The first Israeli business delegation will arrive in Tokyo on 12 Menachem Av as part of an agreement on R&D cooperation signed between Israel and Japan. The delegation will include representatives of Israeli life sciences firms, including companies in the fields of pharma, medical equipment, agro-biotech, diagnostics and health IT.

Israeli Minister of Economy, Aryeh Deri, said “Developing Israel’s economic ties with Japan and cooperation in the areas of science, technology and commerce are important in view of Japan’s significance and its regional status. This growing cooperation will enable Israeli companies to be exposed to new markets and to develop in the region.”

The cooperation agreement signed between the governments of Israel and Japan enables parallel support of joint R&D projects and helps Israeli and Japanese companies find R&D partners. The agreement is being implemented by the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy.

The delegation was jointly organized by the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, The Israeli Industry Center of Research and Development (MATIMOP) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The delegation will be led by the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, Avi Hasson.

As part of the delegation’s itinerary, Israeli representatives will visit several major players in Japanese industry, including major medical companies. In addition, the representatives will take part in a seminar on Japanese regulations related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices and in a networking event which will include presentations and B2B meetings with Japanese companies.

Members of the delegation will learn about the Japanese bio-tech market and about the extensive routes for investment, cooperation, and other business opportunities which will also help Japanese companies with business development.

Among the Israeli companies represented in the delegation, are: AB Dental Devices Ltd., Can-Fite BioPharma, Emerald Medical Applications, EyeYon Medical, Kamada, Moebius Medical Ltd., NeviMed, NovellusDx, Pluristem, PolyPid Ltd., STI Laser Industries, TechsoMed and TransAlgae Israel Ltd.

Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy –responsible for international activity in industrial R&D, said: “The current period in which large Japanese companies are looking for new engines of growth through innovation in business and technology can be a great window of opportunity for Israeli companies in general and for startups in all fields of technology in particular.”

Noa Asher, Trade Representatives for the Israeli Ministry of Economy in Japan, said “The life sciences field is one of the target sectors of our trade mission. Japan, which suffers negative population growth, invests 9.3% of its GDP in its health system. The Japanese pharmaceuticals market is the second-largest in the world and the Japanese government is acting vigorously to revamp its health system.”

Chief Scientist Avi Hasson will begin his visit to Japan on Tuesday. During his stay, he will hold a first-of-its-kind meeting with representatives of METI where he will discuss cooperation between the two countries, conduct a policy overview, discuss the innovation ecosystem of both countries and plan future activities.

Additionally, the Chief Scientist will visit multinational Japanese companies like Fujitsu, Panasonic, NTT and DNP. The Chief Scientist will head a committee to approve the first seven projects submitted under the R&D agreement’s 1st Call for Proposals. Hasson will also visit Japan’s leading National Institute of Advanced Sciences and Technology (AIST) and will address a recently installed Japanese governmental agency, the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI).

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)