Yoshiaki Tsukamoto

Executive Director
Japan Bioindustry Association
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Prof. Yoshiaki Tsukamoto is the Executive Director of Japan Bioindustry Association (JBA). After joining Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in 1979, he has been working for many years in the Bio-Industry field. After MITI became METI (Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry), he was appointed as directors for Bio-Industry Division (2001), Regional Technology Division (2002), Business Environment Promotion Division and Industrial Cluster project office (2004). After his carrier as Director-General for the METI’s Shikoku Bureau (2005), he joined the JBA in 2007. He is a graduate of Nagoya University and has been a Professor at the Frontier Collaborative Research Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Speech title & Synopsis

An Overview of Japan’s Bioeconomy Strategy and Greater Tokyo Biocommunity

The Government of Japan has formulated Japan’s Bioeconomy Strategy in 2019 to develop and advance the biotechnology sector, with an objective to realize “the world’s most advanced bioeconomy society by 2030,” growing the related markets from US$550 billion in 2018 to US$840 billion. This strategy closely links the bioeconomy with ecological, environmental, social and health objectives and describes a circular bioeconomy as the basis of a sustainable and healthy living system. One of the measures we should focus on in this strategy is the formation of biocommunities. In response to this measure, we have set up the biocommunity named Greater Tokyo Biocommunity (GTB), consisting of industries and related organizations, academia, local governments, financial and investment companies around the greater Tokyo area. The goal of its activities is to make Tokyo area one of world’s premier innovation centers. We have started our activities mainly in the 8 innovation areas. In my presentation, I will introduce the overview of Japan’s Bioeconomy Strategy and GTB.