Symposium: Advancing regenerative medicine with silicon-based technologies
November 11, 2025 | Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Join imec, LINK-J, RISE-A, and JSRM at this health symposium on how integrated systems can make workflows more data-driven, automated, and precise.
Regenerative medicine and cell therapy face unique challenges: biological variability, limited scalability, complex cell handling, and insufficient quality control. To tackle these issues, imec leverages its semiconductor expertise to provide silicon-enabled solutions that bring automation, precision, and reproducibility to research, development, and manufacturing.
Imec's technology portfolio includes:
- Advanced cell sorting concepts: high-throughput, label-free, multi-marker selection using microfluidic and photonic platforms.
- Integrated multi-electrode systems: high-density microelectrode arrays for precise electroporation
- Integrated multi-sensor systems: for real-time monitoring of cell cultures
- On-chip molecular analysis enabling DNA, RNA, protein etc. analysis
- Computational imaging: label-free, high-resolution imaging systems for scalable quality control of living cells.
These modular technologies can be integrated across regenerative medicine and cell therapy workflows - from cell isolation and expansion to culture monitoring and quality control - helping to standardize processes, support scalable production, and accelerate translation from research to therapy.
Imec works closely with industry partners to co-develop custom solutions, demonstrating how silicon technology can enhance precision, reproducibility, and scalability in regenerative therapy development.
Why attend
Join us for an engaging afternoon and networking reception, exploring how semiconductor-enabled technologies are transforming regenerative medicine. You will learn:
- How silicon innovations can address critical bottlenecks in regenerative medicine and cell therapy workflows - from cell isolation and reprogramming to culture monitoring and quality assurance.
- Why imec is the ideal partner to co-develop modular, scalable solutions that move beyond proof-of-concept toward standardized, reproducible manufacturing.
- How imec’s expertise in nanoelectronics, sensor integration, microfluidics, and advanced monitoring provides unique capabilities to support therapy development and innovation.
Who should attend
- Industry members in regenerative medicine, cell and gene therapy, and biomanufacturing
- Startups and research institutions, including those engaged in national life science and medical projects, exploring collaboration with imec
- Established healthcare, pharma, and biotech companies looking to leverage silicon-enabled solutions
- Investors and partners seeking insights into emerging technologies and collaboration opportunities
- Researchers and innovators interested in automation and real-time monitoring for cell workflows
Agenda
- 14:30 - Welcome by Katrien Marent, EVP & Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at imec
- 14:35 - Opening remarks by:
- To be confirmed at imec
- Shunichi Takahashi, President & COO at LINK-J
- Hiroshi Saigusa, CEO at RISE-A
- To be confirmed at JSRM
- 15:15 - Bringing the power of semiconductor technologies to the life sciences by Paru Deshpande, Vice President R&D Life Sciences Technologies at imec
- 15:40 - Industry insights by Kazuhiko Yamamoto, Representative Director & CEO at Synplogen
- 16:00 - Toward a new standard of therapy — implementing and scaling regenerative medicine from Japan by Professor Koichi Nakayama, Saga University, and JSRM
- 16:30 - Advancing regenerative medicine with silicon-based technologies by Olivier Henry, Program Director Life Sciences at imec
- 17:00 - Building a prime deep-tech venturing ecosystem on the shoulders of a global tech leader by Olivier Rousseaux, Director-Venture Development at imec
- 17:35 - Closing remarks
- 17:40 - Networking reception
- 19:00 - End
Speakers
Katrien Marent - EVP & Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, imec
Katrien Marent became imec's VP corporate, marketing and outreach communication in 2016. Since April 2020, she is Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, and member of the executive board of imec. Katrien has an engineering degree in microelectronics. She joined imec in 1992 as an analog design engineer and specialized in design of low-noise readout electronics for high-energy physics.
Shunichi Takahashi - President & COO, LINK-J
Shunichi Takahashi is President & COO of the Life Science Innovation Network Japan (LINK-J) and Visiting Professor at the University of Tsukuba. He began his career in 1993 as a researcher at a pharmaceutical company and, following mergers, joined Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd. At Bayer, he led projects in drug discovery and validation, contributed to regenerative medicine and iPS cell research, and later held leadership roles in cardiovascular project management and medical affairs. In 2014, he became head of Bayer’s Open Innovation Center Japan, where he established the center, launched CoLaborator Kobe, and built the first comprehensive partnership with Kyoto University. As a member of the Bayer Open Innovation Global Leadership Team, he advanced open innovation in Japan. In 2022, he joined LINK-J in his current role, contributing to the development of life science ecosystems in Japan.
Paru Deshpande - VP R&D Life Sciences Technologies, imec
Paru Deshpande completed his PhD at Princeton University in polymer self-assembly for lithography. He was the first employee at BioNano Genomics, where he led projects in single-molecule DNA detection and assay development. In 2012, Paru joined imec, where he is currently Vice President of Life Science Technologies, overseeing the department’s R&D efforts.
Kazuhiko Yamamoto - Representative Director & CEO, Synplogen
Kazuhiko Yamamoto is Representative Director & CEO of Synplogen, and also Visiting Professor at Kobe University and Fellow at the UTokyo Center for Applied Capital Markets Research. He graduated from Hitotsubashi University in 1988 and began his career at Sumitomo Electric Industries and Nomura Research Institute, working in finance and management strategy. In 1998, he founded an independent venture capital firm, supporting early-stage startups while advising on M&A and corporate finance. He was appointed professor at the Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation at Kobe University in 2016, a position he held until 2024. He has served as director of Synplogen since 2018 and was appointed Representative Director & CEO in 2021.
Koichi Nakayama - Professor & Chairman, Saga University & Delegate, JSRM
Koichi Nakayama, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at Saga University’s Faculty of Medicine, and Visiting Professor at the Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University. A former orthopedic surgeon, he has pioneered work in tissue and organ regeneration, including the development of a specialized BIO 3D printer for organ fabrication. In collaboration with industry partners, he co-founded Cyfuse Biomedical to bring bio 3D printing technology to market. He has published extensively in the field, including contributions to Biofabrication: Micro- and Nano-fabrication, Printing, Patterning and Assemblies (Elsevier, 2013). Dr. Nakayama also serves as President of the Cell Aggregation Meeting and Delegate for the Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine.
Olivier Rousseaux - Director Venture Development, imec
Olivier Rousseaux is the Director of Venture Development at imec. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from KU Leuven and an EMBA from Solvay Business School. Olivier has a background in wireless communications and venture creation and previously held roles in corporate strategy and business line management at Commscope.
Location
Rise Gate Nihonbashi,
7th Floor, 1-7-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Organizing partners
