(Communicated by the Ministry of Economy)
The first Israeli business delegation will arrive on Tuesday (28 July 2015) in Tokyo as part of an agreement on R&D cooperation signed between Israel and Japan. The delegation will include representatives of Israeli life sciences firms, including companies in the fields of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, agro-biotech, diagnostics and health IT. The cooperation agreement signed between the governments of Israel and Japan enables parallel support of joint R&D projects and helps Israeli and Japanese companies find R&D partners.
Israeli Minister of Economy, Aryeh Machluf Deri, said: "Developing Israel's economic ties with Japan and cooperation in the areas of science, technology and commerce will enable Israeli companies to be exposed to new markets and to develop in the region."
The delegation was jointly organized by the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, the Israeli Industry Center of Research and Development (MATIMOP) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The delegation will be led by the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, Avi Hasson.
Members of the Israeli delegation will visit several major players in Japanese industry, including leading medical companies. In addition, they will take part in a seminar on Japanese regulations on pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and in a networking event which will include presentations and B2B meetings with Japanese companies. They will learn about the Japanese bio-tech market and about the extensive routes for investment, cooperation, and other business opportunities which will also help Japanese companies with business development.
Among the Israeli companies represented in the delegation, are: AB Dental Devices Ltd., Can-Fite BioPharma, Emerald Medical Applications, EyeYon Medical, Kamada, Moebius Medical Ltd., NeviMed, NovellusDx, Pluristem, PolyPid Ltd., STI Laser Industries, TechsoMed and TransAlgae Israel Ltd.
Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, said: "The current period in which large Japanese companies are looking for new engines of growth through innovation in business and technology can be a great window of opportunity for Israeli companies in general and for startups in all fields of technology in particular."
Noa Asher, Trade Representatives for the Israeli Ministry of Economy in Japan, said: "The life sciences field is one of the target sectors of our trade mission. Japan, which suffers negative population growth, invests 9.3% of its GDP in its health system. The Japanese pharmaceuticals market is the second-largest in the world and the Japanese government is acting vigorously to revamp its health system."
Chief Scientist Avi Hasson will head a committee to approve the first seven projects submitted under the R&D agreement's 1st Call for Proposals. Hasson will also visit Japan's leading National Institute of Advanced Sciences and Technology (AIST) and will address a recently installed Japanese governmental agency, the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI). He will also visit multinational Japanese companies like Fujitsu, Panasonic, NTT and DNP.
The Office of the Chief Scientist at the Israeli Ministry of Economy and MATIMOP invite all companies interested in finding Japanese partners for joint R&D or seeking funding for existing R&D partnerships to submit applications for funding and support. A
brief form available on the MATIMOP website can be filled out to begin the process.