VisasQ to Host Free Online Seminar on R&D Strategies for Turning Technology into Business on May 27

VisasQ Inc., which operates a global knowledge platform under the mission of “connecting knowledge and challenges,” announced that it will host a free online seminar from 16:00 on Wednesday, May 27. The seminar is titled “R&D Strategies for Turning Technology into Business, Presented by a Practitioner with Experience at Four Major Companies Including Daicel and Ito En,” and will feature Yuichi Ukawa, representative of Shizuoka Food Technology Office. VisasQ operates a global knowledge platform that matches companies working on initiatives such as new business development, digital transformation, and overseas expansion with individuals who have extensive business experience. Using a knowledge database of more than 800,000 people in Japan and overseas as of February 2026, the company provides access to external expertise and primary information based on real industry and operational experience. It has supported business creation for more than 2,200 clients. The seminar will focus on how to overcome the barriers involved in turning strong technology seeds into marketable businesses. Even when companies possess groundbreaking technologies, new business and R&D teams often face commercialization challenges. These include the difficulty of finding applications where high-spec materials match customer needs, as well as the investment dilemma in which budgets are not approved without evidence, while evidence cannot be produced without budget. The seminar will also address internal cultural friction, such as the lack of a common language between research divisions and business divisions, which can prevent effective cross-functional collaboration. If development moves ahead without a clear exit strategy, projects may collapse just before market launch. Speaker Yuichi Ukawa has worked at four major companies: Daicel, Nissin Foods, Ito En, and Oji Paper. Drawing on his frontline experience turning technology into business, he will explain application exploration processes that align high-spec materials with customer needs, as well as exit strategies for commercialization that take regulations and other factors into account. He will also discuss how to build a common language across departments, involve other teams in R&D through clear communication, and use external collaboration as a key element of modern business creation. The seminar is recommended for research planning and technology planning professionals at chemical, materials, and food manufacturers; people promoting new business development based on technology seeds; and those facing challenges in collaboration between laboratories and business divisions or in developing exit strategies. The seminar will be hosted by VisasQ Inc. and held online via Zoom from 16:00 to 17:00 on Wednesday, May 27. Participation is free. The program includes greetings and a service introduction, a lecture by Yuichi Ukawa, and a Q&A session. Yuichi Ukawa completed a master’s program at a national/public university in agriculture and later worked as a researcher at Oji Paper and its affiliated companies, in the development department and central research institute at Ito En, and as a section chief in the Health Science Research Department at Nissin Foods Holdings. He joined Daicel in 2018, serving as principal researcher at the Corporate Research Center of the R&D Headquarters, manager in the Healthcare SBU Business Promotion Office, and senior engineer. From April 2026, he has served as chief engineer at the Business Accelerator Center of the R&D Headquarters. Since 2021, he has also concurrently served as representative of Shizuoka Food Technology Office, providing consulting mainly related to foods with function claims.