Leo Owsiacki, Deputy Executive Director from the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), led a team of ISTC staff and Russian scientists to promote opportunities for doing business in the biotechnology area. 

The BioJapan 2007 World Business Forum took place in the city of Yokohama from September 19th to 21st and was organized by Japan Bio-industry Organization and Nikkei Business Publications Inc. 

A booth describing the advantages to working through the ISTC was available over the 3 days of the forum and over 12 separate meetings with potential private sector firms were conducted between 3 Russian representatives of scientific institutes/companies and potential investors. ISTC, as part of its non-proliferation mandate provides assistance in a variety of ways to former weapons scientists to assist them in commercializing inventions/new technologies/products etc. developed through projects previously financed by ISTC. 

Additionally, presentations were made by Mr. Owsiacki – “Opportunities for the Bioindustry to Engage in Russia & the CIS through the International Science & Technology Center”, ISTC Senior Project Manager Ms Natalya Savinova – “Advanced Biotechnology in Russia/CIS, ISTC Programs & Services to Convert R&D into Sustainable Business” and Dr. Klochkov of the Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds (IPAC) of the Russian Academy of Sciences – “Innovative Technologies of Plants Purified Extracts in Development of New Generation of Biologically Active Food Supplements” .

Meetings and presentations were well attended and several very concrete discussions were held and may lead to direct commercialization possibilities for the Russian entities and new Partners for ISTC. 

The International Science and Technology Center was established by an international agreement in November 1992 as a nonproliferation program. It coordinates the efforts of numerous governments, international organizations, and private-sector industries, in providing former weapons scientists from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States new opportunities in international partnership. The ISTC contributes to fundamental research, international programs, and innovation and commercialization, by linking the demands of international markets with the exceptional pool of scientific talent available in Russian and CIS institutes.

Picture from the left:
Yasuhiko Sakoe (Business Development Division Manager, Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co.),
Natalya Savinova, ISTC Partner Project Manager (Bioindustry)
Prof. Andrey Simbirtsev (Head of Lab.of Immunopharmacology , Research Institute of Highly Pure Bio-preparations)
Dr. Nikolay Khokhlov (Filagr Ltd., Vice President, Sales and Marketing)