From February 26 to 28, the City of Yokohama participated in the BIOCOM Global Life Science Conference. The conference, which took place at a conference facility located within the scenic Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, was organized by BIOCOM (Biocom Life Science Association of California), the largest industry association dedicated to the life sciences in the Golden State.
This was the ninth meeting of the annual conference and more than 300 participants were in attendance. Participants from Japan have been increasing with over 30 attending this year, including companies, supporting organizations, and municipalities like Yokohama. It was the first time that Yokohama participated in the event.
The conference kicked off with a welcome reception on the evening of February 26, followed by a busy program including a Keynote by Dr. John Reed, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Research & Development at Sanofi S.A., various seminars, presentations, and 1-on-1 matching programs. City of Yokohama officials had meetings with companies interested in entering the Japan market and gained valuable insight on the future direction of the industry through programs such as the “What’s New in Biotech” panel discussion. On the evening of February 27, a networking reception was held where participants, inspired by the intensive and fruitful programs during the day, enjoyed connecting and sharing visions amid a relaxed atmosphere.
Before the conference, city officials also had the opportunity to visit the BIOCOM offices in San Diego, where they met with Joseph Panetta, President and Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Biocom Board of Directors, and Jiro Tony Fujita, Managing Director of Biocom Japan Consulting, to discuss preparations for the upcoming BioJapan 2019 (https://www.ics-expo.jp/biojapan/en/) to be held this October 9 – 11 in PACIFICO Yokohama, and future collaboration for the BIO International Convention (BIO 2020) to be held in San Diego in June 2020.
The City of Yokohama and BIOCOM signed an MOU in April 2017 in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the sister city alliance between Yokohama and San Diego and have since been working together to promote business exchange and cooperation between the two regions.
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