[Press Release] Building Japan's only healthcare startup ecosystem that implements global standards.
We held the "VMaCS Pilot Plant Opening Commemorative Event and Nakanoshima Qross Anniversary Week Event – ​​Towards Building Japan's Only Healthcare Startup Ecosystem that Implements Global Standards –".

The Future Medical Promotion Organization (Kita-ku, Osaka; Chairman: Yoshiki Sawa), which operates the future medical international hub "Nakanoshima Qross (hereinafter "NQ")", held the "VMaCS Pilot Plant Opening Commemorative Event and Nakanoshima Qross Anniversary Week Event – ​​Towards the Construction of Japan's Only Healthcare Startup Ecosystem that Implements Global Standards –" on Monday, June 29, 2026.

On the same day, NQ celebrated its second anniversary. To mark this milestone, it opened the "VMaCS Pilot Plant," which will serve as the base for the "VMaCS" cell stable supply value chain consortium, enabling the development and practical application of next-generation regenerative medicine modalities. On that day, a total of 129 people, including life science clusters, companies, startups, and investors from Japan and abroad, participated both in person and online, engaging in discussions and exchanges toward the industrialization of next-generation medicine and the construction of a healthcare startup ecosystem.

Background

To translate next-generation medical treatments, including regenerative medicine and cell therapy, into practical applications in society, it is essential to have not only outstanding research results and technologies, but also a manufacturing base that considers quality, cost, and stable supply, as well as a robust value chain that supports industrialization.

The newly opened VMaCS pilot plant is positioned as a new industrialization foundation for next-generation medicine, handling everything from process development and pilot verification to contract manufacturing and stable supply in a seamless manner. NQ has become a hub that brings together research, clinical practice, and industry, marking an important step in accelerating the social implementation of future medicine.

Main contents of the day

■ Opening remarks and guest speeches

At the beginning of the meeting, Yoshiki Sawa (Chairman of the Board of Directors, Future Medical Promotion Foundation) gave the opening address, stating that with the approval of iPS cell products, regenerative medicine is entering a new turning point, and that moving away from manual labor and establishing a large-scale manufacturing base are essential to achieving industrialization. Following this, Tatsuya Ito (Member of the House of Representatives) spoke about the company's continued support for the field of regenerative medicine and expressed its commitment to supporting the creation of an ecosystem that connects the hopes of patients suffering from intractable diseases through policy.

■ Keynote speeches

Mr. Hiroya Hirose (Director, Biochemical Industry Division, Commerce and Service Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) explained the industrial policy of the Regenerative Medicine Promotion Network and the government's growth strategy. In addition, in his keynote address, Chairman Yoshiki Sawa introduced NQ's achievements, such as welcoming more than 50 countries and concluding MOUs with overseas organizations in the two years since its opening, and outlined the direction toward building a healthcare startup ecosystem that implements global standards.

■ Introduction to VMaCS's Initiatives

Mr. Masanori Tanaka (Head of New Business Division, Qualips Corporation) gave an overview of VMaCS. He explained the concept of openly sharing the results of joint development, looking ahead to the era of mass supply where 3 trillion cells will be needed by 2040, and the system that integrates factory automation (FA), online process analysis (PAT), and simulation technology for commercial manufacturing on the order of 100 billion cells at a time.

■ Sharing of initiatives by partner organizations

In the session on sharing initiatives among partner organizations, three companies—Shikoku Keisoku Kogyo Co., Ltd., Fukushima Galirei Co., Ltd., and Satake Multimix Co., Ltd.—presented their efforts toward the development and scaling up of automated mass culture systems for adherent cells, programmable freezers for mass cell freezing, and end-to-end culture technology bioreactors.

■ Site visits and networking

Following the event, participants were given a tour of VMaCS, Cerapha Biosciences Co., Ltd.'s "Maholo," and O-Nexus facilities, as well as networking opportunities. Speakers and participants actively interacted with each other, creating an opportunity for diverse players such as researchers, businesses, support organizations, and investors to connect across fields and positions.

In her closing remarks, Yoshiko Tanikawa (Manager, Project Promotion Division, Future Medical Promotion Foundation) expressed her hope that through the various events during Anniversary Week, they would work together to advance the legacy of the Expo into the future.

The Next Development

The Japan Medical Innovation Foundation, with Nakanoshima Qross at its core, will promote the practical application and industrialization of future medical treatments, including regenerative medicine and cell therapy. Starting with the VMaCS pilot plant, the foundation will develop a manufacturing base and value chain to translate research results into social implementation, and through collaboration with domestic and international companies, startups, investors, and support organizations, it aims to build a healthcare startup ecosystem that implements world standards.

[Overview of the General Incorporated Foundation for the Promotion of Future Medical Care]

Name	Future Medical Promotion Organization
Address	530-0005 4-3-51 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Nakanoshima Qross 6F
Representative	Chairman Yoshiki Sawa
URL	https://www.nakanoshima-qross.jp/
Established	November 22, 2019
Outline	With the aim of promoting the practical application, industrialization, and international contribution through the provision of "future medicine," including regenerative medicine, we are responsible for forming and operating "Nakanoshima Qross," a hub where diverse players from industry, government, academia, and medicine can gather under one roof to accelerate exchange and co-creation.

Please see the attached full press release for details.