Genopole and CEBR organized “Kobe Bootcamp” to boost EU–Japan biotech ties

Genopole, the French biocluster based in Évry-Courcouronnes, near Paris, together with the Council of European Bioregions (CEBR), organized a two-day bootcamp in Kobe on 2–3 October 2025 to all European life science companies and clusters.  
This initiative took place in the framework of a broader exploratory mission to Japan, where Genopole brought a delegation including Auralip, Genethon, Cilcare, Iktos and Xentech to explore partnerships and business opportunities. The bootcamp was followed by the EU-Japan Biotech & Pharma Partnering Conference in Osaka and by BioJapan 2025 in Yokohama.



The Kobe bootcamp was hosted by the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC) and featured expert sessions on market access, intellectual property, funding, and regulation in Japan, as well as networking opportunities with RIKEN, TRI, universities, investors, and Japanese innovators.
This initiative highlighted the role of European companies and clusters as representatives of the European biotech excellence and created a structured entry point for collaboration with Japanese ecosystems.
Genopole’s international team was present onsite to support participants and facilitate meetings.

Alexis Biton, International Affairs Coordinator at Genopole, commented: “These missions underline the importance of building systemic partnerships between innovation ecosystems. By connecting European clusters and Japanese stakeholders, we aim to create more opportunities for companies to scale their solutions in markets very different from where they were born.”

Source: Genopole



On above picture: At the centre, Laurence Lacroix-Orio, Partnerships and Business Development Director at Genopole, on her left, Paul Caroen, Health Program Manager, and first from the right, Alexis Biton, International Affairs coordinator at Genopole, with business representatives from Xentech, Auralip and Laboratories Généthon.