The Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas supports Yokohama-based companies in expanding their business overseas, developing collaboration with North American companies, and attracting overseas companies to Yokohama by building networks with companies, investors, startups, and other stakeholders across North America. Climate tech is one of the Office’s priority areas.

In addition to the transition toward decarbonization, changes in supply chains, the growing use of AI, and advances in manufacturing technologies are reshaping the business environment surrounding the chemical industry. To explore how these changes can create new opportunities for collaboration between Japan and the United States, the Yokohama Americas Office hosted the online event “The Future of the Chemical Industry: Building Industrial Resilience through Innovation and Startup Collaboration” on August 25, 2026 in the United States and August 26 in Japan.

The event was organized as part of the Office’s efforts to promote collaboration between Japanese companies and North American companies and startups in the chemical industry, in cooperation with Greennex Global, ShibuLA Ventures, and CleanLeap.

In an introductory presentation, Natalie O’Neil of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) introduced the activities of AIChE’s RAPID Manufacturing Institute. She highlighted the importance of communities and collaborative platforms that connect companies, universities, research institutions, and other stakeholders in advancing innovation in the chemical and manufacturing sectors. She also shared perspectives on building organizations and partnerships that can respond effectively to change.

The presentation was followed by a panel discussion moderated by O’Neil, featuring Stephanie Potisek Lee of Dow, Shinjiro Takeshita of Chiyoda International Corporation, and Aaron Parr of inRoot.io. Representing a major corporation, an engineering company, and a startup, the panelists exchanged perspectives on changes in the chemical industry’s business environment, technology commercialization and scale-up, collaboration between corporations and startups, and opportunities for cooperation between Japan and the United States.

The Yokohama Americas Office continues to build long-term relationships with companies, investors, startups, and support organizations across North America. Through webinars, in-person events, and other opportunities in the United States, the Office will continue to expand connections between Yokohama-based companies and North American companies and startups, with the aim of creating new business collaboration and opportunities.

The next program will be held in New York on September 25 during Climate Week NYC 2026, with the “Global Forum on Circular Economy and Urban Resilience.” An additional in-person event is also planned for the San Francisco Bay Area on October 6. Through these initiatives, the Yokohama Americas Office will continue to strengthen innovation connections between Japan and the United States, with Yokohama serving as a gateway between the two markets.