More than 150 Ohio executives explored potential collaboration opportunities from representatives of Japanese pharmaceutical and medical device companies at a special "BioSymposium" held recently in Columbus, Ohio.

This event, organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO Chicago) and Omeris, Ohio's bioscience accelerator, is testimony to the growing relationship between Japan and the Ohio life science community. In June 2003, JETRO Chicago and Omeris presented the initial bio- event in Ohio, drawing more than 250 participants, including Ohio Governor Bob Taft.

Japan is Ohio's largest single-country source of foreign direct investment, with more than 300 facilities employing nearly 70,000 Ohioans, and the destination for over $1.2 billion in Ohio exports in 2002. JETRO continues to work to bring Ohio and Japan's businesses together.

This effort will be assisted by Governor Taft's announced Ohio Business and Investment Mission to Japan in September of this year. The mission is designed to promote Ohio's strengths in areas such as advanced manufacturing and biosciences to potential business partners, and will coincide with JETRO's Midwest biotechnology mission to Tokyo, September 25- October 1, 2004.

"Last year we focused on introductions," said Tony Dennis, president of Omeris. "Since then, activity and conversations have created relationships. So this year, our focus will be on converting the relationships into business between Ohio and Japanese bioscience interests."

"Working with the state of Ohio is like a 'case-study' of cooperation," according to Tomoharu Washio, Chief Executive Director of JETRO Chicago. "We are seeing the private sector and government, large companies and small businesses, civic and professional organizations, all working together to develop new partnerships and growth...in both Ohio and Japan. Japan has the second largest bioscience industry behind the US. With the rapidly developing biotech industry in Ohio, we expect to see the continued growth of life science partnerships with Japanese collaborators."

In the summer of 2002, JETRO Chicago was recognized by the Ohio House of Representatives for its efforts to strengthen socio-economic ties between the state and Japan.

This year, the program will provide an expansive look at ventures involving medical devices and life science technologies. Three major panel discussions highlight the programme, and will feature top industry speakers including: Chuck Immel of STERIS Corporation; Kenichi Nishimura of ABX Diagnostics, Inc. (a group company of Horiba Instruments); Andrew Hull of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America; Ohio Department of Development Director Bruce Johnson; John Patrick of Philips Medical Systems; Masakazu Kobayashi of Fujisawa Research Institute of America, Inc.; Chris Littel of Ethicon Endo-Surgery; Masahiro Takahashi of Performance Controls, Inc. (a group company of Hitachi Medical Corporation); Junichi Nakagawa of JETRO New York; Richard Adams of Battelle Memorial Institute; Tadashi Matsumoto of ReqMed Company, Ltd.; Niko Drivas of TAP Pharmaceutical Products, Inc.; along with Tony Dennis of Omeris and Tomoharu Washio of JETRO Chicago.

- (JETRO Chicago)