Global Startup EXPO 2026 Briefing

On June 26, the S&T Diplomatic Circle Kansai joined the Global Startup EXPO 2026 briefing, organized by Osaka Prefecture, hosted at the Swiss Consulate in Osaka. The event brought together S&TDC diplomatic delegations, senior officials from Osaka Prefecture, and media representatives for a focused exchange on Kansai's international startup and innovation ambitions.

The event opened with remarks by Osaka Prefecture, represented by Director-General Katsuhiro Higashiguchi on behalf of Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura. A highlight of the afternoon was the signing of a Statement of Cooperation between Osaka Prefecture and S&TDC members Germany and Switzerland, a concrete expression of the shared commitment to international collaboration building on the legacy of Expo 2025 Osaka.

Participants received an in-depth overview of GSE 2026, World Health Expo 2026 Osaka (WHX), and the Osaka Innovation Hub (OIH), followed by innovation ecosystem presentations from S&TDC member countries Germany, Israel, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The session closed with open networking, bringing together diplomats and innovation leaders around a shared vision for Kansai as a global hub for startups, deeptech, and healthcare.

Our warm thanks go to Osaka Prefecture for their excellent work in driving this initiative forward, and to Dr. Felix Moesner and the Consulate of Switzerland, swissnex in Japan, for hosting this event.