[National Knowledge-Based Manufacturing Conference 2024, April 12] Keynote Session: “How to Start Collaborations Between Mid-Sized and Small Companies and Startups”

Lifeness Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo; Representative Director and Group CEO: Yukihiro Maru) will host the National Knowledge-Based Manufacturing Conference 2024 on Friday, April 12, 2024. As part of the keynote sessions, a session titled “How to Get Started with Partnerships Between Mid-Sized and Small Companies and Startups” will be presented by practitioners who are actively implementing the “knowledge-based manufacturing” model through collaborations between mid-sized and small companies and startups.

If mid-sized and small businesses can set common goals with startups, they can become partners who enhance each other’s strengths and compensate for each other’s weaknesses. However, because various factors—such as corporate culture, mindsets, and business philosophies—differ between the two, it is crucial to consider the right approach to establishing initial contact and advancing collaboration. In this session, we will invite speakers from mid-sized and small businesses as well as startups that are currently engaged in such collaborations. They will delve into the specific outcomes achieved through these partnerships and share practical tips on how to initiate and advance these collaborations.

Mr. Yamaga of RealTech Holdings, which manages the RealTech Fund, will speak about the role and potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the perspective of someone who supports startups. We will also introduce examples of collaborations between SMEs and startups that are already underway.

speaker

Case Study 1: RealTech Fund’s Initiatives

Mr. Hajime Yamaga, Director and Executive Officer, RealTech Holdings Co., Ltd.
Born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Graduated from the Faculty of Economics at Tohoku University in 2009. After working in corporate planning at a research-and-development-focused semiconductor startup, he joined RealTech Holdings in 2015. In March 2020, he established the “Glocal Deep Tech Fund,” which invests in regionally-based real-tech ventures, with the goal of solving global challenges from a regional perspective. His primary investment areas include manufacturing sectors such as electronics and new materials.

Case Study 2 The Collaboration Between Tochigi Seiko and Intelligent Surface"A mid-sized company that develops medical devices on a contract basis has begun developing its own products through a partnership with a biomimetic technology startup."

Mr. Daiki Kawashima, President and CEO of Tochigi Seiko Co., Ltd.
He completed his graduate studies in Molecular Life Sciences at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. After working at a pharmaceutical company, he joined Tochigi Seiko in 2006 and assumed his current position in 2010. Since its founding, the company has specialized in the precision machining of metal and plastic pipes and tubes. After assuming his current position, he redefined the company as a “one-stop shop for tubes and pipes” and grew it into one of Japan’s leading medical device manufacturers. In particular, the company reigns as the Japanese market leader in disposable medical devices (primarily single-use, pre-sterilized hypodermic needles) and currently boasts a domestic market share of approximately 50 percent for dental anesthesia needles. In September 2023, the company established a new factory dedicated to medical device manufacturing to further expand its business. The company continues to play a leading role in revitalizing the regional economy, having received the “Tochigi Industrial Vitality Grand Prize (Special Award)” in 2014, been designated a “Regional Core Enterprise” in 2016, and recognized as a “Regional Future-Leading Enterprise” in 2017.

Mr. Yoshihiro Kiridōri, Representative Director, Intelligent Surface Co., Ltd.

After completing his doctoral program at the University of Tokyo, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and as a principal researcher at a university-spinoff startup, among other roles, before founding Intelligent Surface, Inc. in 2016 and assuming the position of CEO. He oversees research and development of MPC polymer coatings, which exhibit excellent biocompatibility. In addition to MPC polymers, he possesses extensive knowledge of biomaterials, including substances that make up biological tissues, such as phospholipids. Drawing on his experience working at a medical device development startup, he aims to bring MPC polymer coatings to practical application in society.

Case Study 3: Rebox × Cecil Research Collaboration—“Establishment of an Innovative System for Disinfection and Prevention of Marine Organism Fouling Using High-Brightness Blue-Light LED Devices”

Mr. Toru Shinohe, Marketing Team Leader, Sales Department, Rebox Co., Ltd.
He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Yamagata University in 2015. After working at a major telecommunications construction company, he joined Rebox Co., Ltd. in 2017. He has been involved in numerous development projects, from the planning and development to the launch of LED light sources designed to solve users’ lighting-related challenges. Drawing on the expertise he has cultivated thus far, he is now expanding his activities to focus primarily on developing new business areas and marketing.

Mr. Keiji Yamashita, Director, Cecil Research Co., Ltd.
Born in 1958 on the Goto Islands, Nagasaki Prefecture. Currently resides in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. Completed the Graduate School of Science at Kagoshima University in 1985. In 2004, he received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Tokyo. From 1992 to 1996, he served as an ERATO researcher at the New Technology Development Foundation (now the Japan Science and Technology Agency). In 2006, he founded Cecil Research Co., Ltd. and assumed the position of President and CEO. Since 2020, he has served as Director and Head of Research and Development.

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If you are interested in the realization of the knowledge-based manufacturing industry, please be sure to attend.

Overview

Date and Time: Friday, April 12, 2024
Venue: Ota City Industrial Plaza PiO, Main Exhibition Hall
(1-20-20 Minami-Kamata, Ota Ward, Tokyo)