Yokohama City has begun a new partner project with Life Science Innovation Network Japan (LINK-J) that aims to strengthen and connect life science networks in the USA and Japan. In August of 2019, Yokohama and LINK-J signed an MOU for collaboration in the field of Life Sciences, and have been working since then to operate and share information on related events and opportunities. As a continuation of that partnership, the “Yokohama LINK-J Life Science Lounge@NYC” was established in October 6, 2022, staged out of the City of Yokohama’s Representative Office in New York. The goals of the Lounge will be to share information and conduct collaboration activities:
1. Information Sharing
Events focused on the Life Sciences will be held in the Lounge to share the latest news on the life sciences and business in the US. To celebrate the beginning of this new collaboration, the first seminar titled (tentatively) “The Latest in US Life Science: From Trends in Drug Discovery to VC Activities” has been scheduled for December 16th morning JST (December 15th evening EST) and will be streamed live from New York. More information and details on this seminar will be announced soon.
2. Collaboration Activities
Yokohama Companies* and LINK-J members will be welcome to temporary use of the Lounge for activities like meetings and exchanges with locally-operating experts from Japan. The Lounge may also serve these individuals as an opportunity to exchange information and connect with Yokohama City through the members of its NY Representative Office and their network in the US.
*Even prior to the establishment of the Lounge, companies in Yokohama have been welcome to use the Representative Office’s extra meeting rooms and temporary desks when traveling to the US on business trips as one of the support options the Office offers to companies entering the US market. This support will remain available after the launch of the Lounge.
Yokohama Representative Office Entrance (Sign added digitally)
Yokohama – LINK-J Life Science Lounge@NYC
About LINK-J
LINK-J is a general incorporated association established in large part by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and volunteers from industry and academia. Based in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo, where pharmaceutical-related companies are concentrated, it aims to promote open innovation in the life science field through industry-government-academia collaboration and to support the creation of new industries. Link-J promotes interdisciplinary exchanges of people and technology between Japan and overseas, focusing on the life sciences—a complex field which alongside medical science also includes within its scope physics, engineering, and new technologies such as ICT and AI.
About Yokohama City’s MOU with LINK-J
Yokohama City is working to promote an environment conducive to innovation and supporting new ideas and new businesses, including support for SMEs and startups, with the aim of living up to the name “Innovation City Yokohama.” In order to further advance these efforts, in August 2019, Yokohama City signed a memorandum of understanding with LINK-J on mutual collaboration.
Click here for more details on the MOU (Japanese Only)
LINK-J’s Press Release on the “Life Science Lounge @ NYC” (Japanese):
