[Free Online Seminar] Nine Sigma and Teijin Co-host 'Survival Strategy for R&D in the AI Era ~ How to Design Exploration Processes to Create Value That Outperforms Competitors ~'

Nine Sigma Holdings, Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Akihiko Suwa) will hold an online seminar co-hosted with Teijin Limited, titled 'Survival Strategy for R&D in the AI Era ~ How to Design Exploration Processes to Create Value That Outperforms Competitors ~', on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

■ Seminar Overview
The rapid advancements in technologies, including generative AI, have dramatically lowered the hurdles for acquiring technical information and conducting initial investigations. As research and problem-solving in R&D are increasingly being replaced by AI, what manufacturing industries truly need are uniquely human capabilities: 'how to set challenges' and 'how to envision the future starting from core technologies.' This seminar will introduce the methods Teijin used, facing challenges in utilizing their scattered internal technologies, to create a technology roadmap in a significantly shorter period and with higher quality compared to conventional approaches. We will delve into the specific process of using the AI tool 'AKCELI' as 'thinking infrastructure' for decision-making.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 9, 2026, 14:00 - 14:45 (scheduled for a maximum of 45 minutes)

Format: Online Distribution (Zoom Webinar)

Participation Fee: Free

Target Audience:

Heads and practitioners in R&D departments and new business development departments

Those facing challenges in utilizing internal technology assets or promoting AI/DX

How to Apply: Please apply through the dedicated application website. (Application deadline: July 8, 2026, 13:00)

■ Insights and Benefits for Participants

Understanding the importance of 'correct challenge setting ability' that R&D departments should focus on in the AI era.

Learning concrete ideation approaches to apply existing company technologies (dormant assets) to other fields.

Gaining hints on management for permeating AI utilization throughout the organization while maintaining control as a 'tool,' and insights from Teijin's perspective on actual utilization.

■ Timetable

[Opening] Concepts of R&D in the AI Era (5 minutes)

[Company-wide Utilization Strategy] How R&D Organizations Should Interact with AI (15 minutes)

[On-site Practical Examples] What to Delegate to AI, What Humans Decide (20 minutes)

[Q&A] General Q&A Session (5 minutes)

■ Speaker Profiles

Teijin Limited

Ryo Sogawa, PMO Group Leader, Corporate New Business Division, RIM Business Planning & Promotion Department
Mr. Sogawa holds a Master's degree from the Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University. After joining Teijin Limited, he engaged in drug discovery research. While conducting research, he pioneered the introduction and utilization of drug discovery support systems. From 2010, he participated as an early member in the launch of the new business of implantable medical materials. As a leader in R&D management, he spearheaded the development and launch of 'Symposium,' a cardiovascular patch. This product received high acclaim for its superior technology and social contribution, winning the 'National Commendation for Science and Technology and Intellectual Property, Prime Minister's Award.' He has a proven track record of successfully launching businesses from scratch and developing groundbreaking medical devices. Currently, he leverages his extensive experience to support and promote new business development projects in the regenerative medicine and implantable medical device fields as PMO.

Teijin Limited

Katsuaki Ito, Project Manager, RIM Research & Development Department, Corporate New Business Division
Mr. Ito completed his doctoral program at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University. After joining Teijin Limited, he led overseas drug development and clinical trial design. During his study abroad in the United States, he experienced the process of implementing basic research into development and strongly recognized the necessity of application exploration and technology roadmap construction based on core technologies.
He subsequently expanded his activities into new business creation and the fields of regenerative medicine and implantable medical devices, leading projects that connect diverse functions and organizations such as research institutes, regulatory affairs, and overseas CROs. Currently, he utilizes his 'cross-functional problem-solving ability from preclinical to clinical, and from technology to business viability' to promote the design of exploration and decision-making processes with AI as thinking infrastructure. He is practically implementing the division of roles between humans and AI, and planning new themes by combining primary information gathering with AI.

Nine Sigma Holdings, Inc.

Akihiko Suwa, President and CEO
Mr. Suwa holds a Master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After working at McKinsey & Company and The Japan Research Institute, he established Nine Sigma Japan in 2006 and became its President and CEO. In 2017, he established Nine Sigma Holdings and became its President and CEO. He began promoting open innovation activities in 2003, before the term 'open innovation' became widespread in Japan, making him a pioneer of open innovation in Japan. He has held discussions with over 500 executives from major corporations and, through practical experience in projects involving 200 companies and 1,000 cases, possesses an unparalleled understanding of the overall picture of open innovation in Japan.

■ About Nine Sigma Holdings, Inc.

Under its management philosophy 'We make innovation happen,' Nine Sigma supports innovation activities from the creation to the promotion of new business and R&D themes by working alongside companies' R&D departments and drawing out the latent potential of their technologies. The Japanese subsidiary (Nine Sigma Asia Pacific Co., Ltd.) was established in 2006, and in 2022, it merged with Nine Sigma Holdings, Inc. The company boasts over 10,000 open innovation support cases in 105 countries worldwide, and more than 1,600 cases in Japan.
Headquarters: 1-3-3 Uchikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

President and CEO: Akihiko Suwa

Company Website: https://www.ninesigma.com/jp/

■ Contact Information for Inquiries

Nine Sigma Holdings, Inc. Kyosuke Watanabe
TEL: 03-3219-2006 / E-mail: contact_akceli@ninesigma.com