From 6 to 10 October, the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation hosted the EU-Japan Biotech Business Mission in Japan, bringing together 16 European entrepreneurs to foster new research and business partnerships. The mission began in Osaka at the EU-Japan Biotech & Pharma Partnering Conference, with an Opening Ceremony led by the EU General Director, Manuel Hubert, highlighting the Centre's commitment to collaboration with Japan since 1987. The Osaka conference gathered over a hundred EU and Japanese businesses and organisations active in the red biotech and pharma sectors.
On 7 October, delegates embarked on a guided tour of Osaka’s medical and pharmaceutical landmarks, including Nakanoshima Qross and KENTO.
From 8 to 10 October, delegates participated in BioJapan Expo 2025 in Yokohama, Asia's leading Bio-Industry Partnering Event. Participants engaged in fruitful discussions with their Japanese counterparts at the EU-Japan Centre booth, supported by translated materials, maximising their exposure to Japanese visitors and potential partners. In total, the mission and the Osaka event generated over 350 meetings.
Registrations for the 2026 mission will open in Spring next year.
Testimonials
“The most valuable components were the partnering events and the joint booth. The interpreting support was hereby a key aspect to facilitate discussion. The booth allowed for many organic meetings, and the support by the EU-Japan Centre Team was great. Our participation allowed us to start building relationships with Japanese companies. Though further missions are likely needed to foster these relationships to get a real foothold in the Japanese market.”
By Johannes Eiglsperger, CTO at Biosimulytics
“The EU-Japan mission was an excellent opportunity to build meaningful relationships with Japanese companies. Through this mission, we established several important and practical connections that have already shown strong potential for collaboration. The organization and facilitation of the event were outstanding, creating an ideal environment for business dialogue and partnership development.”
By Jungsoo Park, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at PL BioScience GmbH
Published: December 2025