News & Press Releases

The 20th century's economic progress brought prosperity and enriched the quality of life for much of mankind. However, in the 21st century, we are facing many problems that threaten the sustainability of our world. These include: dwindling energy resources, a worsening environment, global warming, rising populations, food and water shortages, infectious diseases, the digital divide and also terrorism. In today's increasingly complex and globalized society, conventional solutions to these problems are not enough; we must seek 21st century solutions to 21st century problems. As immediate actions are called for, this event gathers leaders from industry, academia, and government from around the world to take part in discussions on these and other pressing topics, searching to reform economic and social systems through innovation. The symposium will also propose better methods for economic development for the 21st century that utilize advancements in science and technology, in particular in the fields of energy, the environment, biotechnology and ICT.

Date & Time
October 10th (Wed), 2007, 8:30 - 17:30

Venue
Tokyo Midtown Hall "Midtown East B1" (9-7-2, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Program (tentative)
Morning Session
Theme: "Innovation for Sustainability"
Organized by: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and JETRO
With support from: Science Council of Japan (tbc)

8:30	Doors open
9:00-9:30	Opening Remarks
9:30-10:30	Keynote Speeches: "New Innovation Frontier" Ms. Deborah Wince-Smith, President, Council on Competitiveness, USA Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Japan
10:30-12:30	Speeches and Panel Discussion <Chair> Dr. Junji Itoh, Vice-President Innovation Architect, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan <Speakers> Prof. Yuan Tseh Lee, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 1986, President Emeritus, Distinguished Research Fellow, Academia Sinica, Chinese Taipei Prof. Bruce Alberts, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, USA Prof. Jose Tundisi, President, Ecology International Institute, Brazil Dr. Tetsuhiko Ikegami, Commissioner, Space activities commission, MEXT, Japan

Afternoon Session
Theme: "Role of Science and Technology in Resolving Global Issues"–Coping with Issues such as Energy & the Environment, Food, Water, Bioethics, Digital Divide, etc.–
Organized by: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, JETRO
With support from: Science Council of Japan (tbc)

13:30-13:50	Opening Remarks Prof. Yoko Ishikura, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, Japan
13:50-16:10	Concurrent Sessions
1. Life Science Session: "Progress of Biotechnology and the Future of Economic and Social Systems" <Chair> Dr. Michio Oishi, Director, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Japan <Speakers> Prof. Bruce Alberts, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, USA Prof. Roger Beachy, President, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA Dr. Monty Jones, Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Ghana
2. Energy and Environment Session: "Resolving Global Energy & Environment Issues with Science and Technology " <Chair> Mr. Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA), France <Speakers> Dr. Augustine Ong Soon Hock, President, Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS), Malaysia Prof. Jose Tundisi, President, Ecology International Institute, Brazil
3. ICT Session: Globalization and the Progress of ICT " <Chair> Prof. Michitaka Hirose, Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Japan <Speakers> Dr. Usama Fayyad, Chief Data Officer and Senior Vice President, Research & Strategic Data Solutions, Yahoo! Incorporated, USA Mr. Martin Varsavsky, President & Founder, Varsavsky Foundation, Spain
16:10-16:25	Break
16:25-17:25	Concluding Session <Chair> Prof. Yoko Ishikura, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Hitotsubashi University, Japan <Speakers> Dr. Michio Oishi, Director, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, JapanMr. Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA), France Prof. Michitaka Hirose, Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Japan
17:25-17:30	Closing Address

* Simultaneous Japanese-English interpretation will be provided throughout the program.

Participation fee:
Free of charge (registration is required)

*To register online, please follow below link:
Online registration

---

For more information, please contact:
Industry and Technology Division, Industry and Technology Department
TEL: 03-3582-7571 FAX: 03-3582-7508
E-mail: sci@jetro.go.jp