakatsuji, and following a general overview of the institute by Dr. Nakatsuji, they engaged in a discussion covering research progress at the institute as well as areas of possible cooperation. The delegation was then led by Dr. Hiroyuki Kodama of the iCeMS Innovation Management Group on a tour of the main building and also of the new research building at iCeMS Complex 2, before boarding a bus to head to KRP.