「6th Annual Medtech & Healthtech Innovation Forum」Report
On November 8th (Thur), Kobe City, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe (FBRI), Kobe
University and US-Japan Medtech Frontiers (USJMF) co-hosted「6th Annual Medtech & Healthtech Innovation
Forum」and over 500 people had participated. This event aimed to support the promotion of medical device
development through the lectures and panel discussions by leading experts from US and Japan who are front-runnersof medical device development. This forum is led by volunteers from Silicon Valley, and has been held in Sendai in 2014,
then in Osaka, Hiroshima, Okinawa and Shizuoka.
１．Date: Friday, November 8th 2019 10:00～18:00（Networking Reception 18:30～19:30）
２．Place: Kobe Portpia Hotel
３．Number of Participants: 527 participants
4 ．Program:【Morning Session】
Opening Remarks Hidetoshi Terasaki, Vice Mayor of Kobe City
Tasuku Honjo, President, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe
Jack Moorman, Chairman, US-Japan Medtech Frontiers
Keynote Speech Russell H. Taylor, Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Panel Discussion 「Medical Innovation by Robotic Technology」
Moderator: Amish Parashar, Managing Partner, Explorers' Lab
Panelists:Myriam J. Curet, Executive Vice President and CMO, Intuitive Surgical, Inc.
Yasuhiko Hashimoto, President, Medicaroid Corporation
Bruce Lichorowic, President & CEO, Galen Robotics Inc.
Russell H. Taylor, Professor, Johns Hopkins University（Opening Remarks）Hidetoshi Terasaki, Vice Mayor of Kobe City（Opening Remarks）Jack Moorman, Chairman, USJMF（Opening Remarks）Tasuku Honjo, President, FBRI

（Keynote Speech） Russell H. Taylor, Professor, Johns Hopkins University（Panel Discussion）Amish Parashar, Managing Partner, Explorers' Lab（Panel Discussion）Panelists【Lunch Presentation】
Sponsor companies and Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe presented their activities.

Mr. Hiroshi Nakatsuji, CEO, Kairos Co., Ltd.

Ms. Oriha Kuwaki, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
Business Development Senior Specialist

Takeyuki Sato, Director, FBRI

Lunch Presentation【Afternoon Session】
In the afternoon, panel discussions were held in 2 separate venues.
Venue A（Seminar Session）
A-1『Innovation in US Medtech Hot Areas』
Moderator: Shinichiro Komoto, Partner, Eight Roads Ventures Japan
A-2『Medtech and Healthtech for Super Aging Society』
Moderator: Yasuko Akutsu, Chairman, Advanced Gerontology in Next Generation Japan
A-3『Successful Cases of US-Japan Collaborations』
Moderator: Joseph Heanue, CEO and President , Triple Ring Technologies, Inc.

A-1
A-2
Innovation in US Medtech Hot Areas Medtech and Healthtech forSuper Aging Society

A-3
Successful Cases ofUS-Japan Collaborations

Venue B（Panel Discussion）
B-1『Developing Unmet Needs Driven Innovative Medical Devices』
Moderator: Kirk Zeller, Board Member, US-Japan MedTech FrontiersDavid Smith , Board Member, US-Japan MedTech FrontiersB-2『How to Foster Players for Medical Device Development』
Moderator:Takahiro Yasuda, Advanced Medical-Engineering Development Center of Kobe University
Clinical & Translational Research Center of Kobe University Hospital
Takahiro Nakanishi, Senior Coordinator, Center for Cluster Development and Coordination,
Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe (FBRI)
B-3『Understanding Evaluation Criteria for Investors』
Moderator:
Tomohisa Ishikawa, Head of Macro-Economics Research Center, Advanced Senior Economist
The Japan Research Institute, Limited

B-1
Developing Unmet Needs Driven
Innovative Medical Devices

B-2
How to Foster Players for Medical
Device Development

B-3
Understanding Evaluation Criteriafor Investors【Special Lecture・Kobe Declaration】
Dr. Fumiaki Ikeno of Stanford University had spoke about the “Difference in Medical Device Development
between Japan and US”, then closed the forum with “Kobe Declaration”.

(Special Lecture) Dr. Fumiaki Ikeno, Interventional
Cardiologist and Researcher, Stanford University（Kobe Declaration）Masayoshi Murakami
Senior Executive Director, FBRI

(Closing Remarks) Masato Fujisawa
Dean, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine

USJMF/Moderators・Panelists

【Networking Reception】

Sake Barrel Ceremony（Opening Remarks）Kazuro Sugimura
Executive Vice President, Kobe University（Closing Remarks）Jack Moorman
Chairman, US-Japan Medtech Frontiers

Networking Reception【Sponsors】【Support】
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan・Commerce Service,
Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development（AMED）, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO),
Hyogo Prefecture、Biodesign Japan, The Japan Federation of Medical Devices Associations, American Medical
Devices and Diagnostics Manufacturers‘ Association, Life Science Innovation Network Japan, Inc., University ofHyogo, The Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kobe Tourism Bureau・Kobe Convention Bureau