A delegation of Japanese business leaders visited North Carolina last week as part of a trade mission organized by the Japan External Trade Relations Organization (JETRO), highlighting the state’s growing life sciences sector and longstanding ties to Japan.
The three-day JETRO Mission began Tuesday, June 24, with a welcome breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion hosted by Gov. Josh Stein. In his remarks, Stein underscored North Carolina’s enduring relationship with Japan and the many advantages that make the state an attractive destination for international investment.
Following the breakfast, the delegation toured NC State University’s Plant Sciences Building, where they heard presentations by Ryan Combs of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership; Mark Schmidt, NC State’s associate vice chancellor for partnerships; and Mary Hecht-Kessell of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. The group later visited the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) before traveling to Japanese-owned companies Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies in Morrisville and Astellas Gene Therapies in Sanford.
The NC Japan Center (NCJC) played a key role in the mission by welcoming participants, sharing resources to help Japanese businesses connect with partners across the state, and reinforcing North Carolina’s reputation as a Japan-friendly place to invest and collaborate. As the only state-affiliated Japan Center in the United States, the NCJC serves as a hub for building economic and cultural ties between North Carolina and Japan. The daughter of NC Japan Center instructor Beniko Iwakura and NC State Biological Sciences Senior Yume Iwakura served as the translator for the delegation.
The delegation continued its visit in the following days with stops at Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter and the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, home to NC State’s Plants for Human Health Institute. For more information about the NC Japan Center and its efforts to strengthen North Carolina’s connections with Japan, visit the NC Japan Center’s website.
