Mission dates: 05 - 09 Oct 2026

Are you active in the biotech, pharma, or related healthcare sectors and seeking business, technology, or collaboration opportunities in Japan? This autumn, the EU-Japan Centre invites EU SMEs, clusters and other eligible companies to join the Biotech Business Mission 2026. This mission offers a valuable opportunity to explore the Japanese market, meet potential partners and showcase your solutions. 

ABOUT THE MISSION

The Biotech Business Mission 2026 is designed for European companies and clusters seeking partnering opportunities in Japan's biotech, pharma and healthcare sectors. The mission combines participation in a dedicated partnering event in Osaka with attending BioJapan 2026, one of Asia's leading bioindustry partnering events. In 2025, BioJapan attracted more than 22,000 visitors and over 1,100 exhibiting companies and organisations. Close to 25,500 partnering meetings were held over 3 days. 

This 5-day mission offers: 

• Participation in the EU-Japan Biotech & Pharma Partnering Conference in Osaka 
• Participation in BioJapan 2026 with access to partnering and exhibition space under the joint EU-Japan Centre booth 
• The EU-Japan Centre’s dedicated support with arranging tailored 1-to-1 meetings with Japanese counterparts 
• Networking opportunities with Japanese and international stakeholders 

Number of Participants: Up to 16 

SERVICES OFFERED BEFORE THE MISSION 

Before travelling to Japan, participants will be provided with 2 online training modules to prepare for the mission. The sessions are currently scheduled in the mornings of 10 and 11 September 2026 (TBC). Details of the agenda for each day of training will be communicated in due course.

PLANNED SCHEDULE 

OBJECTIVES

• Help EU companies initiate and develop connections in Japan 
• Support EU companies with identifying potential partners for future business / innovation partnerships. 
• Offer first hand exposure and promotion of EU companies’ technologies and services to prospective clients in Japan 
• Support EU firms with actionable insights into the Japanese Biotech, Pharma and Healthcare ecosystem and markets, IP regulation, Public Procurement Opportunities and R&D landscape 

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

This call for applications targets individuals working for companies, including both SMEs (*) and large companies, or clusters (**) from the European Union or a country associated with the Single Market Programme, SME Pillar (***), active in one of the following fields: 

• Drug discovery
• Drug discovery support including AI-assisted drug development
• Regenerative medicine
• Digital Therapeutics, including drug-device combinations, non-pharmacological therapy systems

(*) Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are companies that meet the standard criteria set by the European Commission to be classified as SMEs.

(**) Clusters are those who are registered in the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (https://clustercollaboration.eu/). Registration on that platform is free of charge.

(***) Please check the status of your country here.

ELIGIBILITY

The applicant must:

• work for a legal entity located in the European Union or in a country associated with the Single Market Programme, SMP Pillar (***) 
• have its (group) company/cluster headquarters in an EU/SMP country 
• be supported by their head of department / CEO through a signed letter (in case they do not belong to senior management) 
• be able to participate in the entire mission 
• have a good command of English (recommended level: B2 or higher) 

Companies or clusters outside the scope of the defined sector or type-specific business mission will be rejected. 

Companies and clusters are eligible to participate multiple times. If prior participation in a business mission has occurred, please clearly state in the application form the reason for reapplying and the expected benefits of participating again. 

 Applicants may be declined if they have previously cancelled their participation or were absent during part of a prior mission without a valid reason, have acted contrary to the mission's guidelines, local laws, customs, and regulations, or have disregarded the instructions of the EU-Japan Centre staff.

SELECTION

The Centre will evaluate applicants based on the following selection criteria:

• strategy and potential regarding Japan
• relevance of their company/cluster for the topic of the mission and the targeted fair
• professional background of the applicant

The mission will accommodate a maximum of 16 participants. Other applicants who score at or above the average will be placed on a waiting list and ranked according to their scores. Only one application per company/cluster will be considered.

Please note that once selected, the applicant will be regarded as a participant in the business mission. Any changes to the participating employee from the selected company/cluster must be discussed with and approved by the EU-Japan Centre.

WHAT DO WE PROVIDE?

For all mission participants, the EU-Japan Centre will provide: 

• Two online business and market training modules scheduled prior to the mission 
• Entrance fees for events and trade fair in the scope of the mission 
• A standardised display stand in the shared booth of the EU-Japan Centre 
• Assistance by EU-Japan Centre staff (such as for promotion, B2B meetings) 
• Professional interpreters at the joint EU-Japan Centre booth and at the trade fair 
• Translation of the poster and the company/cluster profile, as well as printing of the poster for the exhibition 
• Dedicated support with arranging tailored 1-to-1 meetings with Japanese counterparts 
• Custom-built IP-related advice and Public Procurement Tender Scan (on-demand) 
• Hotel accommodation, arranged by the EU-Japan Centre, from Sunday 5 October (before the start of the mission) to Friday 9 October (check-out morning). All selected participants will be provided with the same room type. 
• Transfer by Shinkansen between the mission events in Osaka and Yokohama 

WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS NEED TO COVER?

Mission participants are responsible for covering:

• Flights and other travel expenses to the starting point of the mission in Japan, and after mission completed 
• Living expenses in Japan, including local transportation and meals

PARTICIPATION FEE

To secure their spot, all selected participants must pay a EUR 1,000 deposit. This deposit will be refunded upon successful completion of full mission participation and submission of the questionnaires.

Large companies (non-SMEs / non-clusters) must also pay a non-refundable contribution fee of EUR 2,500 to secure their spot in the mission. 

PENALTIES

In practice, the following penalties apply:

• Last-minute cancellations made after confirming participation may result in the forfeiture of the participation fee. However, a refund may be possible in cases of force majeure, such as natural disasters or other unforeseeable circumstances beyond the participant's control. 
• Failure to attend the mission (at the EU-Japan Centre booth or mandatory mission events): for each day that a participant is absent without a valid reason, between EUR 200 and EUR 250 will be deducted (EUR 200 for a 5-day mission, EUR 250 for a 4-day mission).

Please submit your application by 19 June 2026. 

Any questions? Contact: H.Koyano@eu-japan.eu 

*The organisation of the Biotech Business Mission is pending the receipt of an EU grant for the activities of the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation for the period covering cycle 2026-2028 of the programme. Please therefore note that this call is subject to the award and signature of an EU Grant Agreement, and may therefore be adjusted or cancelled if necessary. 

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

THE BIOTECH SECTOR IN JAPAN

Looking for information about the biotech sector in Japan? Visit the dedicated pages in our EU Business in Japan dedicated content. Free membership registration.