Other Japanese Speaker Highlights

Masakazu Yoshikawa, Deputy Director of the Biotechnology and Material Department at the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), described the agency’s role as “supporting research funding across industry, government, and academia to address energy and environmental challenges and to enhance Japan’s industrial technology capabilities.”

NEDO has been expanding its global footprint, with operations in ASEAN coordinated from its regional office in Thailand. In Malaysia, NEDO has supported projects including pilot studies in the electric vehicle sector. “Since our funding is accessible through a public application process, we welcome interested parties to apply,” Yoshikawa said enthusiastically.

Akie Iriyama, a professor at Waseda Business School (Waseda University Graduate School of Business and Finance), delivered a lecture on the future potential of Japan–Malaysia collaboration. “The two countries possess distinct strengths but share cultural similarities,” he noted. “That combination makes them ideal partners for open innovation across a range of sectors,” he emphasized.