The TECSAM Network strengthens international collaboration in mental health during the institutional mission to Japan

The mission included participation in the World Health Expo (WHX) Osaka and meetings with Japanese universities, research centers and innovation hubs.

From June 29 to July 10 , the TECSAM Network participated in the institutional mission to Japan, promoted by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Department of Research and Universities) on the occasion of the World Health Expo (WHX) Osaka , one of the main international events in the health sector. The mission brought together the R&D&I Health Networks of Catalonia ( TECSAM Network, Xartec Salut, XARSMART and XWHIN – Women’s Health Innovation Network ) and Biocat , with the aim of strengthening international collaboration, sharing knowledge and exploring new opportunities for cooperation in the field of health research and innovation.

Throughout the mission, we visited some of the main innovation hubs, universities, hospitals and research centers in Japan to learn first-hand about its research and innovation ecosystem, share experiences and identify new opportunities for collaboration with the Catalan ecosystem.

Among the most outstanding visits, we have learned about initiatives and projects developed at Station AI (Nagoya) , the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC) , the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute (ATR) , Keio University , the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) , the International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) and the University of Tokyo Hospital . These meetings have allowed us to delve deeper into models of open innovation, technology transfer, digital health, artificial intelligence, neuroscience and support for entrepreneurship, as well as share the model of the TECSAM Network and the Catalan ecosystem of research and innovation in mental health.

The mission also included participation in the World Health Expo (WHX) Osaka , where we shared a stand with the rest of the Health R&D&I Networks and the Generalitat de Catalunya. During the fair, we presented the capabilities of the Catalan health research and innovation ecosystem, established new contacts with international professionals, institutions and companies, and explored collaboration opportunities to promote internationalization and knowledge transfer.

Throughout all the meetings, we have shared experiences with researchers, professionals and institutional representatives from Japan, identified common interests in areas such as mental health, neuroscience, artificial intelligence and digital medicine, and explored possible avenues of collaboration in research projects, scientific exchanges and international initiatives, including European programs such as Horizon Europe .

This mission has contributed to strengthening the international projection of the TECSAM Network, consolidating new strategic alliances and continuing to position Catalonia as a benchmark ecosystem in research and innovation in mental health, promoting the creation of new connections that promote the transfer of knowledge and the development of innovative solutions with an impact on people’s health.