Date: November 13, 2025, 10:00–12:30 (JST)
Venue: Online / Seminar Room, 3rd Floor, Ito International Research Center, The University of Tokyo (for Speakers and related personnel)
Schedule:
●Toward Building a Bioeconomy Ecosystem (10 min)
Makiko Matsuo / Project Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy and the Institute for Future Initiatives, the University of Tokyo
●Keynote + Q&A (30 min + 10 min)
India Hook Bernard / Chief Executive Officer, Engineering Biology Research Consortium
●Break (10 min)
●Overview of Japanese landscape – Bioeconomy, biomanufacturing, from bench to social introduction: Presentations from Japanese Stakeholders (5–10 min each)
– Kentaro Morita / Director for Bio Strategy, Cabinet Office, Council for Science, Technology and Innovation
– Kanae Kurata / Director of Life Science Division, Ministry for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Ayano Yoshida / Deputy Director of Life Science Division, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
– Urara Kida / Deputy Director of Biotechnology Industry Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
– Shin-ichi Sakasegawa / Principal Research Manager, Biomanufacturing Process Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
– Hideki Koizumi / Director, Planning Department / Biomanufacturing Forum Secretariat, Japan Bioindustry Association
●Presentations from Participants (1– several min each)
– Takumi Ojima / Senior BioEngineer, Tech & Biz Development Div., Chitose Laboratory Corporation
– Soichiro Tsuda / CTO, bitBiome Inc
– Nariyoshi Shinomiya / Visiting Senior Researcher, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS)
●Panel Discussion India Hook Barnard (EBRC) and Japanese speakers
Organized by: The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy （SciREX STIG: Representative: Prof. Shiroyama)’s SciREX Co-Evolution Realization Program “Promoting Bio Manufacturing for Bio Economy: Visualization of Policy Issues and Institutional Design” (PI: Makiko Matsuo, The University of Tokyo)
Co-organized by: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) “Social Study on selection and deliberation regarding the application of advanced technologies such as genome editing to the field of food, agriculture, and environment” (Principal investigator: Masashi Tachikawa) , JST Green Technology of Excellence(GteX) “Establish next generation biomanufacturing platforms with a focus on microorganisms” (FY2023-2027) (PI: Prof. Honda, Osaka University), Bio-Digital Transformation (Bio DX) Industry-Academia Co-Creation Center (Project Leader: Prof. Yamamoto, Director, Center for Genome Editing Innovation)
Speakers’ profile:
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India Hook Bernard / Chief Executive Officer, Engineering Biology Research Consortium Dr. India Hook-Barnard is CEO of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC), focusing on synthetic biology, precision medicine, responsible innovation, and biosecurity. She collaborates across academia, industry, and government to advance engineering biology and grow the bioeconomy. Previously, she held senior roles at NIH’s Beyond 2020 initiative, the National Marrow Donor Program, and UC San Francisco, where she helped launch California’s precision medicine initiative. She earned her PhD in Microbiology-Medicine from the University of Missouri. |
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Kentaro Morita / Director for Bio Strategy, Cabinet Office, Council for Science, Technology and Innovation Education Osaka Prefecture University Professional Experience •April 2025 – Present Director for Bio Strategy Cabinet Office, Council for Science, Technology and Innovation •2004 – April 2025 Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Served in Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Production Bureau, Rural Development Bureau etc. |
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Kanae Kurata / Director of Life Science Division, Ministry for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) As Director of Life Science Division at Ministry for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Kanae KURATA has been responsible for enhancing fundamental research and AI for Science in the field of life science and bio-manufacturing as well as promoting early-stage medical and healthtech startups since April 2025. Prior to the current role, she had covered several STI policy areas including R&D strategies, budgetary issues, space technology and nuclear technology since joining MEXT in 2002. She also worked as a secondment at the Administration Office of the Kyushu University (2009-2011) and at the Embassy of Japan in the UK (2014-17) as a science attaché. |
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Ayano Yoshida / Deputy Director of Life Science Division, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Since April 2024, Ayano Yoshida has been responsible for enhancing basic research in the field of bio-manufacturing and neuroscience research in the current position. After joining the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in 2006, she engaged in a wide range of duties including bioethics and safety measures, as well as support for national research and development agencies. Also served on secondment to the Nuclear Regulation Authority and the Cabinet Office (Secretariat of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation). |
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Urara Kida / Deputy Director of Biotechnology Industry Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2018 and has since worked extensively on environmental and energy policy as well as international trade and cooperation. Her portfolio includes contributing to the design of Japan’s plastic resource circulation framework and promoting international collaboration in the energy sector. Since the summer of 2024, she has served in the Biotechnology Industry Division, driving the promotion of bio-manufacturing through R&D and demonstration projects, and fostering cross-sector and inter-ministerial partnerships to build a robust market ecosystem. |
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Shin-ichi Sakasegawa / Principal Research Manager, Biomanufacturing Process Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) He has served in the roles of Head of Enzyme R&D and Enzyme Sales and Marketing (~2023) in Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Japan. His specialties are Microbiology, Enzymology, Protein engineering and Clinical chemistry. https://researchmap.jp/sakasegawa_sb?lang=en |
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Hideki Koizumi / Director, Planning Department / Biomanufacturing Forum Secretariat, Japan Bioindustry Association Hideki Koizumi has held his current position since April 2024, on secondment from Kirin Holdings Company, Limited. At the Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA), he has been involved in the Biomanufacturing Forum from its inception and is responsible for coordinating the overall operations of the secretariat. He has played a key role in growing the forum’s participation to over 100 organizations and works to facilitate collaboration among industry, government, and academia to address common industry challenges toward the social implementation of biomanufacturing. |
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Makiko Matsuo / Project Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy and the Institute for Future Initiatives, the University of Tokyo Makiko Matsuo is currently serving as a Project Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy, the University of Tokyo, where she engages in teaching and research on topics within Science, Technology, and Innovation Governance (STIG program). She is also an affiliated faculty member of the Institute for Future Initiatives at the University of Tokyo. She serves as a member and advisor on multiple Japanese government councils and funding agencies. Her areas of concern are interdisciplinary in nature and cover analysis frameworks and approaches such as technology assessment, science and technology policy studies, governance research (technology governance, global health governance), risk research (risk governance, risk regulation, international harmonization), ELSI (Ethical, Legal, Social Implications/Issues), and RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation). Her applied fields of study include new biotechnology (genome editing and synthetic biology/engineering biology), food safety, and global health. https://researchmap.jp/makiko_matsuo?lang=en |