Visit to Suntory World Research Center

On June 5, the S&T Diplomatic Circle Kansai visited the Suntory World Research Center (SWR), located in Kansai Science City in Kyoto Prefecture. The site serves as the Suntory Group's central research hub, housing multiple organizations under one roof, including Suntory Global Innovation Center Ltd., which leads both fundamental and applied research, and the Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences, Bioorganic Research Institute, an internationally recognized institution focused on basic life science research.

Research at SWR is organized around four interconnected fields: deliciousness, health, sustainability, and safety and reliability. These translate into a wide range of scientific programs, from water research and safety science to more unexpected areas such as blue rose research, a long-running program that produced the world's first blue rose through biotechnology, and studies on egg formation using sea squirts as a biological model. The breadth of research on a single campus reflects Suntory's long-standing conviction that rigorous science underpins everything from product quality to environmental stewardship.

The delegation received an overview of SWR's research directions, followed by a guided tour of the key laboratories and facilities. A Q&A session closed the visit, offering members the opportunity to explore how Suntory balances commercial application with foundational scientific inquiry across such a diverse range of disciplines.

Our special thanks go to Consul General Richard N. Larsen, Travis Hall, and Naomi Shibui (USA) for coordinating this visit.