Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision [Revised and Enlarged ... · 1. Background of the Revision of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision (1) Concept of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation

Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision

[Revised and Enlarged Edition]

March 2016

Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council

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Introduction

The year 2015 was the 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and many people were amazed

by Kobe City’s vitality that made it possible to recover – like a phoenix – from its destruction. The Kobe

Biomedical Innovation Cluster Concept was launched in the round-table conference on the Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster Concept held in 1998, three years after the earthquake.

A report on the round-table conference on the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Concept was issued in

1999 and the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision was developed in 2007. Since then, based on the Vision, the

Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council has promoted the formation of a cluster with a focus on

enhancing the functions of translational research, which aims to facilitate the application of basic scientific

discoveries in clinical settings. Over the last some 17 years, infrastructures for research and development have

been established, including the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, the Translational Research

Informatics Center and the Medical Device Development Center. At present, the cluster has become one of the

largest medical industry clusters in Japan, with more than 300 companies located there.

In Japan, where the population is rapidly aging and the birth rate is declining, our environment is also

changing, affected by the advancement of medical technology. Changes are seen in the structure of diseases,

change in the way the future healthcare system is envisioned, and the progress in forming clusters in Japan and

other Asian countries has advanced. In Kobe, after about nine years since the development of the Kobe Life

Science Promotion Vision, significant changes have been seen in the environment surrounding the Kobe

Biomedical Innovation Cluster and its components, including the designation of Kobe City as a national strategic

special zone, the decision to locate the K supercomputer and post-K supercomputer in the city, the formation of a

cluster of advanced specialized medical institutions, and the progress in the first clinical research using iPS cells

in the world.

In response to these changes, the Working Group to consider revising the Kobe Life Science Promotion

Vision (the Vision Revision WG) was established under the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion

Council comprising of representatives from industry, academia and government agencies. The Vision Revision

WG and the council have assessed the level of achievement of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision and also

discussed in detail the ideal vision of what the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster aims to achieve in the next

10 years and the efforts necessary to achieve this goal.

The discussion clearly revealed that Japan and other developed countries in the world are nearing a major

turning point due to the rapidly declining birth rate and aging population. Its impacts on the economy,

employment, international relations and other key issues are so significant that it is difficult even to estimate

them. In response to this turning point, it is necessary to change priorities in healthcare. With this taken into

account, we have recently prepared a revised and enlarged edition of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision.

The healthcare and medical-related industry is one of the most important industries for the future of Japan

and is one that can be expanded globally. Kobe, where the highest-ranked research institutions, hospitals and

healthcare-related industries are concentrated, should take the initiative to promote international strategies to

support them. It is expected that the research function of Kobe City will be further enhanced and professionals

who can play an active role in Japan and abroad will be developed, based on the Kobe Life Science Promotion

Vision, so that the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster will be further developed.

Hiroo Imura, Chairman

Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council

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Table of Contents

1. Background of the Revision of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision

(1) Concept of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster .................................................................................. 5

(2) Strategy for cluster formation of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision ................................................ 6

(3) Activities after the development of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision ............................................ 8

(4) Economic effects associated with the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (FY2012) ............................. 11

(5) Viewpoint for the future of the cluster ...................................................................................................... 15

2. The Cluster 10 Years from Now

(1) Establishment of the Working Group to consider revising the Vision ....................................................... 19

(2) The cluster 10 years from now .................................................................................................................. 19

(3) Relationships between the four desired images in the future .................................................................... 22

3. Expected Economic Effects of the Cluster in the Future

(1) Estimates for FY 2015, FY 2020 and FY 2025 using the estimation method applied in previous years ... 23

(2) Perspective to increase economic effects .................................................................................................. 27

4. Achieve the Desired Image of the Cluster ................................................................. 29

References

(1) List of members of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council and its meetings ......... 30

(2) Details of the Vision Revision WG Committee meetings and other meetings .......................................... 32

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1. Background of the Revision of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision

(1) Concept of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster The Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster is a project that aims to i) secure employment and revitalize Kobe’s

economy; ii) improve the welfare of the city’s residents by using cutting-edge medical technology and iii)

improve the healthcare standards in Asian nations to promote international contribution, by establishing and

improving research and development centers for advanced medical technology mainly in Port Island Stage II

and by developing a cluster of companies in the healthcare-related industry, which is a growth industry in the

21st century, through cooperation among industry, academia and government agencies. The core functions of

the project include the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation engaged in translational research

(research translating the results of basic research into clinical applications), the Medical Business Support

Center to provide support to start-ups, and the Training Center for the development of human resources, with a

focus on the following three research areas: research and development of medical devices mainly for

diagnostic imaging, support for clinical research (clinical trials) for medical products, and clinical applications

such as regenerative medicine.

The concept of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster aims to promote research and development and

commercialization in the life science field. Strategies to achieve this objective include the establishment of a

next-generation medical system, through the establishment and improvement of core functions that include an

advanced clinical research function and a healthcare provision function, determining research areas, and

cooperation with industry, academia and government agencies in the Kansai region; and the formation of a

healthcare-related cluster by inviting research institutions and healthcare-related industries to locate mainly in

Port Island in Kobe.

Figure 1: Concept of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster

• Cooperation with Kyoto University, Osaka University, Kobe University and other academic institutions

• Participation of private companies

• Invitation of the Center for Developmental Biology to locate in the cluster

Research and development of medical devices

Support for clinical research (clinical trials) for medical products

Clinical application of regenerative medicine and other advanced technologies

Research areas

Establishment of a next-generation medical

system

ObjectivesCore

functions

Institute of Biomedical Research

and Innovation

Translational research(Research and

development for practical application)

Medical Business Support Center

Support for start-ups

Training Center

Development of human resources

◆ To secure employment and revitalize Kobe’s economy

◆ To improve the welfare of the city’s residents by using cutting-edge medical technology

◆ To improve the healthcare standards in Asian nations to promote international contribution

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(2) Strategy for cluster formation of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision The report on the round-table conference on the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Concept was issued in

1999 and the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision was developed in 2007. The Kobe Biomedical Innovation

Cluster has been promoting cluster formation according to a strategy based on the following four perspectives

presented in the Vision:

(i) Enhancement of the “translational research (TR)” function, the major feature of the

Kobe Cluster

• Make proposals for new tools for research and development through effective use of a wide range of

assets that have been created by Kobe, and promote the TR function as the overwhelmingly dominant

unique area (core competence) in the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Concept.

(ii) Sustainable cluster formation with the enhancement of TR function as its core

• Enhance the TR function mainly of the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation (regenerative

medicine), the Translational Research Informatics Center (support for clinical application of basic

research results), the Medical Device Development Center (medical devices) and the Molecular

Imaging Research and Development Center (support for drug discovery) to serve as a bridge between

research seeds of universities and other institutions with clinical research

• Along with the enhancement of the TR function, invite universities and research institutions to locate

in the cluster in order to enhance the basic research function to generate seeds for TR

• To enhance the clinical function that supports the TR function and vice versa, in cooperation with

Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, establish an environment to provide treatment with new

drugs and medical devices by promoting the formation of a “medical cluster” that provides advanced

medical services to patients in Japan and abroad and inviting specialist clinicians to join the cluster

• To use the TR function to help people maintain their health, provide advice about people’s lifestyle

practices, such as diet, exercise and sleep, and relevant healthcare services with emphasis on disease

prevention; and support health promotion based on scientific evidence with the aim of achieving the

ultimate goal to create a community where people can enjoy healthy lives (“Healthy Living

Community Formation” project).

(iii) Medical Innovation System to accelerate the creation of innovation in the cluster

• The enhancement of the TR function, the basic research function and the clinical function will attract

researchers and clinicians and promote clinical epidemiology research, which will allow effective

interactions between researchers’ hypotheses and the needs of clinicians. The Medical Innovation

System will be established using the TR function to shorten the process of research and clinical trials

with safety and science taken into account.

(iv) Effects of the cluster formation on the residents of the city and creation of new

industries

• The aforementioned structure of the cluster creates a cycle where universities, hospitals, companies,

researchers and clinicians gather in a compact area independent from any specific university (an

off-campus style) and stimulate each other to generate innovation.

• The establishment of the Medical Innovation System in Kobe allows its residents to be provided with

newly developed treatment options for intractable diseases, advanced medical services by specialists,

and healthcare services to prevent lifestyle-related disease under a strategy to promote the creation of a

community where people can enjoy healthy lives.

• The cluster helps companies not only reduce the costs associated with treatment but also increase

investment in health, leading to the creation of a new industry.

• With this strategy, with the understanding and cooperation of residents and companies, a cluster that

will develop in a sustainable way will be established through investment by private companies without

depending on public funding as much as possible.

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Figure 2: Strategy for cluster formation under the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision

—Formation of a sustainable cluster with the translational research function as its core—

Treatment(Consumption)

Employment

Prevention(Investment)

Hospitals(Clinicians)

Basic research

Universities(Researchers)

Clinical settings

InvestmentResearch and Development/

Start-ups

System to accelerate the creation of innovation

(Medical Innovation System)

Provision of advanced medical services

(Medical Cluster)

Support for scientific health promotion

(Healthy Living Community Formation)

Enhancement of the basic

research function

Research to bridge between basic research results and

clinical application

Effects on residents

Establishment of the next-generation

medical system

Core function of the concept

Companies

Human resources

Professional healthcare providers, etc.

Researchers

New function to form a cluster

Support for start-ups (Medical Business Support Center)

Development of human resources (Training Center)

Establishment of inf rastructure by

Kobe City

Translational research

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(3) Activities after the development of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision

(i) Expansion of the core competencies that comprise the Kobe Biomedical Innovation

Cluster

Hard and soft infrastructures to promote cutting-edge research and development through cooperation

between industry, academia and government agencies have been established and improved. With regard to

clinical applications such as regenerative medicine, one of the research areas promoted by the Kobe

Biomedical Innovation Cluster, efforts to commercialize regenerative medicine using somatic stem cells,

such as cartilage regeneration and construction of blood vessels, have been made at the Institute of

Biomedical Research and Innovation. In August 2013, the first clinical research using iPS cells in the world

was started. In September 2014, a transplant using iPS-derived cells was performed to treat exudative

age-related macular degeneration.

Efforts in the research and development of medical devices include the establishment of the Platform

for the Promotion of Medical Device Commercialization and Marketing, a support system, and the

establishment and improvement of the International Medical Device Alliance (IMDA), Medical Device

Development Center (MEDDEC) and other facilities to support development. In addition, other medical

institutions with unique features have also joined the cluster. The concentration of these facilities has

enabled the development of medical devices that closely meet needs in clinical settings.

In the area of support for clinical research of drugs, efforts to create an environment for drug discovery

have been made at a steady pace, including the establishment and improvement of infrastructure for clinical

development, the development of a system to promote clinical trials, the invitation of organizations engaged

in research and development of medical products to locate in the cluster, the promotion of simulations for

drug discovery using the K supercomputer, and the establishment of a research and development center for

next-generation biopharmaceuticals. There is also a newly launched project to establish research

infrastructure related to medicine in which therapeutic intervention necessary to prevent or delay the onset

of a disease that an individual is likely to develop in the future based on diagnostic prediction, which is

called “preemptive medicine.” The Medical Cluster, consisting of specialized hospitals centering around the

Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, was formed to provide advanced specialized medical services

as well as to create business opportunities for manufacturers of drugs and medical devices.

With regard to industry-related efforts for the commercialization of research results in cooperation

between industry, academia and government agencies, the number of companies and organizations that

form the cluster has increased from 101 at the end of March 2007 when the Vision was developed, to 316 as

of the end of March 2016. It is now one of the largest-scale medical industry clusters in Japan. In April 2015,

RIKEN opened the Integrated Innovation Building that aims to enhance its collaboration with businesses to

facilitate the commercialization of a wide variety of seeds of RIKEN, which allows us to expect further

integrated cooperation with businesses.

As stated above, the core competencies that comprise the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster include

the collaboration between industry, academia and government agencies and the TR function, and

furthermore, research and development in the biotechnology area, provision of advanced medical services

through enhanced clinical function, and the use of simulation technology through the establishment of a

computational science infrastructure. The structure of the cluster has evolved in such a way as to create

mechanisms one after another that accelerate innovation through the mutual collaboration of these

biotechnology, medical and simulation areas.

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(ii) Important external factors affecting the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster

a) National trend in life science

In Japan facing a declining birth rate and aging population, the national government places the health and

longevity industry as one of its strategic areas and adopts policies toward the development of

health-related industries, such as the health and longevity industry and the pharmaceutical and medical

device industry. On August 2, 2013, the Headquarters for Healthcare Policy was established within the

Cabinet to provide control tower functions focused on promoting growth strategies related to health and

medical care and research and development in the medical field. The Headquarters is responsible for

centrally managing budgets related to research and development in priority areas, such as efforts on the

development of drugs and medical devices, efforts on clinical research and trials, and efforts toward the

realization of the most advanced medical care in the world. The Japan Agency for Medical Research and

Development has served as its executing body since April 1, 2015.

On November 25, 2014, the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine and Pharmaceutical and the

Medical Device Act (Revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Law) were enforced. It is expected that, in response

to the enactment of these laws, the efforts toward the development of regenerative medicine and medical

devices by the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster will be further accelerated to facilitate early

commercialization of regenerative medical products and creation of Japan-oriented innovative drugs and

medical devices.

In March 2014, it was announced that the post-K supercomputer, a next-generation supercomputer

with the highest computation performance in the world, would be installed in RIKEN Advanced Institute

for Computational Science. Its development is ongoing, aiming to start operation in 2020. It is expected

that the realization of the post-K supercomputer will promote the formation of a center for the highest

level supercomputing research and education in the world and the generation of research results at the

Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster.

The Japanese cabinet approved on June 7, 2013, the Comprehensive Strategy on Science,

Technology and Innovation as the national government’s long-term vision and short-term action program

including a comprehensive picture of its science, technology and innovation strategy. The strategy

includes the “realization of a healthy and active aging society as a front runner in the world” as one of the

particularly important policy issues that need to be addressed immediately. The Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster needs to pay close attention to the national trend toward innovation as an external

factor that affects the cluster.

b) Designation as a Kansai Innovation International Strategic Comprehensive Special Zone

and a National Strategic Special Zone

In December 2011, Kobe City was designated as a Kansai Innovation International Strategic

Comprehensive Special Zone. In May 2014, Hyogo, Kyoto and Osaka Prefectures, which includes Kobe

City, were designated as the Kansai National Strategic Special Zone. The National Strategic Special Zone

system is one of the key elements of the Japan Revitalization Strategy, which is the “third arrow of

Abenomics.” The objective of the system is to implement bold regulatory and system reform through the

commitment of the national government to facilitate private investment in order to revitalize the Japanese

economy.

It is important to effectively use the National Strategic Special Zone system to accelerate efforts

made by the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster. On September 30, 2014, the zone plan for the Kansai

area was approved, based on which a project to establish the Kobe Eye Center (tentative name) is

ongoing.

The construction of the Kobe Eye Center is scheduled to be completed in 2017. The center will

serve as a facility to provide comprehensive services ranging from basic research to clinical application,

treatment and rehabilitation with the aim of accelerating the commercialization of regenerative medicine,

including the first clinical research for retinal treatment using iPS cells in the world.

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c) Trend of RIKEN

RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology underwent a drastic reorganization in November 2014 and

made a fresh start as the Multicellular System Formation Research Center. The objective of the

reorganization is to put more effort into promoting practical application of the results of basic research,

such as the promotion of retinal regeneration research using iPS cells. It is essential for the Kobe

Biomedical Innovation Cluster to further strengthen its partnership with the center to make more

progress.

As stated above, during about nine years since the development of the Kobe Life Science Promotion

Vision, the components of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster and its surrounding environment

have changed significantly and elements that did not exist when the Vision was developed have been

added, such as the designation as Kansai Innovation International Strategic Comprehensive Special Zone

and a National Strategic Special Zone, the installation of the K supercomputer, the decision to locate the

post-K supercomputer in the cluster, the relocation and opening of the Kobe City Medical Center General

Hospital, the concentration of specialized medical institutions, and the progress of the first clinical

research on regenerative medicine using iPS cells in the world.

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(4) Economic effects associated with the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (FY2012)

(i) Method for estimating economic effects

The economic effects in FY 2012 were estimated using the same method as used in FY 2011 to estimate the

economic effects in FY 2010.

a) Organizations included in the assessment of the economic effects

In the estimation made in FY 2011, healthcare-related companies located in Port Island Stage II, core

institutions, major healthcare-related companies closely associated with the Kobe Biomedical Innovation

Cluster Concept that are located in Kobe City (other than those in Port Island Stage II), and

non-healthcare-related companies (excluding product merchandising and logistics companies) that were

established in Port Island Stage II after the launch of the concept were included. In addition, universities

located in Port Island were also included.

In the estimation for FY 2012, medical institutions (a cluster of hospitals) that were established in

Port Island after the previous estimation, supercomputer-related core institutions, universities, and

companies (including those located outside of Port Island) were included. (See Table 1.)

[Types of business included in the estimation of economic effects]

i) Healthcare-related companies in Port Island

ii) Core institutions

iii) Non-healthcare-related companies in Port Island Stage II

iv) Healthcare-related companies in the city (outside of Port Island)

v) Universities in Port Island

vi) A cluster of hospitals (Medical Cluster-related)

vii) Supercomputer-related core institutions, universities and companies (including those

located outside of Port Island)

In the assessment of effects, supercomputer-related core institutions are included in ii), universities

in v), and companies in i) and iv). The Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital, which

was previously categorized as a core institution, is categorized in a cluster of hospitals in the estimation

for FY 2012.

b) Specific method for estimating economic effects for FY 2012

The numbers of companies, institutions and employees for FY 2012 were determined based on

employment surveys and other relevant surveys.

The direct and indirect effects on five pre-existing types of business were estimated using the

per-person effect for FY 2010, which was multiplied by the number of employees for FY 2012. With

regard to the effects on the cluster of hospitals and supercomputer-related core institutions and

universities, the direct effects were identified by conducting a questionnaire survey, based on which the

indirect effects were estimated by applying the same input-output analysis as that applied in FY 2010.

c) Method for estimating tax revenue effects

For the estimation of tax revenue effects, the fixed property tax/city planning tax, municipal taxes

(individual municipal tax, corporate municipal tax) and the business facility tax were used. To estimate

the effects on the fixed property tax/city planning tax, a survey was conducted to identify the area of land

plots and the floor spaces of buildings, based on which the ratable value was determined, which was then

multiplied by each tax rate. With regard to municipal taxes, based on the estimated economic effects, the

ratios of the gross municipal product and municipal taxes were used for the estimation; and as for

business facility tax, the ratio of business facility tax to municipal taxes was used for the estimation.

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Table 1: Organizations covered by the questionnaire survey

The cluster of hospitals • Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital • Institute of Biomedical Research and

Innovation Hospital

Supercomputer-related core

institutions

• Foundation for Computational Science (FOCUS)

• RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science (AICS)

• Research Organization for Information Science and Technology (RIST)

• Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

Supercomputer-related

universities

• Konan University

• Integrated Research Center of Kobe University

• University of Hyogo

• Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo

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Table 2: Estimated economic effects and tax revenue effects for FY 2012

Effects Breakdown FY 2005 FY 2010 FY 2012 Remarks

Number of companies/ organizations

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 75 192 224 ii) Core institutions 3 9 13 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies

in Port Island Stage II 83 99 109

iv) Healthcare-related companies located in the city

11 17 24

v) Universities, etc. – 7 8

vi) The cluster of hospitals – – 2 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

– – (26)

Total 172 324 380

Number of employees i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 593 3,105 3,452

ii) Core institutions 610 990 1,231 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies

in Port Island Stage II 768 2,145 2,379


719 1,504 1,877

v) Universities, etc. – 583 699 vi) The cluster of hospitals – – 240 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

– – (802)

Total 2,690 8,327 9,878

Direct effects in the city (million yen)

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 3,703 18,596 20,674

ii) Core institutions 10,517 17,211 17,904 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies

in Port Island Stage II 4,851 20,157 22,356


9,048 13,086 16,331

v) Universities, etc. – 8,200 9,832 vi) The cluster of hospitals – – 5,598 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

– – (11,778)

Total 28,119 77,250 92,695

Indirect effects in the city (million yen)





3,378 4,391 5,480

v) Universities, etc. – 3,094 3,710

vi) The cluster of hospitals – – 2,203 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

– – (4,523)

Total 12,820 26,871 32,441

Grand total (million yen) (Total of direct and indirect effects)





12,426 17,477 21,811

v) Universities, etc. – 11,294 13,542

vi) The cluster of hospitals – – 7,801 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

– – (16,301)

Total 40,939 104,121 125,136

Tax revenue effects (100 million yen) (Fixed property and city planning taxes, municipal taxes, business facility tax)

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 176 958 976 ii) Core institutions 509 832 1,325 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies

in Port Island Stage II 239 871 1,109


358 605 561

v) Universities, etc. – 241 290

vi) The cluster of hospitals – – 201 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

– – (1,084)

Total 1,282 3,507 4,462

*1 The economic effects and the tax revenue effects of the supercomputer-related organizations are also included in i), ii), iv) and v).

*2 The total of the whole numbers may not be consistent because the ratios were rounded off at the first decimal place.

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ii) Estimated economic effects

In FY 2012, the number of companies and organizations totaled 380 and the number of employees

increased to about 9,880 from the previous year. The economic effects (direct effects + indirect effects)

increased to about 125 billion yen in FY2012.

Figure 3: Change in the numbers of companies/organizations and employees

172 companies/

organizations

324 companies/

organizations

381 companies/

organizations

2,690 employees

8,327 employees

9,878 employees

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

FY 2005 FY 2010 FY 2012

Num

ber

of

co

mp

anie

s/o

rganiz

atio

ns

Num

ber

of

em

plo

yees

Figure 4: Change in economic effects (direct effects + indirect effects)

5.6 bn yen

25.6 bn yen 28.5 bn yen15.9 bn yen

24.1 bn yen25.0 bn yen

7.1 bn yen


12.4 bn yen

17.5 bn yen


13.5 bn yen

7.8 bn yen

0 bn yen

20 bn yen

40 bn yen

60 bn yen

80 bn yen

100 bn yen

120 bn yen

140 bn yen

FY 2005 FY 2010 FY 2012

Medical Cluster

Universities

Healthcare-related companies in the city

Non-healthcare-related companies in Port Island Stage II

Core institutions

Healthcare-related companies in Port Island

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(5) Viewpoint for the future of the cluster The formation of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster was initially started with a project to conduct

research and development on biotechnology and medical devices as its core. Upon the development of the

Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision, another project to form a medical cluster was added. Since then each

project has made certain progress. The following projects, which had not been included in the Kobe Life

Science Promotion Vision, were later added: the establishment of computational science infrastructure and

research on preemptive medicine. With the current situation taken into account, it is considered beneficial to

the cluster to aim to develop and grow through the integration of core competencies that comprise the Kobe

Biomedical Innovation Cluster, such as research institutions, private companies, universities, medical

institutions and other relevant organizations in the biological, medical and simulation areas. To achieve this

goal, it is important to take an approach that places more emphasis on the efforts that have so far been made

based on research and development in the aforementioned areas.

Figure 5 shows the conceptual view of the future cluster. The three cones in the figure represent the

biological, medical and simulation areas, respectively. The deeper the research and development in each area

becomes, not only the more elongated the cone becomes vertically but also the wider its skirt becomes, and

the larger the overlapped area becomes. It is expected, through this process, that the research and development

in the overlapped area will be further developed, leading to the creation of new innovation. (Upper figure of

Figure 5)

The area of the cross section of each cone, which represents the relationships of each area with local

residents and companies, becomes wider as research and development deepens, increasing contact points with

local residents and companies. This will allow the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster to deliver its outcomes

as quickly as possible. In addition, it is also expected to create innovations through the improvement of the

functions of the cluster, such as the entry of related industries into the health and medical area and the

attraction of boost industries that are influential in terms of funds and sales channels, such as general trading

companies and financial institutions. (Lower figure of Figure 5)

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Figure 5: Cluster in the future formed from the integration of three areas (conceptual view)

Me

dic

al c

luste

r a

rea

Bio

log

ica

l clu

ste

r a

rea

Sim

ula

tio

n c

luste

r a

rea

Residents/Companies/Universities

Preemptive medicine

Drug discoveryRegenerative medicine

Highest standard medicine in the world

Innovative medical devices

Simulation cluster area

Biological cluster area

Medical cluster area

Residents/Companies/Universities

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Another important point is that issues that should be addressed by the Kobe Biomedical Innovation

Cluster should not only be limited to the medical field in the narrow sense but should be expanded to cover

quality-of-life (QOL) improvement, shifting from medical care to the treatment of disease to the prevention of

disease, the enhancement of health, the fulfillment of living one’s life, and to aging beautifully. Through this

expansion, the effects of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster will be more widely felt.

Figure 6 shows the process where results obtained from tangible and intangible resources accumulated by

the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster are used to improve the QOL of residents; and shows that, in this

process, resources that already exist in Kobe are incorporated to be used effectively. This process will enable

the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster to view itself from a perspective closer to end users, such as

companies and residents, and to provide them with more specific services, which will further expand the

recognition of the Cluster.

Efforts have so far been focused on promoting innovation in the medical field by establishing and

improving research and development infrastructure mainly on Port Island Stage II, inviting healthcare-related

industries, and forming the Medical Cluster in order to gather excellent human resources, including

researchers and healthcare professionals, and serve as a bridge between basic research and clinical research. In

the future, the focus should be shifted to a wider dissemination of results that have been obtained so that many

people can use them, expanding the possibility of creating larger-scale innovation.

Figure 6: QOL improvement and incorporation into resources of Kobe (proposal)

Resources accumulated within Port Island

Computational science research

infrastructureK supercomputer, etc.

Cluster of hospitals

QOL improvement

Aging beautifully

Incorporation into resources of Kobe for effective use

Residents• Dissemination of

Western culture• Place where the

residents’ cooperative association started

• Experience of large-scale earthquake

• Volunteering spirit••

Tourism-related• Hot spas• Golf courses• Rokko Mountain

Climbing Event• Water f ront

•••

Food-related• Delicatessen• Kobe beef• Japanese sake, wine• Western confectionery• Coffee

•••

Living-related• Shoes• Sporting goods• Pearls• Fashion goods• Automobile parts• Rubber products

•••

Manufacturing and assembly

• Transportation machinery

• Robots• Machine controllers• Environmental

devices•

Fulfillment of living one’s life

Enhancement of health

Prevention of disease

Treatment of disease

Research and development

infrastructure for cutting-edge

medical technology

Figure 7 shows a comparison between the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster as it is now and the ideal

organization which the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster should aim to be, from the following five

perspectives: roles of medicine, stance toward medicine, the translational research (TR) function within the

cluster, industrial categories, and areas covered by the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster.

18

Figure 7: Comparison between the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster as it is now and the

ideal organization which the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster should aim to be (proposal)

Past Future

Main focus on the treatment of patients

(Cure)

Reactive

Treatment + Prevention in individual residents + QOL improvement

(Care)

Proactive

Mainly in Port Island Stage II The entire city

TR to achieve advanced medicine(biotechnology ↔ medicine)

TR to achieve advanced medicine + preemptive medicine

(biotechnology ↔ medicine ↔ simulation)

Main focus on the medical field in the narrow sense

Health care field including nursing care and welfare services

Roles of medicine

Stance toward medicine

Areas covered by the Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster

The translational research (TR) function within

the cluster

Industrial categories

19

2. The Cluster 10 Years from Now

(1) Establishment of the Working Group to consider revising the Vision As outlined in the previous chapter, the environment surrounding the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster has

been significantly changing. In response, it has become necessary to revise the Kobe Life Science Promotion

Vision and, in 2013, the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council started to work on the

revision. The council consists of representatives from industry, academia and the government and is chaired

by Honorary Chairman Imura of the Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation.

Before starting to revise the Vision, two brainstorming sessions were held to identify keywords for the

revision of the Vision, which were participated in by experts who were involved in the Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster.

In the promotional meeting of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council held on May

15, 2013, the Working Group to consider revising the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision (Vision Revision

WG) was established to discuss the vision of the cluster that should be aimed at being achieved in the next 10

years and the direction of efforts to achieve the goal. Vision Revision WG Committee meetings have been

held four times.

(2) The cluster 10 years from now Through discussions by the Vision Revision WG and the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion

Council on the ideal organization that the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster should aim to become in next

10 years, the direction of efforts to achieve the goal was determined as follows:

Desired image in the future (I): Kobe where people can receive the optimal,

highest-level medical care (I)-1 Formation of the highest-level medical cluster in the world

As a result of efforts to provide advanced medical services (the formation of a medical cluster) under the

Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision, a medical cluster of specialized hospitals is being formed,

significantly enhancing the clinical function of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster. These efforts will

be continued: more specialized centers in different fields will be invited in an optimal way in line with the

advancement of medicine with the aim of promoting the formation of a medical cluster where anyone can

receive the highest-level medical care in the world.

(I)-2 Creation of new value by the medical cluster

Efforts will also be focused on creating new value from both the patients’ perspective and related

companies’ perspective in order to provide medical services that are optimal for, are trusted by, and satisfy

patients, as well as to promote the creation of health care business opportunities.

20

Desired image in the future (II): Kobe contributing to the world with its

cutting-edge medicine (II)-1 Development of new medical technology

As a result of the “enhancement of the translational research (TR) function of the cluster and the

development into the Medical Innovation System” and “the enhancement of the basic research function”

under the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision, clinical applications of regenerative medicine and

diagnostic imaging have progressed and the TR function and the basic research function, which are core

competencies that comprise the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, are being strengthened. These efforts

will be continued to promote the practical application of regenerative medicine using iPS cells and other

related technologies and the development of medical devices, as well as to promote the development of

innovative medical products using new next-generation biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and

the computational science infrastructure using the K supercomputer and the post-K supercomputer, with the

aim of developing new medical technology with an eye to global development in the future.

(II)-2 Development of specialists to create medical innovations that meet international

standards

To make a global contribution, specialists who can play a leading role in international settings will be

developed by the Kobe Research Complex and other organizations.

(II)-3 Enhancement of a global-level medical innovation system

In order to achieve global development, a medical innovation system that meets international standards is

necessary. To establish such a system, efforts will be made to promote the establishment and improvement

of science and technology infrastructure and networks.

(II)-4 Global expansion and application of Kobe-originated medical technology

To disseminate Kobe-originated medical technology that will be developed through the aforementioned

efforts, international interchange of medical professionals will be promoted, health care professionals who

can play a major role globally will be developed, and high-quality health care services will be provided.

(II)-5 Promotion of efforts to develop into one of the best medical industry cities in the

world

Information on efforts and results made by the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster will be actively

disseminated to the world. In addition, a system to identify world’s cutting-edge trends earlier than any

other cities and communicate the identified trends to the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster will be

established to help Kobe City develop into one of the best medical industry cities in the world.

Desired image in the future (III): Kobe implementing new public health

practice using the preemptive medical approach (III)-1 Realization of preemptive medicine based on individually-tailored medicine

As a result of efforts to support scientific health promotion (Healthy Living Community Formation project)

under the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision, the Walking Mileage Experimental Project and cohort

research named “Kobe Trial” were performed. Results from these projects are being used to help residents

in Kobe City maintain their health. While these efforts will be continued, more emphasis will be placed on

the notion of collective health promotion. Emphasis will also be focused on the concept of preemptive

medicine in which therapeutic intervention necessary to prevent or delay the onset of a disease that an

individual is likely to develop in the future based on diagnostic prediction is provided. The adoption of

preemptive medicine will also be promoted.

Toward the adoption of preemptive medicine, the collection of necessary data and the establishment of

an information platform will also be promoted.

21

(III)-2 Creation of a healthy and active aging society through the implementation of a new

public health system using preemptive medicine

In line with the adoption of preemptive medicine, a system aiming to establish a new health promotion

system will be created in cooperation with residents in order to promote community participation efforts to

achieve a city where all residents enjoy healthy and active longevity. Information on these efforts will be

made available in Japan and abroad.

Desired image in the future (IV): Kobe with vitality generated through the

integration of activities of businesses and other organizations (IV)-1 Creation of industries by the integration of research results from Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster and other organizations and research seeds unique to Kobe

More than 300 organizations, such as companies and research institutions, have joined the Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster. To promote the development of Kobe’s economy, efforts will be focused on creating

new industries and inviting more manufacturing centers by integrating the results from the research and

development of these organizations and other clusters in the Kansai and other regions with research seeds

unique to Kobe.

(IV)-2 Promotion of commercialization through mutual support between companies in the

cluster

Support will be provided to form the “Enterprise Co-op,” an autonomous and independent organization to

promote business expansion within a community of different businesses, so that Kobe’s economy will be

vitalized through the integration of business activities.

22

(3) Relationships between the four desired images in the future Figure 8 shows the relationships between the aforementioned four desired images in the future. In the period

from the start of the concept to the present, many research institutions, medical institutions, and companies

have been invited and, accordingly, many excellent researchers and clinicians have gathered. This progress has

enabled each of basic research, translational research and clinical application to expand both quantitatively

and qualitatively, which have then integrated with each other systematically. At nodes connecting them, their

ideal goals are overlapped with each other and the foundation supporting each research area becomes thicker.

Through this process, the ideal vision of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster will be realized.

Figure 8: The cluster 10 years from now

・

Basic research

(II) Kobe contributing to the world with its cutting-edge medicine

Translational research

Clinical application

HospitalsLaboratories

(I) Kobe where people can receive the optimal, highest-level medical care

Laboratories

Residents <Society/Community>

(IV) Kobe with vitality generated through the integration of activities of businesses and other organizations

(III) Kobe implementing new public health practice using the preemptive medical approach

Companies

23

3. Expected Economic Effects of the Cluster in the Future

(1) Estimates for FY 2015, FY 2020 and FY 2025 using the estimation method applied in previous years

(i) Method for estimating economic effects

a) Estimates of future economic effects

The economic effects in FY 2015, FY 2020 and FY 2025 were estimated using the same method as the

one used to estimate the economic effects for FY 2012.

The number of companies, institutions and employees (per company) were determined based on

trends in the past fiscal year. The direct and indirect effects were estimated using the per-person effect for

FY 2012, which was multiplied by the numbers of employees for FY 2015, FY 2020 and FY 2025,

respectively. (See the table on the next page for the types of business and items used for the estimation of

the actual performance in FY 2012 and the estimation for FY 2015 and later years.)

b) Estimates of effects on tax revenues in the future

Effects on the fixed property tax/city planning tax in the future were estimated as follows: the actual

amount of tax per employee for FY 2012 and the fixed property tax/city planning tax per employee in the

entire City of Kobe were compared to determine the amount of tax per employee in the Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster, and the estimation was made using the estimated number of employees in the future.

Effects on the municipal taxes/business facility tax were estimated in the same way as the estimation

of the actual value of FY 2012, which is as follows: the value of the estimated future economic effects

was multiplied by the ratios of the gross production of the City of Kobe and the municipal tax; and the

estimated amount of the municipal tax was multiplied by the ratio of the municipal tax and business

facility tax in Kobe City.

24

Table 3: Estimated economic effects in FY 2012, and predicted economic effects in FY 2015,

FY 2020 and FY 2025

Effects Breakdown FY 2012 FY 2015 FY 2020 FY 2025 Remarks

Number of companies/ organizations

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 224 299 408 517

ii) Core institutions 13 13 14 15 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies

in Port Island Stage II 109 114 123 132


24 29 38 47

v) Universities, etc. 8 8 9 10

vi) The cluster of hospitals 2 6 9 10 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

(26) (31) (40) (49)

Total 380 469 601 731

Number of employees i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 3,452 5,083 9,017 14,062 ii) Core institutions 1,231 1,231 1,326 1,420 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies

in Port Island Stage II 2,379 3,044 4,280 5,663


1,877 2,474 3,694 5,128



organizations*1

(802) (980) (1,441) (2,037)

Total 9,878 13,214 19,863 27,948

Direct effects in the city (million yen)

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 20,674 30,442 54,003 84,218 ii) Core institutions 17,904 17,904 19,286 20,653 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies



16,331 21,526 32,141 44,618

v) Universities, etc. 9,832 9,832 11,055 12,293

vi) The cluster of hospitals 5,598 11,355 12,356 12,889 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

(11,778) (12,910) (15,904) (21,233)

Total 92,695 119,664 169,061 227,887

Indirect effects in the city (million yen)

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 7,837 11,539 20,470 31,924

ii) Core institutions 7,129 7,129 7,679 8,224 iii) Non-healthcare-related companies



5,480 7,223 10,785 14,972

v) Universities, etc. 3,710 3,710 4,171 4,638 vi) The cluster of hospitals 2,203 4,469 4,862 5,072 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

(4,523) (4,943) (6,058) (8,079)

Total 32,441 41,852 58,909 79,308

Grand total (million yen) (Total of direct and indirect effects)

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 28,511 41,981 74,473 116,142




21,811 28,749 42,926 59,590

v) Universities, etc. 13,542 13,542 15,226 16,931 vi) The cluster of hospitals 7,801 15,824 17,218 17,961 vii) Supercomputer-related

organizations*1

(16,301) (17,853) (21,962) (29,312)

Total 125,136 161,516 227,970 307,195

Tax revenue effects (100 million yen) (Fixed property and city planning taxes, municipal taxes, business facility tax)

i) Healthcare-related companies in PI 976 1,503 2,773 4,402




561 797 1,280 1,846



organizations*1

(1,084) (1,139) (1,290) (1,530)

Total 4,462 5,612 8,012 10,905

*1 The economic effects and the tax revenue effects of the supercomputer-related organizations are also included in i), ii), iv) and v).

*2 The total of the whole numbers may not be consistent because the ratios were rounded off at the first decimal place.

25

ii) Estimated economic effects and assessment

Within Port Island, the numbers of healthcare-related companies are estimated to be about 300 in FY 2015,

about 410 in FY 2020 and about 520 in FY 2025; and the numbers of employees are estimated to be about

5,100 in FY 2015, about 9,000 in FY 2020 and about 14,100 in FY 2025. The combined economic effects

of direct and indirect effects are estimated to be about 42 billion yen in FY 2015, about 74 billion yen in FY

2020 and about 116 billion yen in FY 2025; and the effects on tax revenues are expected to be about 1.5

billion yen in FY 2015, about 2.8 billion yen in FY 2020 and about 4.4 billion yen in FY 2025.

If these healthcare-related companies in Port Island are combined with core institutions,

non-healthcare-related companies in Port Island Stage II, healthcare-related companies in the city,

universities and academic institutions, and the cluster of hospitals, the estimated numbers of companies and

organizations total about 470 in FY 2015, about 600 in FY 2020 and about 730 in FY 2025; the estimated

numbers of employees total about 13,200 in FY 2015, about 19,900 in FY 2020 and about 27,900 in FY

2025; the estimated economic effects that combine direct and indirect effects total about 162 billion yen in

FY 2015, about 228 billion yen in FY 2020 and about 307 billion yen in FY 2025; and the estimated effects

on tax revenues total about 5.6 billion yen in FY 2015, about 8 billion yen in FY 2020 and about 10.9

billion yen in FY 2025.

The economic effects in FY 2015, which we have estimated this time, total about 162 billion yen,

which only accounts for about 2-3% of the gross regional product (GRP) of the entire City of Kobe (about 6

trillion yen). The estimated economic effects in FY 2025 will account for about 5-6% of the GRP. In order

to position the medical industry as the core industry of the City of Kobe in the future, more efforts are

needed to generate more economic effects.

Figure 9: Estimated numbers of companies and institutions

172companies

324companies

380companies

469companies

601companies

731companies

2,690 employees

8,327employees

9,878employees

13,214employees

19,863employees

27,948employees

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

FY2005

FY2010

FY2012

FY2015

FY2020

FY2025

Nu

mb

er

of

co

mp

an

ies/institu

tion

s

Nu

mb

er

of

em

plo

ye

es

26

Figure 10: Estimated economic effects (direct effects + indirect effects)

5.6 bn yen25.6 bn yen 28.5 bn yen

42.0 bn yen

74.5 bn yen

116.1 bn yen

15.9 bn yen

24.1 bn yen 25.0 bn yen

25.0 bn yen

27.0 bn yen

28.9 bn yen

7.1 bn yen


36.4 bn yen

51.2 bn yen

67.7 bn yen

12.4 bn yen


28.7 bn yen

42.9 bn yen

59.6 bn yen

11.3 bn yen

13.5 bn yen

13.5 bn yen

15.2 bn yen

16.9 bn yen

7.8 bn yen

15.8 bn yen

17.2 bn yen

18.0 bn yen

0 bn yen

50 bn yen

100 bn yen

150 bn yen

200 bn yen

250 bn yen

300 bn yen

350 bn yen

FY 2005 FY 2010 FY 2012 FY 2015 FY 2020 FY 2025

125.1 bn yen

104.1 bn yen

40.9 bn yen

To

tal p

rod

uctio

n (

bill

ion

ye

n)

Medical Cluster

Universities

Healthcare-related companies in the city

Non-healthcare-related companies in Port Island Stage II

Core institutions

Healthcare-related companies in PI

161.5 bn yen

228.0 bn yen

307.2 bn yen

27

(2) Perspective to increase economic effects

(i) Integration with different types of industries and invitation of more businesses

The economic effects so far have been estimated based on the increase in the number of employees

associated with the increase in the entry of healthcare-related companies, core organizations and other

organizations to Port Island. In order to make use of results from the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster’s

efforts to further revitalize Kobe’s economy and to generate more economic effects, it is necessary to

promote integration with different types of industries, mainly Kobe’s local industries, such as

manufacturing industries and mechanical and metal engineering industries. Table 5 shows the result of the

questionnaire survey conducted by the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry in February 2014 on the

involvement of businesses in different types of industry, particularly the health and medical industry.

According to the table, interest in the health and medical industry has definitely increased. There is already

a company jointly established by local major companies to develop medical robots. It is expected that more

new businesses in different types of industry will join the cluster.

At present, nearly 80% of companies in the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster rent a laboratory for

their business and the number of employees per company is not very large. If these “tenant-type” companies

expand their business scale and establish their own facilities in Kobe, the number of employees will

significantly increase. As a result, a significant increase in economic effects can be expected.

There still remain vacant industrial lots in Port Island Stage II where companies can establish their own

facilities. There are some companies that initially started their business in Port Island in a rental laboratory

and later acquired a lot to build their own facilities. It is therefore important to verify these successful cases

and to lead companies to actively use the research environment and other advantages of the Kobe

Biomedical Innovation Cluster so that they can expand their business scale.

Table 4: Summary of the result from the questionnaire survey conducted by the Kobe Chamber

of Commerce and Industry in February 2014

2010 2013

Interest in the health and medical industry 51.6% 54.4%

Already involved in the health and medical industry 27.3% 33.0%

Collaboration with universities and research institutions in the health and

medical industry 21.1% 28.4%

Figure 11: Growth model for companies

Step-up Step-

up

Rental laboratory(small space)

Rental laboratory(medium-sized space)

Land acquisition

• Scale: about 80-100 m2

• Small- and medium-sized company, venture company

• Involvement in a different type of business

• Scale: about several hundred square meters

• Large company

• Scale: Purchase or rent of land

• Large company

28

ii) Scope of the medical industry and expansion of development areas

In the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, research and development infrastructures have been established

and improved. To increase economic effects, it is necessary to consider expanding its activities into new

fields that are generated from these infrastructures. For example, the industrial area in the Kobe Biomedical

Innovation Cluster can be expanded beyond medicine in the conventional narrow sense into not only

nursing care and health area but also the sports industry using wearable terminals and the food industry

represented by health foods, including supplements.

The geographical area to develop activities can be expanded to cover the entire city beyond Port Island

thanks to shortened temporal distances as a result of the advancement of information communication

technology and by implementing measures designed for local medical institutions. With this expansion, an

increase in economic effects can be expected. An expansion in industrial fields and geographical area is

expected to increase the distribution amounts of people, goods, money and information, and eventually

increase the economic effects in the city. (See Figure 12.)

Figure 12: Effects spreading to companies in the city

Amount of economic activities

(Distribution amounts of people, goods and

money)

Development areas

Mainly in PI (in the past) Throughout the city (in the future)

• Other areas• Manufacturing industry(in the future)

• Mainly in medicine• Mainly in R&D(in the past)

Industrial areas

Economic effects

29

4. Achieve the Desired Image of the Cluster

To achieve the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision, specific efforts must be taken under the support

provided by the national and prefectural governments, mainly by Kobe City, the Foundation for Biomedical

Research and Innovation and the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and in coordination and

cooperation with various sectors and levels of people and organizations, including a large number of

companies, healthcare professionals, universities and research institutions in the advanced medical field and

the health and welfare field in Japan and abroad, as well as Kobe residents.

In particular, the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council, which promotes the formation

of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, and its implementing bodies, Kobe City and the Foundation for

Biomedical Research and Innovation, are expected to implement measures to realize the vision on a steady

basis, such as planning programs to achieve goals.

It will also be necessary to review efforts and measures on an as-needed basis based on external opinions

about companies, researchers, healthcare professionals, Kobe residents and business owners that are involved

in the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster as well as based on changes in the environment surrounding the

Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster. Regular assessment of activities should also be made in line with the

Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision and in cooperation with industry, academia and government agencies in

the Kansai region and the residents of Kobe City. Issues to be assessed should include whether or not the

integration of biological, medical and simulation technologies and the strengthening of relationships with

Kobe residents and companies would vitalize Kobe’s economy, improve the health and welfare of Kobe

residents, and promote the contribution to the international community; and whether or not cooperation with

clusters in the Kansai region, other parts of Japan and abroad and other international exchange efforts have

been promoted smoothly.

The future of medicine and medical care extends infinitely. It is expected that the realization of the vision

will overcome current issues, open a new door to the future, and contribute to society.

30

References

(1) List of members of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Council and its meetings

Chairman

Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation

Honorary Chairman Hiroo Imura

Members (titles omitted)

The Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Vice-chairman Hisashi Ietsugu

Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University

Dean Shinji Uemoto

Board of Directors, Executive Vice President

Director Matsuto Ogawa

Kobe Medical Association

President Takashi Okishio

Graduate School of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine

Dean Tohru Kataoka

Hyogo Prefecture

Vice Governor Kazuo Kanazawa

Kobe City Hospital Organization

Director Haruhiko Kikuchi

Senri Life Science Foundation

President Tadamitsu Kishimoto

Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.

Executive Officer Toru Kimura

Graduate School of Medicine/Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University

Dean Yoshiki Sawa

Frontier Institute for Biomolecular Engineering Research

Director Naoki Sugimoto

Prefectural Hospitals Agency

Superintendent Ryuichiro Nishimura

National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center

President Nobuo Hashimoto

Medicaroid Corporation

President Yasuhiko Hashimoto

RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology

Director Hiroshi Hamada

City of Kobe

Mayor Kizo Hisamoto

RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science

Director Kimihiko Hirao

31


President Tasuku Honjo

Foundation for Kobe International Medical Alliance

Advisor Hikaru Matsuda

Asubio Pharma Co., Ltd.

President & CEO Yoshiharu Minamitake

Kobe City Council

Chairman Takashi Moriya

National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation

Health and Nutrition, Director Yoshihiro Yoneda

RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies

Director Yasuyoshi Watanabe

Date and time Place

First meeting in FY 2013 May 15 (Wed) 15:00-15:30 The Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry,

3F, Special Meeting Room A

Second meeting in FY 2013 October 4 (Fri) 13:30-14:50 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Training Room

Third meeting in FY 2013 March 17 (Mon) 13:30-15:30 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Training Room

First meeting in FY 2015 July 29 (Wed) 13:30-15:30 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Training Room

32

(2) Details of the Vision Revision WG Committee meetings and other meetings

i) Experts brainstorming

Brainstorming meetings consisting of the eight experts listed below were held twice to identify keywords

for the revision of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision.

[Participants in brainstorming meetings (titles omitted)]


Chairman Hiroo Imura


Deputy Director Yoshiki Sasai

Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,


Director Yoichi Nabeshima

NPO All About Science Japan

Representative Shinichi Nishikawa

Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital,


Director Yukio Hirata

Kobe City Biomedical Innovation Cluster Promotion Department

Director Takashi Miki


Executive Director Masayoshi Murakami


Deputy Director Akinori Yonezawa*

*Left RIKEN in March 2015

Date and time Place

First meeting April 16 (Tue) 2013, 16:15-18:45 TRI Training Room 4

Second meeting May 27 (Mon) 2013, 17:15-18:45 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Large Meeting Room

33

ii) Working Group

Chairman

Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital

Director Toru Kita

Vice Chairman

Kobe University Hospital

Director Kazuro Sugimura

NPO All About Science Japan

Representative Shinichi Nishikawa

Members (titles omitted)

Sysmex Corporation

Senior Executive Officer Kaoru Asano

Kan Research Institute, Inc.

President and Representative Director/Laboratory Director Toshio Imai

Institute for Policy Analysis and Social Innovation

Professor Yoshimasa Katoh

Department of Pharmacoepidemiology,

Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Kyoto University

Professor Koji Kawakami

National Institute of Biomedical Innovation/

Center for Innovative Drug Discovery and Development

Director Yoichi Kurebayashi

Kobe University Orthopaedic Surgery

Associate Professor Ryosuke Kuroda

Department of Radiation Oncology,

Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital

Director Masaki Kokubo

Department of Chemical Science and Engineering,

Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University

Professor Akihiko Kondo

Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital

Director Nobuyuki Sakai

Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration Research,


Retinal Regeneration Research Project Leader Masayo Takahashi

Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children’s Hospital

Director Tatsuya Nagashima

Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation,

Regenerative Medicine Network Program Development Support Office

Manager Akifumi Matsuyama

Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research,

Osaka University Hospital

Vice Director Akira Myoui

34

Asubio Pharma Co., Ltd.

President & CEO Seiichi Yokoyama


Deputy Director Akinori Yonezawa*

RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies

Director Yasuyoshi Watanabe

(Director)


Executive Director Masayoshi Murakami

*Left RIKEN in March 2015

Date and time Place

First meeting June 24 (Mon) 2013, 16:30-18:40 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Training Room

Second meeting July 22 (Mon) 2013, 17:00-19:15 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Training Room

Third meeting August 26 (Mon) 2013, 17:00-19:15 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Training Room

Fourth meeting September 17 (Tue) 2013, 17:00-18:50 Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation,

4F, Training Room

Documents

Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision [Revised and Enlarged ... · 1. Background of the Revision of the Kobe Life Science Promotion Vision (1) Concept of the Kobe Biomedical Innovation