The chairman greeting
If the 20th century can be called the age of electronics, when electron control technologies were increasingly improved and society and industries dramatically developed, the 21st century can be said to be the age of photonics, when the control of photons brings to life that which was difficult to realize or beyond our imagination in the previous century.
Moreover, national healthcare expenditure has now reached 32 trillion yen (in fiscal 2004); and amid concerns over steadily increasing healthcare costs with the aging of society and changes in lifestyles, curbing those costs has become a serious issue.
The business community, meanwhile, is focusing on medical, health and welfare industries as possible next-generation industries expected to bring about drastic development.
Today, the Kansai Science City and its surroundings house a great number of institutions and organizations, including universities and research institutions engaged in the world's top photonics research and development; universities, institutions, and hospitals with advanced medical technologies, seeking to open new frontiers; and IT research institutions and robotics labs. The area is also home to a large number of companies playing in the global markets that are engaged in the fields of electronics, electronic devices, medical equipment, drugs, and so on.
In order to contribute to society and the economy in the 21st century, and to take full advantage of the region's strengths and features as mentioned above, we at Keihanna New Industry Creation and Interactive Community Center formed the "Photo Medical Valley Study Group" on September 26, 2005, and reorganized it into the "Photo-Medical Valley Research Alliance in Keihanna" on October 1, 2006. Our purpose is to explore research themes conducive to the creation and promotion of optical and medical industries; to collaborate with universities, research institutions and businesses; to foster venture firms; and to promote commercialization. Under the new organization, we have been stepping up our activities and seek to achieve a great leap forward.
Yoshitomi Nagaoka
Chairman, Photo-Medical Valley Research Alliance