77th iCeMS Seminar: Prof. Yumiko Okamoto

Ever since the new strategy was launched by Scottish Enterprise in 1999, support for life sciences and the biotechnology industry has occupied an important place within economic and industrial policy discourse in Scotland. Stem cell research, in particular, has attracted strategic policy attention after the mid-2000s. This is because regenerative medicine (RM) using stem cell technology began to be regarded as a major source of innovation in healthcare in the twenty-first century. This paper examines Scottish policies for stem cell technology in light of the systems theory of innovation, using a before-and-after comparison approach. The concentration of resources in the development of key technologies such as stem cell technology is characteristic of the Scottish innovation system of life sciences. Over the last decade, Scotland has substantially improved its innovation system by enhancing its innovation capabilities and strengthening the network of key factors influencing stem cell innovation. Despite the major achievements made so far, stem-cell-driven regional development may still take time to emerge because the local pull of commercialization still is weak. Besides, technical change in this field still tends to be largely incremental rather than involving the introduction of entirely new methods. Long-term planning is required within the area of science and public policy.

Lecturer	Prof. Yumiko Okamoto Graduate School of Policy and Management Doshisha University
Title	Stem Cells as a Key Driver of the Knowledge Economy: Progress and Challenges Facing Scotland
Date / Time	April 25, 2011 / 16:00-17:30
Venue	2nd floor Seminar Room (#A207), Main Building iCeMS Complex 1, Kyoto University Directions
Flyer	PDF (356KB)
Host	Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University
Contact	iCeMS Innovation Management Group (IMG) sengoku-g@icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp