PMK initiative

Presentation of a Japanese Cluster - PMK initiative

The Kansai region (Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto metropolitan areas) is the heart of Japan’s biotech industry and is home to top biomedical clusters that are open to the international community.

These clusters feature many pharmaceutical companies, medical institutions, bio ventures, and research institutions.

The Kansai region offers an excellent environment perfectly suited for partnering in areas ranging from exploratory research in drug discovery to production and sales of pharmaceuticals. 

Particularly, in medical and bio-equipment where universities and research facilities concentrated in the region are conducting some of the world's most advanced studies. One of these organisations, the Kyoto University's Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences is playing an important role on regenerative medicine research.

The Kansai Regenerative medicine Industrial Consortium (KRIC) was launched by Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry.

KRIC runs its programmes based on the policy of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and conducts activities such as:

• BtoB matching between large companies and SMEs,

• SMEs’ coordinating support collaborations between companies by matching technology seeds and industry needs,

• Building R&D facilities to support teams to get competitive founds.

Biomedical clusters in Kansai include PMK initiative, a R&D community specialized in proteins.

The Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe bioclusters include over 150 universities and research institutes conducting advanced research and over 300 companies engaged in life science business.

Many of them are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in Kansai’s two life science parks: Kobe Medical Industry City on Kobe’s Port Island and Saito Life Science Park in northern Osaka.

PMK initiative

Location: Toyonaka city, OSAKA

Established in May 2009 as Protein Mall Kansai, PMK initiative (https://osaka-bio.jp/english/supports-and-initiatives/pmk-initiative/) is Japan’s largest assembly of protein-related research institutes and companies It is organized by the Osaka Bio Headquarters (http://www.osaka-bio.jp/en/) and the Senri Life Science Foundation (http://www.senri-life.or.jp/). 

PMK initiative focuses on protein research aiming to become the “Top-Level International Biomedical Cluster”. For a full list of pharmaceutical companies involved in PMK initiative Project, please click here.

PMK initiative activities contribute to the growth and development of innovative technology through delivering of a value chain of Drug Discovery, Protein Drug, Peptide Drug, Biomarker, Surrogate Marker etc.

Video contents: Advantages in Osaka Industry Accumulation Network Precision Medicine/ Innovative protein and peptide therapeutics Collaborative Project for Protein R&D Aiming
BtoB matching event held in Osaka in 2016: 52 European companies  and 51 Japanese companies from region participated Set 288 meetings

PMK initiative is composed of 62 members (see Members list link: https://osaka-bio.jp/support/protein/sankakudantai/ ) including such organisations as below

• Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
• Kinki Bio-industry Development Organization
• Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Osaka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
• RIKEN Harima Institute RIKEN SPring-8 Center

The members of PMK initiative aim to create commercial opportunities through the practical application of protein-related research, the promotion of collaborative research, and the support of contract research, all of which contribute to innovative technology and new business in the Kansai Area where historically boasts a lot of brilliant results on protein R&D, which includes Osaka and five other Prefectures 

Local Authorities

• Osaka Prefectural Government Osaka Bio Headquarters
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, Kansai Bureau) 

Contact Osaka Bio Headquarters
Tel: +81-6-6115-8100,
Fax: +81-6-6833-8170
Email: contact@osaka-bio.jp  
http://www.osaka-bio.jp/en/